We’ve all been there at one time or another. You’re either asked to write a review, or you’re just doing it on your own, and for one reason or another you feel you can’t write a neutral review. Well, I’ve written a number of reviews, and I’ve compiled three tips to help you out in the reviewing process.

1. There is no such thing as absolute neutrality. Yes, that’s right. It is almost impossible to have zero biases on any one subject. No matter what you’re reviewing there’s always something that influences your review. Even if you’re so very perfect and you can put your personal likes and dislikes away for the remainder of the review, there’s always one major thing that shows: Did I like the product or not?

It’s impossible to remove that question from a review. But, at the same time, isn’t that what a review is all about? Sharing a personal opinion? Or is it about stating the facts, and not so much what I got out of the product? There’s a huge difference there, but would it be a true review without an opinion? Does John Doe want to know how much I enjoyed the product, or does he want to know the quality of the product? That’s the fine line you need to walk when writing, and every once in a while you’ll have to cross over one side or the other to complete your review.

2. Think about your product before you purchase it. If you’re buying a product with the intention of reviewing it, take a second to think about your preferences. No one wants to read a review of a Star Wars product written by someone who hates Star Wars (unless, of course they agree with the reviewer). If you don’t like a subject: don’t buy the product! It might seem like common sense, but I can’t tell you how many reviews for Star Wars products saying “I hate Star Wars, and this is really bad.” However, at the same time, people don’t want to read a positive review for a crap product just because you like the subject. If Super Bombad Racing was a mediocre game, get over your love for the subject and state the facts!

3. Do not compare! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a review for any product, and the whole review is about how the product compares to another. If you glance at a few Cell Phone reviews, you’ll get what I mean. Some mobile phone reviews are very long (up to 6 or 7 pages, some times), and the whole review is just a comparison. These reviews are great, but only if you have experience with, or own the other product. If you don’t, then there’s no reason to read that review.

If you’re writing a review, keep the comparisons to a minimum. If you don’t, then the review turns into a review of the second product, and the first product is either left aside or insanely influenced by your opinion of the other. If you don’t believe me, check my Ultimate Spider-Man review. You’ll see how I tried, but couldn’t get the comparison of that game and Spider-Man 2 out of my review. To put a long story short, read over your finished review and take out any comparisons. Then, add a small note at the end of the review, something like: Ultimate Spider-Man was a [insert opinion here] game, but you might want to check out Spider-Man 2 first. Or something similar.

Well, that’s it for now, enjoy these tips, and try to stay neutral (I’ll try to, too).