So you've just finished a sixty-hour video game, you're emotionally devastated in the best possible way, and you need to tell someone about it immediately. But here's the problem: 'It was really good' doesn't even begin to cover it. The story made you cry. The characters felt like real people. The ending left you staring at the credits in stunned silence. How do you put all of that into English? Especially English that does the game justice?
Whether you're leaving a quick review on Steam, debating a game's merits on Reddit, or writing a full-blown critical analysis, the language of game reviewing is rich, specific, and incredibly satisfying to learn. And because games combine so many elements — story, visuals, music, gameplay, character design — this topic is basically a one-stop shop for expanding your English in multiple directions at once. So let's press start.
LEVEL 1 — THE BASICS (A1/A2)
Let's start with the essential vocabulary of video games. A character is a person (or creature) in the game. The main character or protagonist is the one you usually control. The story or plot is what happens in the game. A level or chapter is a section of the game. The graphics are how the game looks visually. The soundtrack is the music. And gameplay refers to how the game actually plays — the controls, the mechanics, the things you do.
Some other useful basic words: an enemy is a character that tries to stop you. A quest or mission is a task you need to complete. A boss is a powerful enemy at the end of a level. A cutscene is a video sequence within the game where the story unfolds. And a save point is where your progress is saved.
At this level, expressing your opinion is straightforward:
"I liked the game."
"The story was very good."
"The characters were interesting."
"The graphics were beautiful."
"I didn't like the ending."
"The game was too difficult."
The grammar here is simple: 'was/were + adjective' for descriptions and 'I liked/didn't like + noun' for opinions. A few great adjectives to have ready: fun, exciting, boring, scary, beautiful, difficult, easy, long, short, sad, surprising. These basic building blocks let you give a clear opinion about any game.
One structure that's really useful for reviews: 'My favorite part was…' This lets you highlight something specific. 'My favorite part was the final boss fight.' 'My favorite character was the villain.' Being specific, even at a basic level, makes your review more interesting and useful.
LEVEL 2 — ADDING COLOR AND DEPTH (B1/B2)
Now let's move from 'I liked it' to 'here's exactly why it's brilliant.' At the intermediate level, you can discuss story elements, compare games, and write reviews that actually help people decide whether to play something.
Expanded vocabulary: the narrative is the overall story as it's told through the game. Character development is how characters change and grow over the course of the story. A plot twist is an unexpected turn in the story. World-building is the creation of the game's setting, history, and lore — all the background details that make the fictional world feel real. Immersion is the feeling of being completely absorbed in the game world. Pacing is how fast or slow the story moves. And replayability is how much you'd want to play the game again after finishing it.
Now you can write much more detailed reviews:
"The character development in this game is outstanding. The protagonist starts as a fairly unlikeable loner, but by the end, you genuinely care about what happens to them. The writing is sharp, the dialogue feels natural, and there's a plot twist in the third act that completely reframes everything you thought you knew."
Look at the vocabulary and structures at play: 'outstanding,' 'fairly unlikeable,' 'genuinely care,' 'the writing is sharp,' 'completely reframes.' These are the words that make a review come alive.
Grammar spotlight: comparatives and superlatives are essential for game reviews because you're often comparing. 'This is the most emotionally impactful game I've ever played.' 'The sequel is much darker than the original.' 'It has better world-building than most open-world games.' And the present perfect is perfect for connecting your overall gaming experience: 'This is the best RPG I've played in years.' 'I've never been this invested in a fictional character before.'
The language of recommendation is also key at this level. 'I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys narrative-driven games.' 'If you liked The Witcher 3, you'll love this.' 'It's worth playing for the soundtrack alone.' 'I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for fast-paced action — it's more of a slow burn.' The conditional 'if you liked… you'll love…' is a classic review structure that works every time.
Phrasal verbs in gaming: to play through means to complete the entire game. To pick up a game means to start playing it. To get into a game means to become engaged with it — 'It took a few hours, but once I got into it, I couldn't stop.' To level up means to increase your character's abilities. And to burn out means to get tired of something from playing too much — 'I burned out after 80 hours of side quests.'
Speaking tip: when discussing games with friends or on forums, use specific examples to support your opinions. Don't just say 'the story was sad.' Say 'There's a scene in chapter four where the protagonist discovers the truth about their father, and the way the music drops out completely while the camera lingers on their face — that hit me harder than most movies.' Specificity is what separates a forgettable opinion from a compelling one.
LEVEL 3 — FLUENCY AND NUANCE (C1/C2)
At the advanced level, you're not just reviewing games — you're critiquing them. You're analyzing narrative design choices, discussing games as art, and engaging with the medium at the same intellectual level as film criticism or literary analysis. This is where your English becomes genuinely impressive.
Advanced vocabulary: ludonarrative dissonance is the conflict between a game's story and its gameplay — for example, a character who's presented as compassionate in cutscenes but slaughters hundreds of enemies during gameplay. Environmental storytelling is when the game communicates narrative through the world itself — details in the scenery, objects left behind, architecture that tells a history without a single line of dialogue. Procedural narrative is storytelling that emerges from gameplay systems rather than scripted events. Authorial intent refers to what the creators meant to communicate. And a subversive narrative is one that deliberately defies audience expectations or genre conventions.
"The game's most ambitious achievement is its refusal to offer easy moral resolution. The player is repeatedly forced into choices where no option is clearly right, and the consequences unfold with a patience that forces genuine reflection rather than allowing the impulsive decision-making that most games reward."
That paragraph could appear in a published review. Notice: 'ambitious achievement,' 'easy moral resolution,' 'consequences unfold with a patience,' 'genuine reflection,' 'impulsive decision-making.' This is analytical prose — dense, precise, and deeply engaged with the material.
Grammar at this level: the subjunctive and hypothetical structures are perfect for discussing alternative narrative possibilities. 'Had the developers chosen to spare the character in the final act, the emotional impact would have been significantly diminished.' 'Were the game to receive a sequel, it would be fascinating to see how they handle the consequences of the player's final choice.' These structures demonstrate a level of grammatical sophistication that impresses in both writing and speaking.
Cleft sentences add emphasis and elegance to your criticism. 'What makes this game exceptional is not its combat, but its willingness to let silence carry emotional weight.' 'It's the subtle environmental details that elevate the world-building from competent to masterful.' These structures — 'What makes… is…' and 'It's… that…' — focus the reader's attention exactly where you want it.
Writing tip: a great game review balances objective analysis with subjective response. Describe what the game does (narrative structure, design choices, technical elements), then explain how it made you feel and why. The best reviews help people understand not just whether a game is worth playing, but what kind of experience it offers and who will appreciate it most. This requires empathy — for the developers, for the audience, and for the medium itself.
Cultural context: video games are increasingly discussed as a legitimate art form in English-speaking media. Publications like Polygon, Kotaku, and outlets like Noclip produce criticism that rivals the best film or literary analysis. Being able to engage with this discourse in English means being part of one of the most vibrant, rapidly evolving cultural conversations in the world. It's not just about games — it's about storytelling, technology, ethics, and human experience. And if your English can navigate all of that? You're genuinely fluent.
YOUR CHALLENGE
Choose a story-rich video game you've played (or a favorite movie/show if you prefer).
Task 1: Write a 3-sentence review using only basic vocabulary and past simple tense (Level 1).
Task 2: Expand it into a one-paragraph review with specific examples, at least one comparison, and a recommendation (Level 2).
Task 3: Write a 200-word critical analysis examining one specific narrative or design choice, using at least one cleft sentence and one piece of advanced vocabulary (Level 3).
Bonus: Post your Level 2 or Level 3 review on Steam, Reddit, or a gaming forum and see how people respond!
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