They just changed it to a 3 number scale and gave them names.
games will be considered Recommended, Essential or Avoid.
Translated to a 1-10 scale, that is 5-8, 9+, and 1-4.
Translated to 5 stars, that is 3+, 4.5+, and 1-2.
Better is to find a specific reviewer that favors the same types of games that you favor and read what they have to say about a particular game. Reviewers themselves should be given scores in different genres to reflect their interest, and scores in different aspects of games that don't necessarily translate between genres and are not necessarily used on every game (perhaps each reviewer chooses 3 most important factors of a set list of say, 10 different areas); then have multiple reviewers on each game.
How should we score an excellent game with severe networking issues? A flawlessly polished game with a hackneyed design? A brilliantly tuned multiplayer experience with dreadful storytelling? If you expect the score to encompass every aspect of a game, the task becomes an exercise in futility. Add an inflated understanding of the scoring scale in many quarters - whereby 7/10 and even sometimes 8/10 are construed as disappointing scores - and you have a recipe for mixed messages.
Excellent game with networking issues:
"Mary the FPS guru" says:
Polish: 9.5/10 "It's pretty!"
Networking: 4/10 "Networking problems ruins everything."
Replayability: 8/10 "Single player scenarios keep me coming back."
"Matt Foley the puzzle champ" says:
Team Balance: 8/10 "Pick your army, its all about skill"
Networking: 6/10 "It's ok because I live in a trailer down by the river!"
Price: 10/10 "Freeware, freeware, freeware."
You get the idea. Sorry for the babbling. No time to reword this.