DarkStation's Scores

  • Games
For 3,653 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 48% higher than the average critic
  • 7% same as the average critic
  • 45% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.8 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 72
Highest review score: 100 The Pedestrian
Lowest review score: 10 Another Dawn
Score distribution:
3656 game reviews
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Aaero contains fifteen music tracks, which makes it a fairly short experience that can be completed in one sitting. As an arcade style action game, however, it offers a lot of replayability, so the game's once through length isn't really a fair assessment of its value. Still, the price tag of $15 is probably on the high side for the overall level of quality and variety that the game has to offer. The game has plenty of high points and some very memorable tracks and levels, but it has some forgettable ones as well. It is worth playing for those high points, but a lower price and more consistent quality would have made the game a much easier recommendation.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Launch titles are usually a mixed bag, but EA excels in this updated next-gen port, with plenty of visual candy and modes to be excited about.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    There are some things you expect coming into a Square Enix produced JRPG. You expect some grinding, you expect some weird dialogue, you even expect it to take a while to get going (I’m looking at you Final Fantasy XIII and the 30 hours it took to get good). What you don’t expect is for the game to feel like it’s just going through the motions with its story, for the central class system to not feel worthwhile, and for the battle system’s main claim to fame being you get to skip your turn to go later. Turns out Defaulting on this one is the right move.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Although I can’t confirm the differences between the original Xbox One X version and the new Switch edition, I can say that I had a lot of fun with this gem. It was dull and unfocused at times, but it never felt like a slog. Perhaps the game can be remembered fondly one day as a rare 3D platformer throwback of this decade, alongside Super Mario Odyssey, Yooka-Laylee, and A Hat in Time. Or at the very least, some may consider this the long-lost spiritual imagining of Rare’s Twelve Tales: Conker 64.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Midway continues to impress with hard-hitting and fast-paced arcade football title, but goes a bit too far with their mature "reality" presentation.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    EA releases a gentle and promising introduction the popular sport of Rugby, with fluid action, decent selection of gameplay modes and tidy visuals.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The action works when called upon, the story really tries to expand on Batman’s world, and the new relationship mechanics add another layer to interactions. If you played the first season, there’s absolutely nothing that should keep you from this one.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Despite my love for the series, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 is not without its faults, the most glaring being the high barrier of entry. As I said earlier, I cannot in good conscience recommend this game to folks unfamiliar with the series. However, if you don't care about story or you're a Kingdom Hearts vet, then have at it. Or as so many of the Kingdom Hearts armchair psychologists will tell you, "May your heart be your guiding key". What does that even mean?
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Destiny is by no means a flawless game, but it’s able to overshadow its faults by offering superb gameplay while blending everything into a singular, truly fun experience.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Beholder 2 moves a little bit slow at times and its one-note humor can be hit-or-miss, but it still merits a Ministry of Reviews stamp of approval.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Unto the End is a relatively short game that I completed in approximately six hours. Despite a few blemishes, it’s one that made me want to continually dig into, and when I finished it, I wanted more. So, I immediately played it through a second time. I don’t know if I can express how much I love having a bite-sized experience that isn’t a walking-simulator a roguelike. And I think I finally understand what fans of Soulslikes mean when they talk about rewarding those games are. Despite its minute size and minimalist appearance, Unto the End is a beautiful and substantive experience that rewards perseverance, calm nerves, and is absolutely worth your time.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    I’m torn between the amazing gameplay and the lack of content. Fighting feels fantastic but there's too little where to put it to use. What is this alarming trend that fighting games are put out without their traditional content? One can only hope that three non-functioning arcade cabinets standing abandoned in the game’s 3D entrance are a promise of arcade mode coming sometime in the future – as long as it’s not paid DLC.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Fans of Dynasty Warriors or the Dragon Quest series will enjoy this second-edition genre mashup. Dragon Quest Heroes 2 strikes a great balance between complexity and action and weaves an entertaining story through and around its fast and furious battles. Whether mainlining the story quest or venturing off into the side missions, the fun-factor of plowing through masses of monsters may eventually wane. That said, it was refreshing to enjoy an action RPG that didn't involve geysers of plasma or the dark forces of evil.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Tacoma may only be about 3 hours long, but it fills that time beautifully, telling a thoughtful, poignant tale told through the magic of science fiction. Come for the space, stay for the heart. And the space basketball.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Despite not really achieving anything with its barely-there story, SteamWorld Dig is an excellent surprise from an independent studio putting out a game that is more than the sum of its parts.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Overall Q.U.B.E Director’s Cut is a great puzzle game for those that haven’t played the original version. If you played it back in 2011 this game won’t have much to offer in the way of new content and excitement.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    There is no denying that NCAA Football 13 is a small step forward for the franchise, especially in comparison to the past few years. However where NCAA Football 13 continues to succeed is in bringing the action we love on Saturdays to life. If you bought last year's game there isn't a huge incentive to go out and pick this one up for full retail price, but if you're looking to get a fix of college football, NCAA Football 13 is an amazing game of football.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Even though the port has extremely clunky controls and horrendously optimized graphics, The Long Dark’s survival and challenge modes offer hours of unhinged fun trying to cope and survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness. The campaign, while unfinished and episodic, offers a wholly divergent approach from typical post-apocalyptic genre norms. Unfortunately, if you are the type of player who is looking for a completely fleshed out campaign, this is not the game for you. Even with its misfortunes, Hinterland Games’ The Long Dark provides Nintendo Switch owners a breath of fresh air as it is the first somewhat enjoyable, open-world, survival game on the console.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Röki pretends to be smarter - and more emotional - than it really is. As hard as it tries to impress and touch, it left me feeling as if I had eaten a plate of stale pickled herrings. Röki has gameplay and pacing issues but the biggest annoyance is that the lovable character you will play as has not been given any humanly worth beyond her obsessive mission. Maybe I take things too emotionally but overall, when reaching the unfortunately cliched ending after 14 hours of playing, I felt I could have spent that time better. While I enjoyed the game in parts and admired its enchanting look, it left a sour taste in my mouth.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Dokuro feels like an idea with a lot of passion and little effort in its execution.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Relive those thrilling aerial battles in this low-key but surprisingly solid WWII flight sim, featuring plethora of aircrafts, modes and online support.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Airborne Kingdom is a pleasure to spend a relaxing few hours with. It has a refreshing approach to the city building genre which is genuinely unique and although it eschews conflict and drama, the survival elements, resource collection tasks and challenges of building an optimal floating city are both engaging and relaxing. Airborne Kingdom has an outstanding core premise and aesthetics but lacking some genre-standard features like a sandbox mode or customizable structures, it can offer up its pleasures and be done a little too quickly.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    It’s a competent but unambitious physics platformer – nothing more, and nothing less.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Ghostrunner is a game of exciting highs and extremely low lows. When its controls click, it offers a thrilling parkour platforming experience. But these moments aren’t worth contending with its frustrating combat and aggravating bugs. If you’re an enthusiast for first-person platformers and can overlook a glaring lack of polish, Ghostrunner may have some limited value. For all else, there are other genre titles more deserving of your time.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Creator Vince Wesselman's passion for the adventure genre shines through every one of Resonance's pronounced pixels. There are a few hitches here and there, but they won't stop Resonance from being one of the best adventure games you will play this year.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The latest in the DDR franchise debuts an online mode, and loads of the songs to get your groove on. Solid dancer, but perhaps not a must-have title.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Despite its flaws, Gunpowder hits the most important notes for a simple puzzle game. It is a fairly easy game to recommend, although at $10, the PC version is hard to recommend over the iOS version, which is only $3.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Fortunately for me, I happened to be in just that frame of mind after playing through the amazing and absolutely brutal Cuphead. The last thing I wanted to do after that was play another stressful and nail-biting experience. So, HOB just so happened to scratch the opposite itch I was craving. Had I played it under a different mindset, it’s hard to tell what my reaction might have been. If you’re in that sort of mood, I think HOB might hit the spot. If not, well then, maybe HOB isn't the game for you. But if that is the case, I would encourage you to play it when you are feeling inquisitive.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    There's plenty to like in Mr. Driller DrillLand. It looks and sounds great and the same core gameplay that people loved more than twenty years ago holds up beautifully. However, it ends up being let down by a structure that doesn't make a lot of sense and glitches which don't belong in a game released in 2020. If you have a ton of nostalgia for Mr. Driller or just need a well-designed puzzle game, though, there is still fun to be had.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    While it is technically the best version of Crysis out there, it is really only a slightly better version of Crysis 2’s mechanics and graphics. Because of that, Crysis 3 feels more like an expansion pack to Crysis 2 than a true sequel and more than likely not worth your time.

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