Dear Future Gamer,

I've noticed that in the wake of games like Ridge Racer Type 4 and Metal Gear Solid there has been vast amount of criticism of magazine review scores.

If a game was 85 per cent perfect then it must be a fantastic game. Hell, if I get 85 per cent in my A-Levels I will waltz into Cambridge! An average game is one that gets 50 per cent and not 80 per cent as some people seem to believe.

When people slagged you off for your "low" scores I couldn't believe it. If you can find one thing in a game that isn't absolutely perfect then it isn't worth 100 per cent. And if anybody tells me they loved running over Hyrule Field 100 times or sitting through the gruelling cut-scenes in MGS or Zelda then they are masochists.

In fact, a game that gets 75 per cent is a good game and a score to be proud of. But people write off some excellent games (Space Station: Silicon Valley, Battlezone and Warzone 2100 to note) because they only got 90 per cent in their beloved magazines. I own lots of games with 'mediocre' scores of 80-90 per cent and I get a lot of enjoyment from them.

How are we supposed to encourage innovation in the industry when such innovative titles are ignored for their apparent mediocrity? Developers cannot always be innovative and create a perfect game, it just doesn't happen. Some people don't realise just how great a game that gets this kind of score must be and how much enjoyment they could get out of it.

As gamers we need to re-educate ourselves as to how the review scores work and what a score really means. I know how much I love games in the mid to high range and yet people slag me off, saying that the game is rubbish and so they won't buy it.

Mark Aston

FG: You're a man after my own heart Mark. We at FG think an average game deserves a score of 50 per cent. A good game is anything that gets above 75 per cent and a very good game is one that gets a score in the 80s. A game with a score of 90 per cent or above is a truly outstanding game and should be a 'must' purchase. Your letter's very timely because this very week we're running a feature highlighting some of the great games that people have ignored, and it's their loss, so check it out.