DualShockers' Scores

  • Games
For 1,380 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 56% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 39% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.2 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 76
Highest review score: 100 Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Lowest review score: 10 Serious Fun Football
Score distribution:
1398 game reviews
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Dead as Disco doesn’t just flirt with the beat-em-up formula; it remixes it into something effortlessly stylish and easy to pick up, even in its early-access state. Its blend of music-driven combat, eccentric boss fights, and pick-up-and-play accessibility makes it a standout for both casual players and genre fans alike. While it’s still finding its footing in areas like depth and progression, what’s already here is bursting with personality and promise. If the developers can build on this foundation, Dead as Disco has all the makings of a cult-favorite brawler that’s as fun as hell to feel as it is to play.
    • tbd Metascore
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    Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a superb entry into the series and brings the game back to what works. While the complex gameplay might not be for everyone, it offers a lot of freedom in how you go about making your playstyle for each scenario. The games are long, but there are also plenty of other modes to hone your skills, which is greatly appreciated. It's still in development, so there are a few kinks to work out, but whatever the future holds for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era will undoubtedly be incredible.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    There are good ideas in 1348 Ex Voto, but they're undercut by the shoddy implementation of its systems. The voice cast carries the game, with several amazing performances woven throughout. Unfortunately, the whole experience is letdown by a variety of glitches, fundamental design flaws with the combat, confusing levels, and several jarring story transitions that make it seem as if 1348 Ex Voto was shoved out the door before it was ready.
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    The early access release of Task Force Admiral makes a loud entrance, with an all-encompassing depiction of naval warfare and carrier operations. This obsession with realism is followed to a fault, and the game suffers from the clunky interface endemic to most deep-dive strategy titles. None of that was on my mind as the sirens blared and torpedoes homed in on my carrier. War may be hell, but this is strategy heaven. [Early Access Provisional Score = 90]
    • tbd Metascore
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    Cloudheim is, by all accounts, a good game, but it is marred by uncertainty about its direction. A sort of jack of all trades but master of none issue. It is very important to remember this game is still in its early days and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, in a few months, I think many of the issues I have with this game will either be solved or be on the way to being solved. Right now, though, Cloudheim struggles with its identity a little too much. If you can craft such a fun world to move about in, why punish me by giving me manual labor to do when I finally go home? The combat, when it works, is ludicrously fun. Using mobs like bowling balls and pins has never been better. The progression systems are a bit overwhelming, and there are probably a few too many in the game as a whole. Becoming a Nordic legend to save the world sounds amazing until you have to stop everything and deal with your overabundance of items in your inventory. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]
    • 53 Metascore
    • 35 Critic Score
    If you've played the original Biped, you've played Biped 2, and I truly mean that. This is sadly one of the lowest effort sequels I've ever encountered, down to even the game's Tutorial being a direct copy/paste from the OG. There are numerous examples of blatant and unabashed rip-offs consistently throughout the experience, to the point that it feels like self-plagiarism. If you want to try out the new 4-player co-op, that's about the only different thing worth checking this game out for, especially because there's an actual game-breaking bug near the end as well. As cute as the game can be, you've quite literally done all of this before.
    • 38 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Blood of Mehran is a game that might look the part from the outside looking in, but if you spend any extended time with it at all, you'll see that it's far from a polished Prince of Persia clone. The visuals have that Unreal Engine sheen to them, but the animations, voice acting and overall design let the side down. However, nowhere near as egregiously as the wafer-thin plot, the derivative, the wonky gameplay, or the aggressively linear format. It's one of the most predictable, uninspired, and underwhelming action RPGs you'll likely ever come across. There is a certain level of cozy comfort that comes with that, but all in all, this is not worth your time or money.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    I tried hard to be in on the joke of Baby Steps for the first hour, but it lost me insanely quickly. The thing is, I don't think it even cares. The QWOP-iness of the movement actually is well-done, and there are some moments of absurdity that worked for me. It then just shifts too far from a stupid but fair rage game, to a stupid but cheap-feeling rage game with no redeeming qualities. You'll painfully wander aimlessly for hours. You'll cringe hard at the "humor" that gets way too gratuitous, gross, and vulgar completely unjustifiably. This becomes a mostly mean-spirited game that even wants to drive you insane with the soundtrack. Laugh and watch someone else experience it if you want to, but do not play it yourself.
    • tbd Metascore
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    Overall, so far Grounded 2 is not only a worthy successor but one that will eventually become far superior to the original. From the number of upgrades to the number of new enemies, Grounded 2 sets itself up for success early on. While it's still early in the development cycle, Grounded 2 has at a minimum found a good starting place to improve upon. There's a lot of good here, more than I had imagined there would be. It isn't perfect by any means, with the bugs and issues it has right now, but all of those are fixable. If you enjoyed Grounded, you'll enjoy Grounded 2 because it's just Grounded, too. No one can say where the next few years of the game will take it, but I have the greatest faith that the team behind Grounded 2 will be able to make this another incredible title with an uncountable number of playable hours. [Early Access Provisional Score = 85]
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    Hyper Light Breaker, despite being in Early Access, has demonstrated its outstanding qualities in full force, with a tightly designed gameplay loop and extremely satisfying combat. It manages to pull off a roguelite that's genuinely fun in multiplayer, a randomized open world that feels full of life, and balanced upgrades that never feel too overpowered, all while keeping up beautiful aesthetics and non-visual storytelling. It's only held back by its hefty performance requirements, unfair boss design, and over-tuned difficulty, which may be polished out before full release. If all my qualms were addressed, this game would be near perfect in my eyes, but as it stands, it's well worth your time. [Early Access Review]
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Dragon's Dogma 2 offers an incredible Fantasy adventure with some of the most engaging open-world exploration I've experienced.
    • 77 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Ultimately, this is an easy game to recommend if you like RPGs that put their narrative forward and build their characters in meaningful ways. It may not find a home in everyone’s collections, but it will be a shining star for fans of the setting who appreciate a narrative focus.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    With a confusing setup, a really poor user interface, at times abysmal presentation, and a Career Mode that offers no meaningful progression, Fernbus Simulator should stay back in the garage and let the more capable sims hit the road.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Blood Bowl 3 is the type of game that makes people say things like, “I’ll wait until it’s on sale” or, “maybe this will be good in a year or two.” Now, I don’t work in publishing, but it seems to me like that’s the opposite of what you want when you’re releasing a game that’s so blatantly predatory in its monetization. What I don’t understand is why the game was delayed for two years only to launch in this abysmal state. Maybe in another two years, this game will actually be playable. For now, stick to Blood Bowl 2 instead.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    As far as simulators go, it's not the worst. To the game's credit, it does offer the dull, mundane day-to-day routine that a lot of actual police officers call a career. If you want to spend hours writing tickets and slowly progressing in a meaningless career in law enforcement, you can do it here without the risk of being vilified on social media. But it could have been so much more had the systems in play been deeper and more robust, not to mention, fun. Instead, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is a bit of a buggy mess that feels half-baked and not ready for patrol just yet. Back to the academy with this one.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Although it does have some redeeming qualities, it’s hard to justify paying full price for a DLC that barely gives you access to its biggest new addition and introduces even more arbitrary difficulty spikes.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    A bland sad protagonist with all the charisma of a rock with a frowny face, a mystery box-style narrative that only ends with more mystery boxes, a combat system that wants to be multiple entirely different games. The Callisto Protocol might function, and it’ll certainly have its launch issues patched out in due time, but in no way can I recommend it to anyone but the most morbidly curious. Everything was stacked in this game’s favor, and it still wasn’t enough. We didn’t need Dead Space 2.0 - we just needed a cohesive, focused game. Instead, it's an oddly soulless concoction of unfocused ambitions, poor planning, and inconceivably amateurish design. Whether you're winning or losing, Callisto Protocol never feels right.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    Stay away from Serious Fun Football. Seriously, it’s not fun, and it’s certainly not football.
    • 79 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    If like me, you're a Call of Duty fan, this is very much more of the same — but that also means you can't really go wrong. Some new features feel unnecessary, whilst others feel like a tutorial for Warzone 2.0. Modern Warfare 2 is certainly let down by repetitive gameplay and missions that overstay their welcome. But, that said, Infinity Ward has given fans what amounts to a gripping story and stunning cinematic experience that's peppered with a few flawed concepts and disappointing elements. [Campaign Review Score = 70]
    • 66 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Redout 2 has no time for the casual player and, sadly, that means it's often an infuriating and frustratingly un-fun experience.
    • 84 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Shin Megami Tensei V is easily one of the best entries, if not the best entry in the series. After over 30 hours with the game, I’ve been constantly amazed and Atlus definitely managed to bring back the franchise to new heights. Now here’s hoping Shin Megami Tensei manages to reach the same popularity Persona did. [Review in Progress]
    • 51 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Redout: Space Assault dabbles in numerous space shooter concepts but doesn't strike a chord with any of them.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 35 Critic Score
    Disjunction has so much potential — it has a great soundtrack, interesting ideas for combat, and a serviceable story. These are all bogged down by frustrating and imbalanced combat mechanics, unimaginative stealth, and plain visuals. Disjunction impressed me when I originally played it some time ago, but it may have benefitted from being bite-size. Taking in the entire game, I couldn’t help but want the experience to be over and done with.
    • 73 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Temtem aims to set itself aside from Pokemon as a solid monster collecting game in its own right. For the most part, it succeeds. [Early Access Score = 70]
    • 78 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    The endearing love story and vibrant art style of Haven can't save it from being a derivative and forgettable RPG adventure.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Bright Memory is a profoundly bland experience riddled with hints that the game was never meant to be played anywhere but PC.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Cloudpunk is miles away from being an enjoyable ride in a pixelated cyberpunk world.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Madden 21 is a mess. Last year, the team masked bad gameplay with shiny new X-Factor abilities. However, with 21 not fixing any of the big issues, that luster is completely gone. What you’re left with is a game that’s fully concentrated on squeezing every last cent out of its customer base. That’s nothing new for EA, but Madden NFL 21 just seems even more blatant than usual.
    • 35 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Fast & Furious Crossroads is like if Hobbs & Shaw was called Orange Julius & Slap Jack.
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    If you ask me, Grounded could be much more successful than it is if Obsidian would have launched it a few months later. It’s really important to hook your audience in the first few hours of gameplay, and Grounded could’ve done it much better if it had more to do at the start. That said, the game still has its strong advantages that keep you engaged with its world. [Early Access review score = 65]

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