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For 81 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 41% higher than the average critic
  • 14% same as the average critic
  • 45% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.2 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 79
Highest review score: 100 RimWorld - Odyssey
Lowest review score: 50 FBC: Firebreak
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 81
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 81
  3. Negative: 0 out of 81
88 game reviews
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    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Europa Universalis V
    Europa Universalis 5 feels like the culmination of everything Paradox has done over the last two decades and if there’s ever been a game worthy of being called a grand strategy title, this is it.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    FAST Fusion
    Image quality aside, Fast Fusion is a speedy racer with a lot of content, and it’s also one of the cheapest Switch 2 launch titles, only being beaten by Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. It’s a minor shame that there’s no real online matchmaking, but at the price point, Fast Fusion still presents the best deal you can get at launch on Switch 2. If you’re still eager for a new F-Zero, Fast Fusion will fill the void in your heart for now.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Survival Kids
    Survival Kids is better than I ever expected it would be, and it’s brought me an enormous amount of laughs as my friends and I stumbled through surviving on and escaping a tropical island. It’s held back somewhat by its limiting puzzle design, but when it all clicks and you’re laughing it up with friends and family, it’s hard to pay much attention to the few flaws it has.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Chrono Gear: Warden of Time
    Chrono Gear: Warden of Time is a fantastic love letter to Hololive and platformers alike. While non-Hololive fans will have a lot of the fun go over their heads, the 2D platforming gameplay is still creative and refined enough to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. That said, it is definitely made for fans, with references, in-jokes, and loving tributes stuffed into every corner, which makes it a simply joyous ride.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Arcade Archives 2: Ridge Racer
    Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer is a near-perfect version of the arcade original. It plays great, runs smoothly, and the new Time Attack mode is a great addition. Once the price drops or goes on sale, this will be an arcade racer that everyone should have.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Against the Storm - Nightwatchers
    Altogether, Eremite Games learned a lot from the slightly controversial Keepers of the Stone — the content offered in Nightwatchers is not only great, this time there’s plenty of it: Redemption complete. Can we get, like, armadillos next?
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Persona 5: The Phantom X
    Persona 5: The Phantom X does a great job of giving you main story content of a quality that is as good, if not better than Persona 5, and uses that good will to tempt you over to the more gacha-ified aspects of the experience. To do this, it makes a few compromises to the Persona formula that I don’t like, mostly in how it deemphasizes the life-sim elements, but I still think it is a very enjoyable experience that will keep you well-fed if you’re gagging for more Persona content and are impatiently waiting for Atlus to get on with making Persona 6 already.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ninja Gaiden 4
    If combat design is all that matters to you, then Ninja Gaiden 4 is a fantastic entry into a legendary series, but the design of some enemies and areas become familiar far too quickly, and your hundredth time killing a haunted lantern or soldier isn’t going to get your blood pumping. The pacing might be slightly off, but the action is always on beat.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Apex Legends
    Apex Legends now is a very different game to when it first launched in 2019 – we certainly didn’t envision being able to play it on a handheld then – but that means if it didn’t appeal to you before, there’s a good chance that the game now offers something you might like. This is still one of the best battle royale games you can play, and the Nintendo Switch 2 version is incredibly solid. If you’re looking for a fast-paced FPS to play on Nintendo Switch 2, look no further than Apex Legends.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Stellaris: BioGenesis
    Looking at Stellaris BioGenesis in a vacuum, it’s one the best-ever expansions released for the game, though still quite expensive when you consider the fact that you need other DLCs to get the most out of some of its offerings. This one will grow on people once the stardust over its launch controversy has settled and everyone has calmed down a bit.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Legacy of the Forge
    How much you enjoy Legacy of the Forge comes down to how much you’ve played KCD2. If you’ve still got hours of quests to plough through in Kuttenberg, then Legacy of the Forge is the perfect accompaniment that gives you more to do. If you’ve already exhausted the game, though, then the quests here will feel a bit thin. It depends on what you’re looking for, but I enjoyed returning to Kuttenberg and becoming the most respected blacksmith in town. I just know Martin would be proud.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dead Take
    It’s messy, as it should be, because life is messy, and creating art is messy. I’d probably stop short of saying that Surgent Studios has created a masterpiece, but if ever there was a need for proof that games can be art – something that has been proven countless times before and will be countless times again in the future – then Dead Take is as good a proof as any. It’s an unmissable, tense experience, and one I’m glad I got the opportunity to have.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Yakuza 0: Director's Cut
    Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is the best way to play one of the best games in the series. It looks great, runs well, and the new English dub is very good — with a few exceptions here and there. It stumbles in a few places, but it rarely sullies the charm of the game that millions adore.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
    Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is a faithful but ambitious remake of an overlooked Nintendo DS game, and it’s great. It’s a simple game that doesn’t ask too much of the player, but it’s incredibly satisfying to expand your farm, gather your produce, and make a massive profit at the Grand Bazaar. If you want a polished, cozy game to go into Autumn with, Grand Bazaar is a great choice.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
    Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time isn’t up to the quality of a big Animal Crossing release, and it doesn’t quite have the depth of dedicated farming and life sims, but it makes up for it with a breadth of activities that are simple, but so hard to put down. This isn’t going to replace the likes of Animal Crossing or The Sims in your heart, but Fantasy Life i is a genuinely heartwarming RPG adventure that scratches the social sim itch.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sword of the Sea
    Like Abzu before it, Sword of the Sea is a simple game that is worth anyone’s time, especially as it won’t take up much of it. It’s the kind of calming title that you can slip into a single evening and just let yourself be carried along by its satisfying movement, gorgeous visuals, and easy-going challenges.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Crusader Kings III: All Under Heaven
    From a lone Japanese swordmaster who rises to the Shogunate by the power of his blade and charisma to plotting the downfall of a dynasty as China’s Grand Chancellor or becoming a bona fide god king in the jungles of Angkor, All Under Heaven would be a strong offering on its own, speaking to fans of Shogun and Three Kingdoms alike. But tagged onto CK3’s foundation it’s something of a multiplier: What if the lone swordmaster ventures West along the Silk Road? What if you want to be Marco Polo? How about a nomad world conquest run that starts by taking care of China? Could you defeat Genghis Khan through an alliance between the Holy Roman Empire and the Son of Heaven?
    • 92 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Blue Prince
    While the roguelike elements can cause frustration, Blue Prince still manages to be a fantastic experience. It nails the sense of discovery and leverages the randomness to keep it going much longer than a traditional puzzle game does, all while constantly motivating you towards a grand objective that’s satisfying to solve.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Is This Seat Taken?
    If you’re someone who loves this kind of logic puzzle, then Is This Seat Taken? is a must-buy. It uses simple rules to create complex scenarios that feel great to solve as you untangle the web of conflicting desires. It only makes me wish I could do the same whenever I have to get on public transport.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    HASTE: Broken Worlds
    So I leave Haste having got exactly what I wanted from it, no more, no less. Its momentum-based platforming mechanics are great fun that tap into that sense of satisfaction I love from the genre. While it could’ve done with a bit more variety in terms of boss and level design, the core gameplay is so much fun that I struggled to put it down, and I’m sure the endless mode will keep me hooked for quite a while.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
    So it’s a bit of a faff to find the right setup for you, but once you have it, Nintendo Switch 2 is a perfectly cromulent way to play Cyberpunk 2077. It’s by no means the best way, as it has performance issues and limitations that the other current-gen versions don’t have, but it’s still Cyberpunk 2077; it’s still one of the best western RPGs in recent memory, and the novelty I get out of playing it on a handheld device never ceases to make me smile.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dear me, I was...
    Dear Me, I Was… is a short but incredibly bittersweet story about life, the things we all love and fear, and human connection. If you’re a fan of animation, then it’s hard not to recommend.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    PowerWash Simulator 2
    The result is about the most straightforward but successful sequel you could ask for. It takes the core gameplay of the first game, makes a few additions without changing anything of what people liked, and then just goes about making everything bigger and better. If you liked the first game, this is exactly the sequel you wanted, giving you more of the same while making the experience smoother in the process. You could argue that there was more of an opportunity to innovate, but I’d argue that if fresh ideas are what you’re after, PowerWash Simulator 2 isn’t the place you should be looking – unless you count the fresh smell of soapy water, of course.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ready or Not
    Still, there’s nothing quite like this — especially since Ubisoft turned Rainbow Six into an online hero shooter. No one makes proper hardcore military sims anymore; that door has been closed for a while. Well, Ready or Not kicked the door right in and proved there’s still a massive audience for them on PC. With a few patches, I’m sure it’ll do the same on console.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4
    Ultimately, you already know if you’re going to like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. If you played and enjoyed the last remake, it’s basically an essential game on any platform. While I don’t care for the litany of customization options, the core gameplay is fantastic and the classic levels have been recreated beautifully. 3 + 4 has almost everything you’d want from a remake of Pro Skater 3 and 4.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Sunderfolk
    Its own story is indeed almost negligible, but Sunderfolk shines in its ability to be a catalyst or stage for self-generated stories and connections between you and your fellow players that will resonate even outside of the game. In this way, the devs at Secret Door truly succeeded in creating a digital, more approachable version of the TTRPGs we all love, even if it’s one with room to improve. I’m very excited to see where they can push this concept in the future.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Stellaris: Shadows of the Shroud
    If you’re into the idea of Psionic Ascension – or being a force directly opposed to it – and have a good amount of gameplay experience, Shadows of the Shroud is an easy recommendation, as it goes leaps and bounds in fleshing out this style. If that’s not something you’re interested in, you can easily wait and pick it up during a sale.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
    Despite its issues with underbaked sidequests, technical polish, and combat jank, I’m glad I played Bloodlines 2. It’s a game that shouldn’t exist from a publisher that’s never put out anything quite like it, and a developer best known for slow-paced experiential games, who salvaged a failed project and put its own spin on it. It has no right to be this good. When you’re playing your part and wearing your social mask, navigating murky alleyways and murkier politics, solving grisly murders and listening to the sounds of the street, Bloodlines 2 pulls you into its sharp embrace and refuses to unlatch until you reach its climax.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Age of Wonders 4: Archon Prophecy
    Giant Kings padded out some of Age of Wonders 4’s remaining weaknesses. Archon Prophecy, on the other hand, further honed the strategy game’s strengths — it’s a robust end to Expansion Pass 2, greatly increasing the game’s role-playing opportunities and variety.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
    I honestly did enjoy my time with it, but for every bit of praise I can offer, a complaint comes attached. The combat is fun and has a strong sense of flow, but it isn’t particularly challenging, and the complexity doesn’t scale well. The platforming tools make for enjoyable and satisfying challenges, but the game infrequently uses them to their full potential. If you’re looking for a side-scrolling action platformer, then Shinobi will absolutely scratch that itch, just don’t go into it looking for a genre revolution.
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These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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    • 82 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Battlefield 6
    Battlefield 6’s single-player continues the series’ tradition of not being very good, but the multiplayer is the best it’s been in a long, long time. [Review in Progress]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Blacksmith Master
    Though thoroughly enjoyable, Blacksmith Master’s gameplay loop dulls after a while, making you wish that your well-orchestrated symphony would be interrupted by some sort of crisis — anything to introduce variety and a bit more challenge. If you’re looking for a management sim with well-defined limits that you can put down after a while, satisfied with having accomplished something, this title is an easy recommendation. [Early Access Score = 70]
    • 87 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Dispatch
    Dispatch shows a lot of promise, but it remains to be seen whether it can hold attention through the busy games season while drip-feeding the episodes. I hope it can because if the first couple of episodes are any indication, Dispatch could be something special. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, which isn’t easy to do to someone who’s hunched over like a goblin watching something alone. The writing is sharp, the acting is excellent, the animations wouldn’t feel out of place in a premium TV show, and the interactive sequences tease some amount of depth. I just think it’d be better off binged because of how little you actually play during an individual episode. [Review in Progress]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    9 Kings
    Much more important is that Sad Socket has already nailed the core formula in terms of making it fun, engaging, and satisfying to play — it’s been ‘just one more run’ for me consistently since I got access and I have a feeling I’ll spill yet more blood for the Blood King in the future. [Early Access Review]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Descenders Next
    It all comes together to make a game that is definitely on the right track. While the lack of roguelike elements might mean I don’t play this game quite as much as I do the original, Descenders Next shows that the series is still the pinnacle of momentum-based gameplay. Going downhill fast has never been so much fun. [Early Access Review]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Every Day We Fight
    Every Day We Fight is an interesting, refreshing take on turn-based tactics games — one that will shine all the more once Early Access has worked out balancing issues and added content for greater variety. The fundamental mechanics and ideas are already in a great place. [Early Access Review]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    ENDLESS Legend 2
    All in all, though, this Early Access version of Endless Legend 2 is very promising. The devs know what they want to do with this game and have clearly focused on showcasing the vision, building a strong foundation they can expand upon while leaving enough room for community suggestions. [Early Access Review]

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