COGconnected's Scores

  • Games
For 4,976 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:
4982 game reviews
    • 76 Metascore
    • 89 Critic Score
    Skylanders SuperChargers doesn’t just push the franchise forward, it takes a giant leap.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    If you have fond memories of the original game, this version will bring a smile to your face. If you have never played the 7th Guest before, you are in for a treat, especially if you love mystery/puzzle games with a horrific slant.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Despite its dark themes, there is a quirky charm in its several dialogues and the game does a fine job of debating relevant societal issues. If you’re into visual novels, then you’re used to doing lots of reading and advancing through simple interactions, which is exactly what Neo Cab offers. As a branching narrative game, your choices are perceived by the system. It feels good to have an impact on the story, but the focus here is clearly on connecting with people and affecting their lives. After all, one could say “Isn’t that what life is all about?”
    • 76 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    After thirteen years, is this the tennis game you’ve been waiting for? Personally, this simple formula didn’t grab me. This is pure tennis, a faithful simulation of a complex sport. The entire experience has been distilled and purified, perfect for extensive practice and a steady accumulation of skills. But it makes perfect sense to me. Every element of the game funnels the player towards the gradual acquisition of abilities. You will get crazy good at TopSpin tennis if you stick with this game. It’s honestly remarkable how effectively they’ve built this training machine of a sports title. Playing feels intuitive and responsive, they nailed the vibe, and there’s almost nothing between you and the core gameplay loop. The state of the online scene is yet to be properly determined, but even so. If you’ve been looking for the next great tennis sim, TopSpin 2K25 is sure to hit just right.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    Battle Axe might be an excellent arcade game, but that’s a flaw as well as a feature. Extended play sessions, like those you find in Infinite Mode, can quickly wear out their welcome. You can only blow apart so many orcs before you start yearning for more. Maybe the gameplay loop doesn’t escape that cabinets and coins territory, but it doesn’t need to. The action that’s available is nothing short of exemplary. Fluid pixel art animation, tight controls, retro music and audio, and an intense challenge all elevate this game beyond ordinary nostalgia. If you’re looking for your next arcade game, you absolutely can’t miss Battle Axe.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    While Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 doesn’t change much about the original, it fixes the massive problem of the small roster. Fans of the anime have a retelling of a large chunk of the anime’s narrative to look forward to. The game’s story mode adds light adventure and RPG elements to give the illusion that there’s more to the game than just combat and cutscenes. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is very much a sequel, so anyone curious about the story should play the original game first. If you’re just in it for the combat, then the sequel is a no-brainer best choice.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The animations are visceral, and the buildup of suspense knowing that any hit could remove your player from the game, or remove him from existence, keeps you on edge.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The graphics in Astroneer are simple yet bright, beautiful and vivid. It makes exploring the world much more exciting and I feel like it doesn’t strain your eyes, either. It’s a wonderful game to add to your collection. It turns out, being able to play and explore new terrain and worlds with friends is a lot of fun! Though the lack of a narrative or any driving force forwards may not be the most appealing for some. Even with the stress-free gameplay, it’s sometimes nice knowing that there’s a common goal we are working towards. If you want to explore a vividly bright world, or if you just want a very chill time to just sit back and relax, then I would certainly recommend you pick up Astroneer. Alone or with friends, you can explore and build to your heart’s content.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    LawBreakers is downright fun. I can’t wait to get back to slide stabbing my enemies and zooming across maps at breakneck speeds. On top of the stellar gameplay, the game is bursting with personality and a keen sense of humor both of which serve the game in standing apart from its competition in addition to the inventive, gravity-defying combat. LawBreakers injects profound energy into the modern FPS genre, and I can’t wait to see how the meta develops and the game evolves over time with new game modes and characters.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Kingdom Come: Deliverance is quite the enjoyable epic journey, warts and all. When realism is the aim, it’s hard not to notice imperfections. We do live in the real world, so it’s hard not to compare. But all the little imperfections don’t keep this from being one heck of a great ride. The story alone is 50-hours of gameplay and overall there are around 100 hours of quests to complete. There is a lot there. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the first time I played Elder Scrolls: Arena 20+ years ago. The sense of scale, that awe of something you were not expecting to be so grand.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    While Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013 may not have as many of the more fun activities as the previous games on the Kinect, there is a little bit of everything here to keep things fresh and keep you interested while you work towards your customized fitness goals.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    Despite my quibbles about the puzzles and the sameness of the environments, Embers of Mirrim left a strong impression on me. It’s not going to change the trajectory of indie platformers, but it’s a solid game with an engrossing central mechanic that, once mastered, will make you feel like a gaming god.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 89 Critic Score
    Escape Academy is a wholesome, family-friendly adventure film come to life. The bright colors and blocky shapes lend to the idea of Saturday morning cartoon fun. The puzzles are clever, often requiring the player to pause for a moment and take it in before spotting the solution. Some segments can be difficult for players, but Escape Academy offers a useful Help button to keep things moving. The game has an intriguing – if campy – narrative and cast of characters who make the experience a joy to play. The timer for each room is generous but applies the right amount of pressure to keep you moving. Escape Academy easily earns an A on the final.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Assault Suits Valken Declassified is an incredible remaster. Having all the cut material with a new translation is going to be a dream come true for some. The translated guide book, and making of documentary are incredible extras. The game itself won’t be for everyone. It’s a 2D side scrolling run and gun, with a unique feel. Because it plays so differently, it’s a niche offering in an already niche genre. But any Cybernator fan, or anyone remotely curious should know this remaster goes above and beyond expectations.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 56 Critic Score
    The gameplay is fun for a time, but once you see what Curious Expedition 2 has to offer, you will start to look beneath the surface. If you do that and you still like what you see, maybe you’ll have a new indie favorite. Or maybe you’ll find that your curiosity is quickly sated, and you’ll move on to the next thing.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    I loved Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, but it won’t be for everyone. It’s a must-play for 2D action platform veterans. Especially those that value speedrunning. The 80s inspirations hit all the right nostalgia buttons for me. It might look a little generic on the surface, but anyone who gives Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider their time, will find a tight action platformer, with lots of unique nuance. If you’re at all curious, don’t hesitate to pick it up.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Far Cry Primal takes players to an era rarely visited in modern gaming and does so convincingly. Any fan of the series would love it and many would likely argue it’s the best we’ve seen from Far Cry thus far.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    While it didn’t scare me as much as I wanted it to, it packs plenty of tense moments and interesting situations into its somewhat inflated length and is definitely worth investigating for its atmosphere alone.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    As I said before, Days Gone feels like bad TV. It has no substance, but goddamn is it nice just to relax and follow along with the story and its hypnotizing gameplay loops. There are definitely better games out there, but without a doubt, Days Gone is a perfectly entertaining title to waste a week in.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    Volta-X has its enjoyable moments and provides a decent strategy experience with a fair level of difficulty. Since I like to take my Nintendo Switch with me when I head out, I do wish the offline mode had more content but nothing’s stopping me from playing this when I am home. Even though the story may not have been the wow factor, I can feel a lot of love was poured into the game, and this is evident in the smooth controls, colorful designs, and of course, the webcomic. Though battles can feel repetitive after a while, its intuitive controls make it easy to put down and pick back up the next day, and Volta-X is enjoyable enough for you to want to do so.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    While I was intrigued by the narrative, and enjoyed the performances, Twelve Minutes was an experience I’d had enough of by the time I completed it. There are just enough seams, jank, and clunk around that the act of playing the game felt like a task at times. I absolutely applaud the effort though. Twelve Minutes is an audacious first crack at a unique narrative structure, and one that will certainly lead to more refined and robust takes on this style of experience.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Rise of the Rōnin takes Team Ninja’s formidable combat system and lets it revel in a large open world. Swinging your blade has never felt better due to the number of options available to annihilate your opponent. Even though it follows the expectations of the genre and the visuals are mixed, each step in feudal Japan is exhilarating and pulsates with the spirit of the samurai.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    The story is surprisingly quick to blaze through as well, but there’s a lot to come across that the game doesn’t really seem to force on you, and Pikuniku’s world and gameplay is just memorable enough that this is a fun little title you may get more mileage out of than you’d expect.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Surviving Mars is a challenging city building experience for those willing to work to crack the surface and is tremendously satisfying once you get there.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Wasteland 2 is a slam-dunk in almost every way for lovers of immersive RPGs with a nostalgic, old-school feel. In the hours and hours I logged before writing this review, I felt that I barely skimmed the surface of what this massive game has to offer. Aside from the bugs and the inability to reconfigure controls, it plays well on the Switch and doesn’t lose much in its adaptation to the small screen.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    At a purchase price of $39.99 Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare is easily the most lighthearted approach to a shooter anyone has ever seen and you’re getting an immense amount of value for your hard earned dollar.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Though Samurai Warriors 4 isn’t the most polished game out there, it is a hell of a lot of fun.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    WarioWare: Get It Together! is a fantastic game that is nothing like anything currently on the Switch. Due to this, the game is an essential title for anyone who enjoys local multiplayer madness. Bubbling with content, you will have plenty to do even after completing the relatively short campaign. With a range of modes, there are tons of options to accommodate up to 4-players in cooperative or competitive mayhem. Although lacking online multiplayer, this is a rock-solid title that manages to be accessible, frustrating, and fun at the same time.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Make no mistake, this is a bad game. However, it’s obvious that developers knew exactly who would be interested in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Pathologic Classic HD is certainly an improvement on what was already an instant classic, but players shouldn’t expect a hugely different experience from the 2005 version, and the flaws from back then have become even more obvious with age. That being said, it’s perfect for people who’ve never played the original, or who just can’t wait for the remake.

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