Daily Star's Scores

  • Games
For 350 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 58% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 40% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.7 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 80
Highest review score: 100 Total War: Three Kingdoms
Lowest review score: 40 Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 15 out of 350
352 game reviews
    • 89 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Fire Emblem: Three Houses is not a bad game - it starts off strong and for some reason systematically unpicks everything by the time you’re 30 hours in. The battle system is fairly impressive but still carries some of the flaws the series has had for the past decade, and the writing of the central cast feels like a step back compared to the 3DS series’ entries.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    God Eater 3 is an excellent Switch Port of a great action-RPG and is stuffed to the Aragami gills with content. It's the perfect "pick up and play" game for your commute while offering enough depth to play for hours of an evening in order to earn that next upgrade. Happy hunting, AGEs.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Switch owners will find plenty of content to chew through, particularly with friends, and while it may be the gaming equivalent to a Hulk Smash, that isn't to say that it isn’t a rollicking good time.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It's a great time for returnees from a time in the mid-90's, while for newcomers, the difficulty will be a surprise, but the gameplay and its fantastic art-style will keep you coming back for more, it's just that good.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dragon Quest Builders 2 balances itself almost perfectly between the thrill of exploration and fighting of strange baddies, and the serenity of building. While it might lean over one way or the other on occasion, its foundations are solid and hard to crack.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Shadowbringers is a step above anything that has come before it. The perfect blend of captivating gameplay and a truly memorable story that rivals those heralded by fans for decades. It’s time to step out of the shadows and become what you must Final Fantasy XIV; the best MMORPG in the world.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sea of Solitude is a haunting journey into loneliness, with Kay’s character arc perfectly encapsulating the feeling of being lost and adrift. With its abstract and metaphorical style, the game is a truly emotional experience, one which perfectly captures the inner turmoil of a soul mired by loneliness sending out a desperate SOS.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It's Castlevania in everything but name and fans of Igarachi's earlier work will find a lot to love between excellent combat and rewarding traversal. The Switch port is harder to recommend at present, but the game is likely to be among the console's best after a patch or two.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A fun Lego-like exploration title with a hint of Minecraft and maybe World Of Tanks mixed in there too. There's something for everyone of all ages.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Well worth a look, but not in my gaming top tier.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Once the novelty of a new game fades, what we’re left with is a failure of a title that simply loses itself after the first hour or so. And you end up going in bizarre circles without any sense of satisfaction.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    If you['re] bored by cricket you’ll likely be bored with this game too. However for the fans, there is now a really good cricket game to enjoy, one that’s packed with gameplay, customisation, and a real love for the real game.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    It's a game that's constantly reminding you that it is a game released in 2009, with its dated single-player mode and boring missions. The upgraded particle effects help the game show the destruction on the Switch very well here, but 'Wrecking Crew' is where the game shines, and proves it is very much worth your purchase here. Incredibly fun, great for party-passing, and being able to play this mode on the go only makes me recommend 'Red Faction Guerrilla' even more.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The stunning graphics, incredible survival horror combat and wonderfully eerie setting make picking up a copy of Resident Evil 2 a no-brainer.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    While the puppies might be adorable and the kittens mischievous, the games lack of features and broken motion controls make it more frustrating than enjoyable. Once you’ve done everything once, you’ve done everything, and even the cute little critters running around make it difficult to recommend.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sairento VR deserves enormous recognition for its excellent gameplay loop and extensive replay value.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    With even more tools and features than before, Super Mario Maker 2 is a fantastic level-making package deserving of its number. Even players without a creative itch will have a blast with story mode, and being on a console with an install base already much larger than its predecessor ever had, there’ll no doubt be countless more exciting and inventive levels to come.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Sinking City has an incredible atmosphere that really grips the darkest parts of your mind. Oakmont feels hostile, unwelcoming and full of secrets, but the game makes it clear that it might cost more than just your life to find out what they are. While it stumbles with its characters and combat, The Sinking City is a great first step into the supernatural detective game.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is another remarkable remake of a true timeless classic. It masterfully balances new and fresh content with everything that originally lapped up such a fanbase. CTR Nitro-Fuled not only feels like an indulgent, nostalgic treat but it feels like a game that can truly be appreciated all over again thanks to new and exciting tweaks and explosive new content. Step aside Mario, there’s a new karting-king in town.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    I love that they added an interweaving sub-plot to the already interesting career of trying to win a championship. The rivalries are also done really well, where you are told to stay away from your rivals otherwise they may attempt to sabotage you on the track. It’s all quite fun.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    My Friend Pedro is an addictive experience and a mesmerising shoot-em-up that, though failing to deliver a good story, takes you on a violent ballet filled with blood, bullets and bananas…There is plenty of content packed into the game’s 5-hour playtime, with a huge opening for possible DLC and easy ways for players to compete with each other via leaderboards.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Everybody’s Golf VR is an excellent first outing for the series if a little on the thin side in terms of content. Thankfully, what’s there is fun and rewarding, and well worth a look for fans of the series or the sport.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Beat Saber is the perfect recipe for a rhythm game. Easy to pick up, difficult to put down, and a wealth of complexity to explore once it has you hooked.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Blood and Truth leaves the old glorified tech demos in the dust and realises VR’s full potential with an incredible blockbuster campaign that’s also a love letter to the city it’s made in.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    More than just a good Total War game. Its variety in play, riveting campaign mode and improved performance move it up to one of the best games in the RTS genre.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Observation is a game that has a deeply captivating story with a lot of heart, which makes it worth playing for those who love the mysteries of space and artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, some aspects, such as SAM’s janky controls and unenjoyable space sequences made an otherwise enjoyable game, feel weighed down by space debris.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    If narratively shallow yet entertaining movies are popcorn flicks, Rage 2 is the ultimate popcorn game, and that’s okay. At no point during my 15 hours running rampant around its post-apocalyptic wasteland did I feel the need to know more about a character’s subplot, or question the antagonist’s motives. I was too caught up in the spectacle of carnage to care.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Team Sonic Racing brings an interesting dynamic to the kart racing genre. While its team-based gameplay offers a new dimension of tactics to players, it lacks refinement and ultimately doesn’t do enough to escape the shadows cast by other prolific kart racers.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Masterful combat, a heap of interactive elements, and delightfully indulging gore all interweave to create something close to a masterpiece.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A Plague Tale: Innocence is an outstanding game that not only manages to deliver an impressively constant and tense tone, but also a really gripping story that will have to push through your vermin soaked nightmares to find out what happens next. The incredible performance from the siblings frame the dark world in an extremely engaging way, and while it might not be quite as polished, Plague Tale will almost certainly be spoken about in the same breath as Hellblade.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    On one hand, it’s one of the prettiest, most realistic titles the Switch has, and the slow-motion shots have a surprisingly rewarding tactile feel. Despite these high points, the rest of the game is extremely average, packed with throwaway collectibles and filler game modes that can’t hide the cumbersome cover shooter that lurks beneath. In the end, the gloom outweighs the glitter and though Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is a nice title to see on the Switch, it's certainly not an essential one.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    While there some tweaks that could be made that would perfect this title, these are vastly outweighed by the game’s sheer amount of style and substance. If you’re a fan of Hotline Miami, or in fact, any top-down shooter, then God’s Trigger is a must play, especially if you have a spare controller and a player 2 to hand.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Steins;Gate Elite provides a much more aesthetic and visually engaging approach to the genre. The daunting task of reading mountains of dialogue is made less overwhelming with visual aid that not only brings the story to life but deepens your emotional ties with the characters within it, maximising the emotional impact as the story unravels. Animated scenes also do well to make an enticing new entry point for players whilst offering a sense of nuance that’s as good of an excuse as any for Steins;Gate fans to revisit this top-notch series.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The quality of life improvements made can’t cover up the fact that this is a lazy port of a game that deserves better.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The end result is a loot shooter far more confident and coherent than what we’ve seen before. Ubisoft Massive has learned from past mistakes, side-stepping those same pitfalls to deliver a sequel that feels dense without becoming tangled. There are still some rough edges and the burden of carrying a limp story but, ultimately, The Division 2 triumphs over everything else this genre currently has to offer.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The witty writing and unique premise still make Beat Cop a street worth investigating. It has plenty of questions to post on morality (just how far would you push your agenda on the people that look up to you?) but makes it silly and accessible enough to never become too dire. Its a riot, and well worth a routine inspection.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Though Sekiro feels impossibly hard at times, the level of euphoria you experience when delivering a death blow to a tricky boss or when you finally clear a castle grounds of all enemies is almost unparalleled.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The game is best played in short bursts, and it shines when in handheld mode. But the costumes don’t really add anything, and sometimes you’ll come across levels that are just there to complete - they feel like filler, padding stuffed in this wooly wonder to fill it out.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    This remaster doesn’t bring much in terms of new content, and visual changes that are headlined aren’t done as well as they should be. In that regard, it still holds up as a great Assassin’s Creed game that is worthy of any fan’s money.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Vertigo has done a top job in distilling the strategy genre while making it feel like a fun and natural VR experience. It’s accessible not only in its design but the way you interact with this world and its many moving pieces.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Final Fantasy 7 is still worth playing in 2019. Its legacy is undeniable, and as we wait for more news on the Remake, we can look back at the original which is now available on every current console. There's a reason Cloud and Midgar appear in Super Smash Bros - they, and Final Fantasy 7 as a whole, are true icons. Unfortunately, this piece of history hasn't received the port treatment it deserves just yet.
    • 71 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    While it isn’t quite as engrossing as Wii Sports of way back when, it is a strong showcase for the sheer whimsy that Nintendo can wield when it wants too. It might be something of a novelty rather than an immediate addition to your console library, and you might not come back to Labo VR for hours and hours, but it’s incredible toy-cons and magical games will definitely be something you show off to anyone willing to put their head in the back of a bird.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission is not for everyone, but if you can push through the tutorial and put in a few hours, it's a content-rich, bonkers, colourful battler that fans of the franchise will enjoy. Just take note - its power level may vary for those that aren’t deeply rooted in the franchise.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    This is an incredible game that is well worth experiencing, but there’s an elephant in the room. The Switch price is £35.99, which is sure to demoralizing consumers as it’s more than double the Steam price, for a port that doesn’t improve on the original. There aren’t even touchscreen controls, which would have been a perfect addition for the Switch.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Cuphead is frustrating but fair. It’s about incremental improvements over hours of practice. You need to constantly learn new tactics as each boss fights differently, and the penultimate battle is particularly inventive. No matter how upset Cuphead might make you, though, you keep wanting to come back. The sense of accomplishment that comes with victory washes away any anger you once felt.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Over 200 hours worth of high-quality content, playable at home or on the go, Final Fantasy X/X-2 Collection is a must-buy on the Switch. Those that have played before will happily greet old friends, while those that haven't explored Spira will find just as much to love.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    World War Z is a pretty fun but extremely short co-op zombie shooter that is eerily similar to Left4Dead but helps counter the withdrawal any fans of that franchise may have. A few more bug fixes and much more in-game content would give this game the much-needed resuscitation it deserves.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Six years later, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is still an exceptional adventure game - the only difference on Switch is that you can now take the fun on the road with you.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Mortal Kombat 11 is a top-tier fighting game that deserves to be rated much higher - but locking 90% of the content behind gates that require thankless, constant grind has left us with a rather sour taste in our mouth.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Superb zombie-slaying combat and enjoyable motorcycle gameplay are integrated perfectly with a well-paced story. But the game’s major highlights are the terrifying zombie hordes which are unlike anything seen in a videogame so far.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Dance of Death: Du Lac and Fey is as awkward to play as it is to say. The interesting concepts can't save it from being a rather disappointing outing for the legendary characters.

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