COGconnected's Scores

  • Games
For 4,978 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 62% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 32% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 75
Highest review score: 100 Final Fantasy XVI
Lowest review score: 10 Wander (2013)
Score distribution:
4983 game reviews
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    The general gameplay is a bit simplistic but your actions result in high-stakes scenarios that make you immersed in the world and the experience which is a hallmark positive in any survival game.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    With beautiful graphics, addictive RTS elements, and many hours of content, including future DLC, this game is one that deserves a close look by PS Vita owners everywhere.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Super Magbot is a fun, yet at times, frustrating game. Fine-tuning your brain to think differently is difficult and even up to the final boss, the core mechanic never felt natural. However, the sense of satisfaction when completing a tough stage is priceless. For gamers looking for a challenging, unique take on the platforming genre, then Super Magbot is definitely worth checking out.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Maybe this comes off as unfocused or contradictory. I had fun, but Showtime failed to hook me somehow. The stage variety is both a weakness and a strength. I like switching between concepts so frequently. But this comes with a cost, namely a depth deficiency. You’ve got tons of mechanics that take no time to learn. Stages oscillate between easy and enraging. There’s a giant list of collectibles that come in exactly two varieties. Even so, the raw concept is still cool. Giving Peach a whole closet full of roles is a great idea, albeit one I wanted more out of. If you give Princess Peach: Showtime! a chance, who knows? You might have a pretty good time.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    What we have here are two stories told with mixed results. The grim, gorgeous sci-fi saga fell flat for me. I couldn’t get invested in this last leg of the human race turning to tribalism and violence in the face of adversity. I’m pretty bored with ‘special soldier saves the day’ stories. But the loot cycle was a different matter. This tale of frustration, anticipation, determination, and joy was immediately compelling. I dug into the mechanical guts early and easily. The combat is varied, breathless, and brutal. The character progression is a decent mix of stats and skills, there’s a ton of customization to mess around with, and the difficulty scaling is perfectly fluid. I can tolerate a lot of nonsense in exchange for a good gameplay loop. But if you’re hoping for a package as good as the prize, you might be disappointed. So long as you’re prepared to dig a little for that glittering pearl, there’s a ton of fun to be had with Outriders.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    For all the flaws I’ve dragged out, I still love this game. The powerful music, the ethereal visuals, and the fascinating plot all deserve special attention. And yes, there’s a lot of weird, dense mechanics to wade through. But this just requires some patience and planning. To that end, Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition isn’t for everybody. But if you’re looking for a unique 32-bit RPG that will stick with you for years to come? You’ll want to check out Chrono Cross.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Siegecraft Commander is a fun and delightful RTS title that is easily approachable for serious strategists and newcomers alike. With the focus being on expanding across the map and staying in the action as opposed to resource management, the game never feels like it is lagging and is constantly nudging you into the throes of war.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    For fans of the first game, the wait for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has been long and frustrating, and the new game likely arrives with unrealistic expectations. Far from being an unmitigated disaster, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is entertaining but flawed. Excellent writing, a solid narrative, and quality performances are definitely high points. Uninspired quests and underdeveloped RPG elements suck some of the fun and potential replayability from the experience. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is probably not the game fans hoped for, but its setting, lore, and noire-ish vibe make it worth consideration for fans of all things vampire.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    All in all, Atelier Escha & Logy has made a solid return with its “Plus” version for the PS Vita. While at times the fluffy dialogue and constant state of repetitive work can be a bore, the long-lived Atelier formula with its alchemy, expeditions, and battles keep you trucking along.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Doing its best to make a long-ago conflict come alive, The Great War: Western Front is ambitious and complex. Like the actual war, it requires patience, determination, and the ability to suffer repeated failures to make a small amount of progress. It isn’t so much a hardcore sim that novices can’t decipher it. The problem for me is more with the subject matter, combined with the weight of many systems. Victories never feel jubilant. In World War 1, winning was a matter of losing slightly less than the enemy. History lovers and wargamers will find a lot to enjoy, but for me, playing The Great War: Western Front felt a bit too much like homework and not enough like fun.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    If you’re looking for a tense, deadly journey on a rustbucket of a space station, Deep Sixed is your game. If you want to take that same journey with a life vest on, you can do that too. Either way, this is a career worth signing up for.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    I’m torn about Akiba’s Beat. On the one hand, there are large sections of the game I simply didn’t enjoy. The character portraits for the visual novel sections move slightly during conversations, which just seems like a tease. The combat has a wide range of options for getting through some very simple battles. I really miss decking out my avatar in ridiculous clothing combinations. Yet, the writing is excellent, the voice acting is on par and the game’s tone is just right.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    If you’re not a fan of hunting down collectibles, Taxi Chaos might lose it’s steam pretty quick. The visuals do the trick, with only a few minor hiccups. There are some occasional glitches here and there – this one time I hit a weird jump and ended up flying in the air as high as the tallest buildings – but they’re few and far between. The voicework gets repetitive real quick, but eventually I just learned to zone it out. I do wish they had some licensed tracks here, but I get music licensing can be pricey. While I’ve easily logged in a dozen or so hours into Taxi Chaos, I’m still itching to get back into Free roam to find every last collectible. I truly hope the team at Team6 Game Studios are hard at work at some DLC, because I would love more content.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    At $30, the game is definitely pricey, and though the multiple expansions helps compensate for that, the only people I can really see utilizing them are those who are already fans of the board game to begin with. If you fit into that category or are simply looking for a fun, no-frills digital board game experience, Talisman is one of the better options out there.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    If you like one player coop games in the style of Moss, then Mixture may be worth checking out. There are too few games of this type, be it flat or VR. Mixture may have less personality than Moss, but the gameplay is overall solid minus the throwing mechanics. Mixture provides a solid challenge and an interesting world.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Overall, We Are the Dwarves is slightly too difficult, in a way that would make me apprehensive about going back to it rather than spur me to try again.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Although taking on Samurai Warriors 4: Empires head-on without any experience with past instalments may falter the depth and importance residing behind prominent characters, it’s still a solid mash-up of strategic conquering and hacking and slashing.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    I wouldn’t recommend Wanderlust to anyone who dislikes reading. Wanderlust Travel Stories is a very text-heavy experience. But if you enjoy reading and learning from gaming experiences and also enjoy traveling, I definitely recommend this gaming experience. Wanderlust Travel Stories is an evolution of non-fiction, blending the sights and sounds of cities, mountains, shores, etc. with interactive storytelling.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    I think Rainbow Skies is an excellent title for any RPG enthusiast who isn’t locked to an aggressive review schedule or an ever-expanding backlog. If you’re the sort of person who delights in maxing out skills and levels of all sorts, you’ll want to check out Rainbow Skies.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    The Company Man is a beautiful action platformer that is crammed with character. Forust Studio has laced the game with social commentary that truly enhances the experience. Even though it has a few pacing issues and lacks replay value, this is an enjoyable fight against capitalism.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Foreclosed is a stylish title that integrates comics and video games. The use of panels is exemplary and helps to communicate the narrative. With the symbiote revolver and intuitive hacking, the game has implemented many features successfully. Unfortunately, the repetitive gameplay and sparse environments affect the overall experience. That being said, releasing at a budget price, comic book fans may want to check out this intriguing title.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    The whole vibe of the game is fun. From the colorful Voxel graphics to the character and world design to the sound – including the voices, sound effects, and music. The weapon sounds very much mimic the sizzle and sparky sounds of Star Wars light sabers. Clone Drone in the Hyperdome is a fun, quick-to-pick-up and-play style of game. If you are looking for a colorful diversion and a combat game that is family-friendly, this could be your game.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Naraka: Bladepoint offers a refreshing alternative to both the tired sci-fi or high fantasy settings and mechanics of familiar battle royale games, with a focus on fast and skillful melee combat and movement that can feel like an awesome martial arts film come to life. But the focus almost entirely on close quarters fighting can grow repetitive and frustrating, too, especially against the much better players that seem to dominate the space. Although it pushes microtransactions past the point of annoyance, they don’t radically impact the game, which is ultimately much more skill-based than that of other games in the genre.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Monster Camp in a nutshell is about enjoying the story, admiring the whacky, graphic-novel style artwork, and building up your stats over the course of the summer to make sure you have enough points to win over your monster and secure a date to the meteor shower. The dialogue features a great deal of vulgarity, and it’s certainly not meant for the eyes of children. It’s outrageous and hilarious, and the scenarios are just as over-the-top as you would expect. It’s all about savoring the journey, and for most fans of this genre, there is a lot to appreciate.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Post Trauma is a loving tribute to those early generation survival horror games. It contains the best and worst attributes of said games. Thanks to today’s technology in terms of computing power and game engines like Unreal 5, Post Trauma has high production values. The creators’ respect for the genre is clear in all aspects of the final product. For veteran gamers and horror aficionados, this game will be a wonderful trip down memory lane. Post Trauma is available on platforms.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    The heady blend of peaceful and puzzling at work is worth your full attention.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    The Crow’s Eye is a strong experience that even those not as interested in the genre can access and enjoy.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Even though Knack isn’t bringing anything revolutionary to the platforming experience it’s still a game that deserves to be played.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    There’s no denying that to a T has an affecting message about the struggles of being different, but it’s cloaked in an amusing story and illustrated with appealing visuals and music. Undemanding younger players might not notice the disappointing mechanics, but older gamers probably will and feel the need for more substance. There’s a lot to enjoy about to a T, it’s just a shame the gameplay can’t quite match the warm-hearted quality of the writing and quirky ideas.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    To dismiss Boomerang X as little more than a tech demo would be unfair, but it is also hard to ignore that the game skimps on a lot of elements that would give it depth and replayability or really make the player engage with something more than throwing a weapon to kill waves of enemies, no matter how initially satisfying that can be. Not everyone is going to love the attention-getting and specific art style and level of abstraction, or the bare minimum story or lack of interesting characters. That said, a game that knows how to balance its strengths with just enough story, gameplay, and challenge is worth playing, and Boomerang X definitely knows its strength.

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