Game Debate's Scores

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For 221 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 57% higher than the average critic
  • 7% same as the average critic
  • 36% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.6 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 77
Highest review score: 100 Red Dead Redemption 2
Lowest review score: 30 Jagged Alliance: Rage!
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 156 out of 221
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 221
  3. Negative: 5 out of 221
222 game reviews
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    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Darkest Dungeon: The Crimson Court
    Torchlight is one of the things you've grown used to in DD, but in the Crimson Court, it's more-or-less replaced with a new system that causes stress over time, among other things. Sure, some of these other things can be interesting strategically, particularly when you have a load of vampires in your party, but ultimately, it's just another smack in the face. Once the Crimson Court opens, freaky fly things come out and into Hamlet, reducing the effectiveness of your stress reducing buildings. Another slap. So it's the final feature that I think is the saving grace for Crimson Court - the ability to select which of the features of the game you want to be applied. If all of this added bullying isn't to your taste, you can just get the new districts and the new character, for instance, so it's not an 'all-or-nothing' affair, and it's this level of customisation that I feel saves Crimson Court from being perhaps just one vampiric bite too far.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Age of Wonders: Planetfall
    I know it seems like a paradox to say that on the one hand, it's a well-oiled, impeccably balanced sci-fi empire building game with all the elements that make a great wargame; and on the other hand it feels a smidgen like they phoned it in, but there you are. That's precisely how it feels.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Redout (2016)
    Redout is an impressive, gorgeous throwback to futuristic racing games of yesterday that comes so, so close to nailing it. Some bizarre decisions relating to vehicle upgrades and difficulty make you question whether 34BigThings understood what made those classics tick in the first place, but it’s just about salvaged by some great track design and slick performance.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Detroit: Become Human
    At a superficial level it looks fantastic, your choices can often feel hefty and impactful, and the overall presentation value is comfortably in the very top tier of adventure games. But it is a game you may have to enjoy through gritted teeth; either raging or outright laughing at the clunky metaphors and hamfisted messages. Enjoy it I did though, honestly, even if it wasn't perhaps for the reasons Cage may have been hoping for.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak
    Ultimately, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a bit like a trip to the beach. Sure, the sun’s beaming and you’ll have a great day’s fun, but you still can’t escape that feeling you’ve got sand up your Kharak.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Hue
    With tougher, longer puzzles and a proper storyline (or no story at all, for that matter), Hue could perhaps have clawed itself a couple more marks. As it is, it’s a passable puzzler that is priced according to its length and may serve as a light snack for puzzle and platform fans, but nothing more.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Observer
    Overall Observer is good at what it does, but it’s not the sort of place I overly enjoyed being in. Rather than pelting headlong down the horror route, it straddles an awkward thriller line that didn’t overly entice me. At no point was I desperate to boot it up and find out what happened next, no doubt partly due to the busy, often dizzying art style that made me feel like I was sat in the back of a hot car on a long journey. For those after a narrative driven, cyberpunk fix Observer certainly fills a hole though, provided you can deal with yet another take on technologies potential impact on humanity.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
    It looks relatively nice - some maps have that unmistakable 40K feel, although the limited paths through each level are a little tired in terms of map design. Much of the voice acting is exemplary - the orks and gretchin in particular have plenty of charm and personality although some of the jokes fall a little flat sometimes. Really, though, with the world awash in new Warhammer games, there's nothing about this latest iteration of what was once the Warhammer 40,000 flagship videogame franchise that we will remember next year.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia
    Honestly, I feel like maybe we've seen all of the colours of Total War that we're really going to. It's time to switch up the tried-and-true formula for something else. It has been a lot of fun, and in its day Total War really set the bar. But now it's yesterday's news.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Absolver
    No tutorial I could find. Graphics reminded me of World of Warcraft, or Far Cry. The first Far Cry. All of the equipment power-ups are just +1 to this, +1 to that. It's like WoW with all the fun taken out. As for the fighting, it seems to be just furiously clicking and a bit of dodging. They've been making great martial arts games for years. Why change the process to something weird and less enjoyable? I did like how you learn new attacks by beating enemies who use them. But that was the only real positive for me.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Evil Genius 2: World Domination
    There are not all that many games around like it. As an overall strategy-come-management-sim, it's fair, but with a few annoying and perhaps unforgivable flaws. As a chance to stomp around in an underground base built into a volcano, shouting at people and firing giant superlasers at Australia just for the sheer fun of it, it's pretty much your best option.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Sundered
    The core of Sundered is fundamentally flawed from the outset, and randomly generated levels are often a bugbear of mine. But layered on top of this is a fantastic, gorgeous action game with heaps to do. All told you’re looking at a good 15-hour run through, and those whose thirst is still not quenched as the credits will no doubt be pleased that each playthrough is different. If the thought of eating a beautiful crunchy red apple appeals to you, and you don’t mind the worms wriggling inside, Sundered might be worth a shot.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Railway Empire
    The core of the game is sound, it just needs to be more upfront with the player about what it’s doing. It’s really frustrating for me because I keep booting it up and I keep playing it, but eventually tangled web of systems gets the better of me and I’ve got to close it in a rage. It pains me because with the easily identified issues to the interface this is a game which would comfortably clamber up to 8.5, perhaps even 9 out of 10. Who knows, a few patches down the line, maybe Railway Empire will get there. After all, no train arrives quite on time.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Far Cry 6
    If you’re looking for a game to unwind, then there’s no better place to look. But if you’re looking for something unique, something that will stick with you for years to come, you’re better off looking somewhere else.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    GRID
    Taken on its own merit, GRID is a fantastic audiovisual experience, a decent racing game, and a barebones package. It’s the epitome of just enough, but enough is the optimal word here. Here’s hoping the next GRID can kick on bigger, better, and more ambitious things.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Nantucket
    I found Nantucket to be high on style but thin on substance, but its modest price point saves it from my more barbed harpoons. It has some pleasantly nostalgic reminiscences of Sid Meier's Pirates and a management system that borrows some of the more surface-level mechanics of Paradox games - both of which are good things. Plus, it really is the only thing that does exactly what it does. The originality of the concept is worth something even when it's not necessarily backed up with mechanical innovation.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mirror's Edge Catalyst
    DICE might have done its best to hide a quality game, but it’s still there beneath the piles of filler.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Batman: The Telltale Series - Episode 1: Realm of Shadows
    It’s playing as Bruce where this game really shines.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Oriental Empires
    We've played games like this before, many of them really excellent and with depth and character. Oriental Empires certainly looks nice and has a classical Chinese feel that helps it along its way, but once you're through the surface, it's a lacklustre 4X without a great deal to set it apart from the pack. Much of the time, Oriental Empires feels like playing a game of Total War where you auto-conclude all of the battles, but with a penchant for very slightly unfair and unavoidable disasters.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    SpellForce 3
    If you're willing to think of the prefab fantasy setting as comfortingly familiar, Spellforce 3 is a pretty fun. The voice acting is terrific, and the plot easy to understand without requiring weeks of learning why THESE giant wolves are different to other games' giant wolves. Whether this familiarity is a brave counterpoint to the endless setting creep of gaming is really a matter of personal taste. And if you're looking for a fantasy RPG/RTS hybrid, this is a promising contender. However, by trying to do two things at once, it fails to be really remarkable at either.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Call of Duty: WWII
    I think we’re at the stage now where ‘good enough’ just doesn’t cut it with Call of Duty. There are so many alternatives out there that an average COD isn’t just a waste of money, it’s a waste of time. If you want the full experience and continued support from the map packs, you’re looking at a $100 outlay. That’s on top of the insidious loot crate mechanics. While it’s purely cosmetic based, for now, data mining has hinted weapon drops will be coming in loot crates soon. Call of Duty: WWII really isn’t a good enough game to justify those costs. The three game modes mean there’s probably something in here for everyone, but it’s doubtful many will get their money’s worth when you take the short campaign and the obligatory map pack into account.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    DIRT 5
    Overall, when the game runs it runs great, but you'll be let down more often than not. And it's a real shame because it is a very enjoyable game to play... again though, when it works. I'm sure the developers will patch it a few times before it gets fixed as the random freezing and crashes is what causes the most problems, especially when playing online. But I will be keeping up to date in the comments if it becomes more playable without a mass of bugs and glitches.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - Episode 2: Under Pressure
    Wrapping up, Under Pressure continues the Guardians' adventure quite nicely. It lacks a little of the thrilling action that peppered the first episode but compensates with a tighter storyline and good narrative. In short, this episode fulfils all the check marks of Telltale and is a fairly good time for Marvel fans.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Total War: WARHAMMER - Call of the Beastmen
    This Beastmen faction DLC is a top quality product that can revitalise your TW Warhammer game. The question is, does this deep title need revitalising now or does it need it when there is a winter sale on? Completionists and fans of Warhammer will pay top dollar for this DLC, everyone else will shrug and wait until a bunch of Total Warhammer DLC comes together in a cheaper bundle.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Mantis Burn Racing
    Mantis Burn Racing isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just that with the dozens of others games vying for my attention, I really never felt like I wanted to boot it up. There isn’t that pull to keep you coming back for more.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep
    Your mileage, as always, may vary. But if you're looking for a rock-solid, incredibly challenging nuts-and-bolts RPG with all of the quirky flair of the original trilogy, this isn't quite it.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Darksiders III
    There’s precious little to elevate Darksiders 3 to the level of the previous two games, let alone its peers in 2018. It’s a game that offers few surprises, few challenges, and few moments of greatness. What it does, it does to a satisfactory level and never kicks on from there. But there’s something about Darksiders 3 that still sort of works though. It’s a B-tier production, without a shadow of a doubt, but it’s the sort of thing that doesn’t actually come along all that often these days. Fans of the series will no doubt get a kick out of the continuing story and there’s just enough here to help Darksiders 3 stand out and make for an entertaining playthrough.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Pure Farming 2018
    Time will tell how this game develops but I truly hope that they continue the support and add more content and features to Pure Farming 2018, hopefully, to make it the fantastic game it so nearly is. It's already got much more crop diversity then Farming Sim 17, and the potential to better it is there for all to see.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Wolfenstein: Youngblood
    It breaks my heart a little to slap a relatively low score on this. Both The New Order and The New Colossus were fantastic reinventions of a venerated gaming franchise, delivering satisfying gunplay with surprisingly touching narrative hooks. Youngblood still has that great feel, it’s just wrapped up in a co-op focused bubble which detracts from the traditional flow of the game.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Ashes of the Singularity
    It's not actually painful to play. It's a little broken here and there, with one of those perma-map-scrolling bugs that seem to plague RTSes, and a couple of other small niggling technical issues. But what really stands out is the lack of anything interesting or novel.
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