How To Make a Good Review

I want to thank everybody for the feedback on my reviews so far. All this writing has helped me a lot with my skills, especially as a(n) (student) opinion journalist. So for people who want to make reviews on whatever they like, I've decided to make a quick guide on how to make a good review.

1: Base it on your OWN opinion
Don't look at other people's opinions to judge. What did YOU think about the subject you're reviewing? A lot of critics often have heavily biased reviews on films, hence why I dislike Rotten Tomatoes, with only few who really know what they are doing like Peter Travers and Roger Ebert. Biggest reason why they are the most well-known critics.

2: Don't water-down your opinion
In other words, don't right-wing it. Unless you fully believe that a film/album/game/other is flawless in every way, then that's fine, but if you don't, then state both the strengths and flaws of the subject. It will make your review more believable. An example of watered down reviews would be from IGN. Some of their verdicts are highly biased that they almost seem like they are rigged, especially for Call of Duty games. IGN has even (accidentally) revealed that they have a dislike for Sonic the Hedgehog, considering some of the pathetic reviews on some Sonic games. Don't bias your opinion. When you watch a film, watch it carefully. Concentrate more on what you didn't like about the film than what you did like and hold those thoughts. Then afterwards, compare the two.

3: Be specific
Give reasons on why you did or didn't like an aspect of your subject, such a scene, song, gameplay, etc. This is often prone to spoilers, which I do a lot of in my reviews, but it helps the reviewer to be more descriptive and it fleshes out the review as a whole. It also makes the review much easier to write. Make sure to warn readers of spoilers beforehand.

4: Organize your review
Split your review up into sections. With my film and anime reviews, I like to start off with sort of an introduction, letting the readers know what they're dealing with. In the next paragraph, I review the plot, characters, and other story-related aspects of the subject, giving details on what aspects I liked or didn't like and why. After that, I give thoughts on novelty points like soundtracks, comedy execution, animation, etc. Finally, I finish my review with a scored verdict and retrospect. Organizing your review will keep readers interested. Messy reviews can confuse readers since main ideas are jumbled around and your audience will eventually become bored.

5: Advertise
Don't be afraid to do this. Many people think it's very sleazy for "common" people (most notably Youtubers in comment sections) to advertise their content, but there is nothing wrong with it. If you want to be noticed, this is one of the best ways to do it. Message your reviews to other users and get feedback from them. Your audience is very important when it comes to reviews. Their judgement is like a guide for you to become a better writer and experiment with new styles of writing.

Comments

Great post and advice. - visitor

Thanks - visitor

Good post, I don't look super closely when it comes to finding flaws so that's why my reviews typically have more pros than cons mentioned. - Skullkid755

Nice - ProPanda

I'll keep this in mind - visitor

This post was so helpful. I'll keep this in mind for my next reviews I plan on doing (you know when I actually get to them). - Anonymousxcxc

Nice, I'll be using this. Thanks - visitor

Use me as an example, people, NOT as a scapegoat - xandermartin98

When I look at a film, I always give it a chance
Even if it is the Ghostbusters (2016) movie
I try not to get expectations to better the experience
When I realise, I hate, I take notes and use them for a review.
I reviewed the Lion King.
I was not bias but did want more as it is called the best Disney movie, but tried to ignore that feeling while watching the film.
I gave it a rating and if I had believe I had taken to account to the film, it would not enjoy it as much. - iliekpiez

Beat advice ever - BorisRule

Thanks! - visitor

Nice! - ajacraig2011