Hermit Talks Games Editorial Policy

Our Editorial Philosophy

We believe every game deserves to be understood before it is judged.

At Hermit Talks Games, we believe thoughtful critique starts with curiosity, honesty and respect.

Every game represents years of work from talented developers, artists, writers, composers and designers. Whether a title comes from a global studio or a solo indie developer, we believe every game deserves to be approached with an open mind and judged on what it sets out to achieve.

Our goal isn't to chase headlines or controversy.

Our goal is to help players make informed decisions while celebrating the creativity that makes gaming such a remarkable medium.

This Editorial Policy explains the principles that guide everything we publish.

Our Mission

Hermit Talks Games exists to provide thoughtful, honest and independent coverage of video games, with a particular passion for Japanese games and gaming culture.

We strive to create reviews and features that are:

• Honest
• Fair
• Well-researched
• Independent
• Transparent
• Respectful

Our readers place their trust in us every time they visit the website.

We take that responsibility seriously.

Our Editorial Principles

Everything published on Hermit Talks Games is guided by six core principles.

Play Before Judgement

We believe opinions should be earned through genuine experience.

Every review is based on real gameplay.

We spend time learning a game's mechanics, systems and design before reaching conclusions.

Whenever possible, we aim to experience enough of a game to understand what it is trying to achieve, rather than judging it solely on first impressions.

Respect the Craft

Creating games is extraordinarily difficult.

Every title represents the work of countless talented people.

That doesn't mean every game succeeds.

It does mean criticism should always remain respectful.

We aim to critique design decisions rather than attack the people behind them.

Constructive criticism helps players.

Respectful criticism honours developers.

Both matter.

Readers Come First

Our loyalty is to our readers.

Not publishers.

Not advertisers.

Not algorithms.

Every recommendation, criticism and conclusion is written with the reader in mind.

If we wouldn't recommend something to a friend, we won't recommend it here.

Transparency Builds Trust

Whenever something could influence a review, we'll tell you.

This includes circumstances such as:

• receiving a review copy
• attending a preview event
• publisher access
• sponsored travel
• affiliate links
• corrections made after publication

Readers deserve context.

Transparency provides it.

Independence Matters

Editorial decisions are never influenced by commercial relationships.

Publishers do not review articles before publication.

Review scores are never negotiated.

Opinions are never altered in exchange for access.

If we receive early access to a game, our responsibility remains exactly the same:

To provide an honest assessment.

Keep Learning

Games evolve.

The industry evolves.

So do we.

We believe good criticism comes from continuous learning, listening to different perspectives and refining our own understanding over time.

We're always open to learning something new.

What We Cover

Hermit Talks Games focuses primarily on:

• Japanese games
• JRPGs
• Action RPGs
• Adventure games
• Indie games
• Gaming hardware
• Gaming culture
• Industry features
• Opinion pieces
• Buying guides

From time to time, we may also cover other genres or topics that we believe will genuinely interest our readers.

Who Writes Our Reviews?

Every review published on Hermit Talks Games clearly reflects the experiences and opinions of the named reviewer.

We don't publish anonymous reviews.

We believe readers deserve to know whose perspective they're reading.

While opinions naturally vary from person to person, we strive to ensure every article reflects the same editorial standards of fairness, honesty and transparency.

Our Promise to Readers

We will never deliberately exaggerate our opinions simply to generate clicks.

We won't manufacture outrage because it's fashionable.

We won't praise a game simply because it's popular.

Likewise, we won't criticise a game simply because others do.

Our aim is to contribute thoughtful discussion rather than noise.

Gaming already has plenty of noise.

Why This Matters

A review isn't simply a score.

It's a conversation between someone who has experienced a game and someone deciding whether to invest their own time and money.

That's a responsibility we never take lightly.

Every review we publish is written with one simple question in mind:

> "If I were spending my own money on this game, is this the review I'd want to read?"

If the answer is yes, we've done our job.

Our Review Process & Standards

Every Review Is Earned

Our reviews are based on genuine gameplay and first-hand experience.

Whenever possible, we spend sufficient time with a game to understand its mechanics, systems, progression and overall design before publishing our thoughts.

We believe a review should reflect experience, not assumption.

Do We Complete Every Game?

Not every game can realistically be completed before publication.

Some games span hundreds of hours, while others are designed around ongoing updates or seasonal content.

Where appropriate, we aim to reach a point where we can confidently evaluate:

• Core gameplay
• Progression systems
• Storytelling (where applicable)
• Technical performance
• Accessibility
• Presentation
• Overall player experience

If a review is based on an unfinished playthrough, we'll say so.

Transparency matters more than pretending otherwise.

Review Methodology

Every review considers a game on its own merits.

Rather than comparing every title against the biggest blockbuster releases, we ask questions such as:

• What was the developer trying to achieve?
• Who is this game for?
• Does it deliver on its own ambitions?
• What does it do particularly well?
• Where does it fall short?
• Would we recommend it?

We believe context is just as important as critique.

Reviewing Japanese Games

Many of the games we cover are developed in Japan and reflect different storytelling traditions, gameplay philosophies and cultural influences.

Wherever possible, we aim to consider that context when evaluating a game, recognising that design choices often stem from creative intention rather than convention.

Understanding cultural context doesn't mean avoiding critique. It means ensuring our critique is informed.

Review Scores

Where review scores are used, they summarise the overall experience.

They should never replace the written review.

A single number cannot fully capture creativity, atmosphere, emotional impact or individual taste.

We encourage readers to read the entire review rather than relying solely on the final score.

Technical Performance

Where relevant, reviews may comment on:

• Performance
• Stability
• Bugs
• Accessibility features
• Controls
• User interface
• Platform-specific differences

We'll always try to distinguish between issues that significantly affect gameplay and those that are relatively minor.

Updates After Release

Games often evolve after launch.

Significant updates, patches or expansions may substantially change the player experience.

Where appropriate, we may:

• Update existing reviews
• Revise scores (if applicable)
• Add editor's notes
• Publish follow-up articles

If a review has been substantially updated after publication, we'll make that clear.

Corrections

Nobody gets everything right.

If we make a factual mistake, we'll correct it as quickly as possible.

Where appropriate, corrections will be clearly noted within the article.

We believe acknowledging mistakes builds more trust than pretending they never happened.

AI-Assisted Workflows

Artificial intelligence may assist with tasks such as:

• Proofreading
• Formatting
• Research support
• Transcription
• Idea generation

However:

• Gameplay is never generated by AI
• Opinions are never generated by AI
• Final editorial judgement always belongs to the reviewer

Readers deserve genuine experience.

That's something we will never compromise.

Independence

Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review.

Likewise, purchasing a game ourselves does not guarantee a negative one.

Every game is evaluated according to the same editorial standards.

Our responsibility is to our readers.

Always.

Our Commitment

Everything we publish returns to one simple principle:

> We believe every game deserves to be understood before it is judged.

That philosophy guides every review, every feature and every recommendation we make.

If we remain true to that principle, we believe our readers can trust us to provide thoughtful, honest and independent games critique.