Every review on ModReview carries one score out of 5. This page explains what the numbers mean and how we reach them.
The scale
Scores go up in half steps. A review shows the score as a number and as yellow stars. Each whole number means one thing:
- 5: install it on any setup it supports.
- 4: install it, but read the caveats first.
- 3: it works, with real trade-offs.
- 2: only if you need exactly this.
- 1: skip it.
A half step, such as 4.5, sits between the two whole numbers.
What a score weighs
A score applies to the version named in the review. For a mod, we ask:
- Does it work on the stated game version and loader, and what does it conflict with?
- What does it add, compared with the alternatives?
- How hard is it to install, set up and remove?
- Is it maintained: recent updates, open bug reports and replies from its author?
Tools and hardware get the same questions, plus price and what they replace.
How we research
Research and fact-checking on ModReview are AI-assisted. AI tools help us collect sources and check details such as version numbers, loader support and changelog entries. An editor reads the sources, writes the verdict and sets the score.
Our sources are the mod’s download page, its changelog, its issue tracker and documentation, and published reports from players. For hardware, they are the maker’s specifications and tests published by others.
What a score is not
A score is an editorial rating. It is not a lab result or a benchmark, and it does not come from hands-on testing.
When things change
Mods update, and game patches break them. A score holds for the version in the review’s “Version reviewed” line. When we revisit a review, we update the score and the version line together.
Found an error? Email [email protected] and we will check it.