DarkZero's Scores

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For 1,718 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 38% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 56% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.4 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 70
Highest review score: 100 Journey
Lowest review score: 10 101-in-1 Sports Party Megamix
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 743 out of 1718
  2. Mixed: 837 out of 1718
  3. Negative: 138 out of 1718
1718 game reviews
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    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Star Stuff
    There’s a ton of depth that is often lacking in such bonny titles and plenty to keep you engaged for well over ten hours. Plus the difficulty is absolutely perfect for a real hungry brain-teaser lover such as myself. The only negative thing I can even really say about it is that it’s not exactly a novel concept as there are many other games that will have you programming bots. Human Resource machine is incredibly similar with its drag-and-drop command layout, I got quite addicted to Bitburner a year or so ago which uses a real programming language to have you level-up in a sort of an idle game, and I’m very excited for Linkito that lets you build out entire systems with logic gates and bits of hardware. That doesn’t stop Star Stuff being great, though – it actually means there’s somewhere to go from here if you want more. Give it a shot.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Mullet MadJack
    Mullet Madjack is a rush of action, a pump of dopamine throughout its entirety, just like the core mechanics of the game. This is fast, frantic and chaotic which goes all in with its well-executed life countdown gameplay. Everything is built solid to support that concept; it never frustrates. The game focuses on what makes a fun shooter, the speed, the violence, and the addictive gameplay loop. Mullet Madjack delivers that engaging rush that keeps players on their toes. It could do with more elements, more powers, and more building blocks for its levels, as those soon begin to lose their spark. But, for the affordable price (£16.95) and the compelling gameplay within its Endless Mode or difficulty settings, it is worth spending time with to enjoy its energetic gameplay.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Sucker for Love: Date to Die For
    The story is told and then it ends, but it makes you feel like there should be more, leaving not a craving for another entry but slight disappointment that your curiosity isn’t fully satiated.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Alone in the Dark
    Alone in the Dark is a game that gets 60% right, and the rest is a mixture of poor or frustrating gameplay mechanics.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Animal Well
    Overall, Animal Well is a visually striking 2D metroidvania that immerses you in a pixelated world full of mysteries. As you explore this intricate “puzzle box world,” you’ll rely on a variety of items to navigate its passages and uncover hidden secrets. While the game definitely caters to completionists, there’s plenty here for all players to enjoy. The core gameplay is packed with puzzles, intriguing locations, and a sense of discovery that will keep you engaged. BIGMODE definitely found a great debut game and developer in Billy Basso, and I hope their relationship brings a fresh and innovative energy to the gaming scene once again.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Ereban: Shadow Legacy
    Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a lot like Aragami. And I need more of that, it’s just a kickass concept. But it needs some tough love and design direction if it ever wants its players to really be a part of the world they’re creating or to feel like an Ereban.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Outlast Trials
    As it stands, this surprisingly good and dark, bloody horror experience is a refreshing entry to play with friends for a few hours that will surely leave a lasting impression or induce many nightmares for days to come.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II
    Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is a sequel that decides to change a few elements to offer a more streamlined, less frustrating and generally overall better experience than the previous entries in the series. But there is a negative that comes with making the game easier to play and changing the investigation elements to be side-scrolling. While I enjoy this change, the lack of variety in the environments means it can become dreary during the slowly-paced elements between the interesting and climatic parts of each chapter. That said, the main element, the visual novel storytelling, brings a compelling horror tale that blends twists on Japanese folklore with a modernised setting to offer a strong atmospheric story with twists and turns to the end. Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is a game for visual novel fans who enjoy tales about the supernatural with adult themes.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Minishoot' Adventures
    I’m going to be recommending Minishoot’ Adventures for some time and to pretty much anybody who will listen because it’s a game everybody can enjoy and honestly I may get another playthrough out of it myself in the near future; I’m already feeling the cravings. But I’m also positive that when the inevitable inspirations begin to follow, it will be one of those that end up taking on the mantle for the genre.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions
    Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions is a game that will not waste your time and is a decent, easy-to-understand tactical title that appeals to a wide range of players. It could do with more objective variety and increased hero count in the game’s battles, but this could easily be expanded on in a sequel. It’s all about imagination and that can go many places for a game like this. As for our hero’s first adventure, it’s a solid and different experience that makes it a worthwhile play for anyone looking for some unadulterated tactical fun.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Balatro
    A fabulous gateway for new players and something fresh for those of us already obsessed with digital cardboard rectangles, Balatro is an explosion of glee but it burns out fast.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
    Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is a thin vertical slice of these genres wrapped in layers of farcical humour, designed to deliver on a bite-size evening or two of amusement. It does that exceedingly well.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Cookie Cutter
    Cookie Cutter stays true to the tried and tested metroidvania recipe. It does not try to do anything different in that respect, meaning fans of the genre know exactly what to be expecting with the game’s level design and progression. Where Cookie Cutter does stand out is more with its eccentric and loud visual design and fluid animation. Combat is a lot of fun due to how smooth it is. There have been a few melee-focused metroidvanias in the past and Cookie Cutter is a welcome addition to that group, bringing with it a violent and bloody adventure that is full of hi-octane encounters and great platforming controls that make up for the lack of innovation, varied environments and slight frustrations it brings to the genre.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ghostrunner 2
    There are not many intense and skill-based euphoria moments in video games that feature such great platforming and instant death moments with enemies as the dance that is performed between the player, enemy and the environment of Ghostrunner 2. This is why this game is a great follow-up to Ghostrunner, upholding what made the first a superb game with its wonderful controls and movement while keeping its artistic cyberpunk visuals, but it is a shame that it hiccups with one level that spoils the overall great package.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Christmas Massacre
    It’s nice to see Puppet Combo mess around and make whatever they want to because what are these games if not investigative deconstructions and crazed experiments, but next to the greats like Babysitter Bloodbath, Nun Massacre, and The Glass Staircase, Christmas Massacre sits closer to the bottom of the list alongside Samhain and the likes.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    RoboCop: Rogue City
    For what it is worth for fans, RoboCop: Rogue City is a brilliant RoboCop game, but only a decent first-person shooter.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Party Animals
    There is enough content here to keep the game entertaining for a while, and as long as the annoyance of the purposedly sluggish controls can be forgiven, then Party Animals will be having players laughing and cursing for many months to come all thanks to its wacky physics and fun game modes.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
    Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical offers an enjoyable murder mystery visual novel musical. This is down to the themes and the twist on Greek mythology. The addition of being a musical and the options for the player to change the outcomes of the songs through personality options helps make Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical bring a unique experience to video games. It leans more towards being an interactive story than a video game, and maybe any follow-ups can balance this to make it more of a video game. Still, that is not to put a damper on Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical, because what is here is a compelling piece of entertainment that I was fully engaged with the 5+ hours it lasted. A new sub-genre has been created with Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical, and with anything new, this can mean future iterations can only get better and that excites me seeing how the blend of music and story-driven adventure games could become, because Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical is a one-off experience I would like to become involved with again.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip
    The only problem is we still want more! Don’t get me wrong, I’m always grateful to see a new deeply cooperative game release as, as mentioned, they are often few and far between, but the We Were Here games are special.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Fort Solis
    An impressive game on the one hand, but lacklustre on the other, There are some things to like about Fort Solis, but the actual interaction element can become a test of patience when walking around such a visually impressive mining facility becomes a slog.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Turbo Overkill
    With a name like Turbo Overkill, one is correct to assume that it is full of that cheesy madness, which is exactly what it delivers as it fully embraces the Boomer Shooter subgenre. Turbo Overkill is an encapsulation of absurdity, trying to push itself to the heights of stupendous fun through its creative weapons, augmentations and dumb, wild scenarios while offering plenty of mechanics and rapid gameplay to satisfy those old-school action lovers. With its superb throwback visuals, quality soundtrack, outlandish level design, and hyper-bloody action that never seems to let up, Turbo Overkill is a great recommendation for anyone looking for a quality and thrilling first-person shooter in 2023.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Affogato
    In summary, Affogato manages to offer an experience that does not overstay its welcome, clocking in around 14 or so hours including many battle restarts. Within that time, Affogato showcases many positives with its gameplay, visuals and story, but some of the added content away from its refreshing reverse tower defence strategy gameplay is less fleshed out than it could be. Still, Affogato is a good time, a solid blend of different elements that come together to bring a tasty offering that fans of such genres will most likely enjoy. Affogato is a value-worth, bite-size alternative to the big guns available on the market, and sometimes people just want that from time to time.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Remnant II
    In a nutshell, Remnant II is a great game but an underwhelming sequel.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg
    Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg will not be winning any awards for best Atelier entry, but its aim was never to achieve this. The whole point of this release is to bring the title to the non-Japanese market to celebrate the origins of the Atelier games for its 25th Anniversary, and that is exactly what Gust and Koei Tecmo have done. The bonus is that they decided to throw quality of life and visual improvements while keeping most of the mechanics intact to let fans discover how much the series has evolved over time from its infant beginnings on the PlayStation. Fans will enjoy seeing how it all began, the fascinating idea of hiring teammates and the implementation of the Atelier mechanics that fans have come to know over the years broken down into a much simpler form. I cannot fault the developers for putting in the effort to offer fans a piece of history that was once locked away in Japan. For that, Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg does it the right way and somehow manages to put a smile on fans’ faces.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
    Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a solid beat ‘em up that fans will enjoy in solo or cooperative play. It might not be the greatest beat ‘em up that has been released over the last few years, and the lack of online in a time where most people will be playing cooperatively this way is a big shame, but even so, this release is certainly one of the more interesting ones in the genre and offers fun for a few hours to grind through the unlocks in the shop.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Nimbus INFINITY
    The campaign does offer interesting and thrilling combat scenarios at times. The ones that get straight into the action are great, but other times it can be a little too much with its bullet madness, but then on the other side, sometimes missions pan out the pacing and this shows the weakness with the controls and lack of weight within the game’s physics. Story mode is over quickly, leaving the survival mode or a harder difficulty in the story mode to test your skills, but with a pocket-friendly price of £11.39, it does not bust the bank for people who fixate on game length. In the end, Nimbus Infinity is an enjoyable mecha game that does not offer any surprises, but even with its issues, is fun enough for fans to jump into Warspite and blow up some stuff while waiting for the next big mecha action game to drop.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Amnesia: The Bunker
    This is a game that people should stomach to experience how horror games can make you feel when set in an isolated dark environment with minimum ammo and a huge monster tracking you down. A truly dreadful experience, in a positive sense, which is something only horror games can deliver.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Dokapon Kingdom: Connect
    Dokapon Kingdom: Connect might lure some of those Mario Party fans across, but the game feels more aimed at finding its own small audience who love the idea of a video game that blends RPG mechanics with a board game in a decent way. If you are one of those, then get ready to embark on a long adventure filled with friendly banter and devilish competition to be the richest person in the land.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp
    What this release means is that the engrossing strategic gameplay of the Game Boy Advance entries remains as addictive and enjoyable now as they did all those years ago, a testament to the original developer’s well-crafted gameplay mechanics. The only problem is the limited online because being exclusive to your friends and not having a ranking/open matchmaking feature is a huge opportunity missed. The rest of the package in Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is an easy recommendation for anyone who wants to challenge their tactical know-how on the miniature battlefield.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Gun Jam
    It is hard to ignore Gun Jam’s lack of content in its current state, as it feels like the game should be in Early Access now rather than fully released. There are elements that clearly should be featured, tutorials, and ways to look at high scores, that are criminally missing that hurt the overall presentation, while the limited stages and song count hurt the general package. That said, what is here shows the foundations of the game’s mechanics and quality. Gun Jam feels like the game is a few updates away from being a good rhythm-based shooter hybrid because what is here is fun to play. The soundtrack is top-notch, an absolutely great set of head-banging tunes. Even despite that unfinished feeling, rhythm fans will most likely enjoy and appreciate what is available and what the developers are moulding. With the team at Jaw Drop Games having heard the feedback from players and promising to support the game with content in the future, which I hope they stick with in the long run, Gun Jam should be able to eventually join the list of good rhythm games that its promising beginnings seem to exhibit.
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