The rating system in the Play Store is getting a new trait it seems, with individual ratings for things like graphics, gameplay, and controls. If the names of these specific attributes are any indication, Google is adding a more detailed ratings description of certain aspects for games, so as to let potential players know what other players think of these details. While the initial game rating alone does help to alert those who may be considering installing a game to whether or not the game is worth checking out, a great rating isn’t necessarily indicative of how other specific elements within that game are viewed.
A game could have a decent overall rating for example based on how enjoyable it is for most players, but it could still have graphics which players aren’t fond of. Now with these new ratings getting put in place, anyone looking to download games will know exactly what they’re getting into before downloading and installing a game.
The new ratings for these elements will appear on the same page as the overall star rating, so you’ll see them immediately when scrolling down to look at the reviews from other players. Google is presenting these details with circle icons and a label below the icon denoting which element that rating is for, with the star rating for that element inside of the circle. In addition to seeing these new “feature ratings” as Google is calling them, users will now be able to rate these particular details themselves too along with the overall rating they may leave. For user who can see the new feature ratings, upon going to rate the game, you can swipe to the left and move through the three additional star ratings for controls, gameplay, and graphics. The feature ratings don’t appear to be showing up for all users, so Google is likely testing this new change or rolling things out in a limited amount at the moment. Since these aren’t available for everyone just yet, that also means that there is the potential Google could end up doing away with it and not keeping it as a standard part of the review process, although it certainly seems like something that has the potential to be added into the review and rating process on a permanent basis.
