Checkpoint Gaming's Scores

  • Games
Select another publication »
For 1,230 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 40% higher than the average critic
  • 8% same as the average critic
  • 52% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.8 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 73
Highest review score: 100 Blue Prince
Lowest review score: 20 The Lord of the Rings - Gollum
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 699 out of 1230
  2. Mixed: 480 out of 1230
  3. Negative: 51 out of 1230
1232 game reviews
view
per page
    • 54 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition
    Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is an interesting package; despite doing a number of things fairly well such as gameplay tweaks and refreshed visuals it’s hard not to feel a little let down. When you consider all of the possibilities or additional improvements that could have been made, it just feels like Rockstar could have gone further and created some truly memorable remakes or high-quality remasters. All of the games here do look better and play better than the originals, which technically does make these versions the definitive ones, but it feels like a missed opportunity at the end of the day. A few patches will likely take care of some of the more obvious issues, but at this point it is hard to recommend to anyone other than the GTA faithful.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Sacred 2 Remaster
    The Sacred 2 Remaster is quite lacklustre, feeling like it could have simply been a toggleable update to the original game. With performance issues being addressed, an overhaul of some unbalanced combat builds, a visual UI change and updated graphics being the main updates, it made me wonder what the point of this remaster actually was. In an attempt to ‘respect the original’, they’ve refused to bring the game into this new world of gaming, alienating a whole group of gamers by not adding any accessibility options, removing multiplayer from the console editions, and with no plans to add any new language translations. Overall, it just doesn’t offer enough to feel more than the original plus a community patch.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Tenebris Pictura
    In spite of various problems found within Tenebris Pictura, the game still leaves a fairly positive impression by the end. Some of it doesn’t quite work, from its very downplayed narrative to its slightly-annoying combat, but it brings enough novel content to the table to be engaging. If you’re into atmospheric adventure games with clever puzzles and unique ideas, you’re likely to find something rewarding in Tenebris Pictura.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
    Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is exactly what it claims to be: an interactive manual with a few bells and whistles. It’s the Wii Sports of the Switch 2 era, helping users understand the console, its features, and how it all fits together. While charging $15 for something that feels like it should’ve been bundled might be a turnoff, the level of detail and interactivity makes the price somewhat justifiable. It’s not a must-have, but if you want a fun way to explore your new console, it’s a decent way to spend a few hours. Just don’t rush through it; enjoy it for its charm.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Funko Fusion
    Without the titular brand figures, there’s nothing that stands out for Funko Fusion. It’s a platformer with collectibles, enemies to fight, and the occasional puzzle to solve. There’s an adventure to be had and an overarching story, but nothing you wouldn’t find in any other adventure game. The experience is ordinary unless you are in awe of the Funko recreations and want to see the figures come to life.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    AWAY: The Survival Series
    I wish I had more positive points to speak about, but AWAY: The Survival Series just isn’t that fun to play, and being a video game this is one of the most important aspects for the developers to nail. The experience feels unnaturally empty and shallow, and whilst the good intentions are there, the execution makes it a hard title to recommend spending money on, at least in its current state which feels like an early access title, despite it being a proper release. If this title piques your interest, I would suggest waiting to see what the developers end up fixing and tweaking as they have promised to fix multiple issues and provide constant updates to offer a more polished title.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Blackwind
    Blackwind presents a sci-fi platforming world that is fun to smash through and fly around its desolate landscapes. However, it sticks with its formula of killing enemies and unlocking areas so tightly that it lacks spontaneity and becomes too predictable too fast. Repetitive music, awkward dialogue and unvaried landscapes all lead to a pretty lackluster experience that even the fun combat can’t fix. Blackwind needs more time taking risks and experimenting with the very versatile genres it encompasses in order for it to stand out amongst the crowded population of action games.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Redfall
    Redfall is an interesting concept with some valid ideas, some cool lore, and some great moments driven by solid visual design and a knack for leaning into the supernatural. But with a vapid and dull open world, excruciating mission design, constant backtracking, and a plethora of performance issues—this release ends up sucking the life out of you one dumb glitch at a time.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Dragon Ball: The Breakers
    DRAGON BALL: The Breakers is a good idea held back by Pay-to-Win practices and outdated design decisions. While the game could have a bright future ahead of it, it has a long way to go before it can be considered a truly great title, and really ought to sort out it’s current issues before the developers look ahead to Seasons 2 and beyond. The fundamentals are there, and the gameplay is solid; if these can be polished and modernised, then Breakers would easily go from a niche oddity to a raging blast.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
    Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance isn’t a bad game, but it does feel insubstantial at the moment. The lack of character development, plot or world-building will probably turn away hardcore D&D fans. As for the fans of multiplayer action games, while the core of the experience is fairly solid, the lack of technical polish, repetitive structure and unexciting loot system will likely not satisfy for long. Hopefully over time, patches and additional content can flesh out the experience and make it the rollicking fantasy hack and slash multiplayer funfest it has the potential to be. Just make sure you don’t forget to bring a friend or three.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 35 Critic Score
    Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch
    Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch is a sad tale for the much-needed resurgence of equestrian-focused video games. Littered with poor design choices and endless amounts of bugs, every attempt to seep some joy out of the game was hindered. This comes as a shame. The bones of a good game are in there from the exploration of an interconnected world to a good start in both horse gameplay and town management and restoration. Boiling down to more than just a game released too early, Horse Tales also is a game too ambitious for its own good and not what was expected or needed. Take this one out to the pasture, they’re done.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires
    Whilst this Empires title deviates slightly from the standard Dynasty Warriors formula, it is still fun if you’re looking for a hack and slash game with a bit more strategy. There are issues that plague the game, especially with the use of an open world that lacks reasons to explore and the absence of same-sex marriage. Although with that said, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires still can be interesting during the siege battles and the beautiful character customisation. At least it’s relaxing to tear a new one into the cannon fodder.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Captain Blood
    While Captain Blood’s development is an engaging tale, the same cannot be said for any aspect of the final product. The game fails to capture what made other hack-and-slashers so fun, nor does it provide any notable innovations. Even as just nostalgia bait, Captain Blood always ends up undermining itself thanks to lacklustre combat, a lifeless world and general glitchiness that pollutes the whole experience.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    MX vs ATV Legends
    MX vs ATV Legends has a legacy behind it, but it doesn’t bring anything to the table to bring new concepts to the genre. While it’s fun enough to ride around on bikes and have the driver ragdoll their way down the hill, there are some persistent issues like vehicle performance and video quality. Subtitles are cut off mid-sentence so reading it is awkward, and there is a real lack of accessibility options for those who need it. Music choices are rad, as there’s some more modern-ish music in it, mixed with some older ones. Overall, MX vs ATV Legends is a fun racer to goof off with your friends, but nothing to seriously sink your teeth into.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Of Bird and Cage
    As a game, it is not up to scratch. While the characters and the story might be good enough for a music video, it’s not good enough for a video game. It is clear these are music video characters, sometimes in great emotional scenes, but often feeling two dimensional. The gameplay is sometimes nice, but often lacking in a discernable thread of logic, and is undercut when you see how little influence you have on what is clearly a prescribed set of events.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 35 Critic Score
    Babylon's Fall
    From a dismal effort on the front of graphics, user interface, player onboarding, sound design, and essentially every other aspect of game design, Babylon’s Fall is a failure. Games have bounced back from disastrous launches in the past, but in this case, I feel like it may be best to let sleeping dogs lie. The game’s one and only saving grace is that Platinum Games truly are the kings of combat, and while Babylon’s Fall is nowhere near the top of their collection of works, hacking and slashing your way through the Tower of Babel is at least, occasionally, kind of fun. It is just a crying shame that there is very little else to enjoy from the game; there isn’t anything pretty to look at, nice to listen to, or easy to engage with.
    • 33 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    The Lord of the Rings - Gollum
    The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a buggy mess, even disregarding the constant crashes. Not only that, but it is a game void of any personality, originality, or bravery. It attempts nothing new and falls back on tropes that started falling out of style years ago, while somehow still managing to replicate them poorly. It disappoints me not just as a fan of the Lord of the Rings, but also as a fan of video games in general.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    The Companion
    The Companion presents a compelling premise that just manages to fall short of an engaging experience. While it showcases some beautiful artwork in its visuals and creates a magical atmosphere with its environments and sound design, the actual gameplay becomes repetitive and frustrating over time. Issues with pacing interfere with what could have been a more streamlined walking-sim experience, and arbitrary padding makes the fragmented narrative difficult to appreciate. Those looking for a compelling story might want to wait a few months for some developer updates, while folks keen to lose themselves in a gorgeous fantasy realm might still find joy in The Companion in its current state.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Skate City
    Skate City is a visually stunning game with an incredibly catchy soundtrack. It effortlessly provides the chill gameplay environment that skating games are renowned for, complete with sleek and minimal graphics. The controls with a mouse and keyboard, however, can feel counterintuitive, and if you’re looking for a layered and complex experience like Tony Hawk, Skate City might fall short. However, if you’re looking for a relaxing skating game to help you unwind at the end of a busy day, you’ll find that Skate City does the trick superbly.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Clea 2
    Clea 2 ended up being an enjoyable experience. Once you get used to the game’s mechanics, the less-than-perfect proximity sound is no longer such a big issue. After you’re past that point, the rest of the game becomes a fun challenge to complete. It’s definitely a game for those who love skill-based survival experiences. No matter your skill level though, Clea 2 has options to suit you.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Inspector Waffles
    It’s fur real: Inspector Waffles is a paw-sitively claw-ssic point-and-click adventure with an atmosphere that’ll leave you feline fine. While its difficulty may be better suited to kittens and the inconsistent artstyle may cat-ch you off guard, there’s a purrfectly charming story to experience here. With hissterical puns and a visual and meowsical design that can only be described as the cat’s pyjamas, Inspector Waffles is far from a catastrophe: as essential as catnip for fans of the point-and-click adventure genre.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sizeable
    Sizeable in the grand scheme of things is a very well-crafted game. There has been a lot of work and effort put in to ensure this small project is packed densely with great ideas. The core mechanic, whilst simple in execution, is used to achieve an impressive array of effects, which make for some entertaining puzzles. The length of the game may disappoint some, but with the game sitting at an equally bite-sized price, I would encourage those interested to absolutely check it out anyway.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Tribes of Midgard
    Come with the tribe and stay for the grind if that’s your thing though this isn’t for everyone. Much of the game is spent either gathering or fighting until your weapons break as you beg for more souls to make the necessary upgrades and repairs to the camp. While it does offer a battle pass that’s free I’d still proceed with caution. There is a real challenge here that requires strategy but it falls short with the settings available in Survival mode for those either looking for a more brutal challenge or an easy go instead. Tribes of Midgard is best played with friends but if you’re after a game that rewards persistence then maybe you’ll find the value in solo-play too. It’s got lofty ambitions, but it doesn’t quite manage to meet them – at least not yet.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Song of Iron
    Song of Iron is a short and sweet Nordic adventure that tells a simple story which ends up much deeper than it first seems. With a range of gorgeous environments to explore and relatively satisfying combat, it only occasionally frustrates with some tricky boss fights and clunky movement resulting in some platforming pitfalls. Still, these grievances don’t last long, as I found the world created by Resting Relic to be a stunning one to explore and very thoughtful in its style and presentation. Mostly, I’m just astonished with how great it is that a solo developer is capable of creating this wonderful little journey, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Monster Crown
    For me, Monster Crown is a competent-yet-stale entry in the monster-collecting genre that fails to impress on any meaningful level. While the opening hour showed some promise, the game falls into tired tropes that have become standard for the genre, and even with the whopping Kickstarter cash, fails to innovate or build upon what came before. I was hopeful going in and relieved going out, and am holding out genuine hope that Studio Aurum continues to work on the game until it is a polished, well-realised example of the vision the team had when starting this game. A dull comparison to the legendary monster-catching games of yore that we know and love, Monster Crown fails to catch ’em all.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Where Cards Fall
    The parts of Where Cards Fall I remember most fondly are when it gets out of its own way. When the game successfully captured my interest, it directed my attention towards a beautiful world with a welcoming atmosphere. I vibe out on the board game aesthetic and enjoy the puzzles. But when the game is running too fast near the start, or too slow at the end, you can see the faults that are being concealed. Beyond the mask lies a story that does not engage and presentation that at times does a disservice to its mechanics.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Ty The Tasmanian Tiger HD / Ty The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue HD
    Ty the Tasmanian Tiger HD Collection successfully updates the first two games for a new generation of gamers. The endearing characters and story shine through with the beautifully rendered HD world Krome Studios have created, but it really is best played in handheld mode. The voice acting is just as great as it was on its initial release, and completionists will relish in the many collectibles throughout the games. Further fixes to the camera angles and underwater controls would have elevated this game further, and some of its elements feel outdated and a bit too easy, but this is a solid HD update to a collection of classic games that will never go out of style.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Farming Simulator 22
    Farming Simulator 22 is a beefy farming game that brings realism at the expense of inexperienced player enjoyment. It’s a machine built on the agricultural industry that forgoes any story in favour of hard work. It’s a simulator game that understands the assignment but isn’t at all intuitive in how it allows players to begin new farms. With proper tutorials and allowances, this game would appeal to players beyond its dedicated niche. Once players are able to tackle the learning curve, they’ll discover enjoyment can be found through persistence.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Heavenly Bodies
    2pt Interactive’s first foray into the console and PC world is astounding for such a small team. Heavenly Bodies’ graphics, aesthetics, and sounds are beautiful. The introduction of different control modes is also great, with a clear and commendable focus on accessibility. The difficult-to-master controls is where players may find a challenge in engaging with the title, with unclear missions adding to the disorderly feeling. While short, the game is replayable enough with different coop partners and challenges. Consider jumping in with a friend, because cooperative fun can help camouflage some of the game’s rougher edges.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Aspire: Ina's Tale
    Aspire: Ina’s Tale promises an epic journey and re-discovery of Ina’s power, but the game struggles to reach these expectations in its short runtime. Despite the unsatisfying exploration of the themes and setting within the Tower, Aspire: Ina’s Tale still delivers a heartfelt story within a truly exquisite environment. The puzzles are frustrating at times, but their difficulty leaves you feeling quite smart after completing them.
Page:

Top Trailers

See all »
See all trailers »