GameCritics' Scores

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For 4,096 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 37% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 57% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 6.8 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 68
Highest review score: 100 Citizen Sleeper
Lowest review score: 0 Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,967 out of 4096
  2. Mixed: 1,533 out of 4096
  3. Negative: 596 out of 4096
4102 game reviews
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    • 57 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Dawn of Mana
    Plunder-by-panic and slippery experience points are intriguing, but these innovations fall flat without solid, bug-free foundations to support them.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Rad Rodgers
    I have no doubt that the developers of Rad Rodgers meant their work to be a loving tribute to 16-bit platformers, and as long as the game restricts itself to fast action, it’s a perfectly fine experience. The puzzles and item hunting just don’t work, though, and those designs shouldn’t have made it through testing. Rad Rogers never rises to the level of the games it’s aping, which renders it inessential, because what’s the point of an homage that’s not even as good as its inspiration?
    • 67 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Atomicrops
    There are tons of games out there that play fine, but Atomicrops offers little to make it a memorable, worthwhile experience amidst so much stiff competition on the Switch. I’m guessing that with another year and a few content updates, Atomicrops will be a fantastic little actioner, but in its current state it comes across like an Early Access release that’s hit the eShop too soon.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Disney's TRON: Evolution
    Tron: Evolution has too much going for it to write it off as another inspiration-free paycheck game, but I can't help but feel that if the developers had had another six months and perhaps a little more freedom to stray from the film's narrative, the end result would have been much better.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Raiders of the Broken Planet
    After having gone through as much of the content as I could without teammates, my take on Raiders of the Broken Planet is that it’s a great B-tier action title shoehorned into an episodic games-as-service model that absolutely does not fit. If it was a standard single-player or couch co-op effort, episodic or not, I’d have no problem recommending it to folks who don’t mind rough edges wrapped in style and character. However, I’ve got serious reservations that this project could have ever worked, and these concerns seem founded since no one’s playing. Broken Planet is a great property with a lot of potential, but it’s in desperate need of a structure that makes more sense.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Conqueror 940 AD
    It feels that the experience is always a small step away from becoming something more stimulating. It has the right ideas, but as a turn-based game, Conqueror 940 AD fails to add the addictive element. After too short a time it becomes predictable and rote, and the player is left with the feeling that the entire game was a wait loop of choices without any truly challenging or dramatic moments.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Destiny
    In its current state, Destiny feels unfinished and unfocused, but I imagine that things will be looking quite different in a year's time.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Gorogoa
    I’ve seen articles mentioning that Gorogoa was created by a single man over a number of years, and it’s clearly a monumental labor of love. I want to respect that and I appreciate the amount of work that must’ve gone into this title… I honestly can’t even imagine. That said, as someone coming to this project knowing nothing about it beforehand, I found the Swiss-watch mechanics and detailed illustrations to be impressive, but the experience fell short in all other aspects. I’d love to view an edited Let’s Play of all the sequences being solved in order, but I have a tough time recommending it as something to play.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed
    It's inherited all the original game's problems—a major feat, since it's developed by a whole new company—and lost some of its charm in the process.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Halo: The Master Chief Collection
    A bit of a disaster...Why? It's a half-assed, crudely cobbled-together product prone to crashing, lockups (and as of press time) absolutely non-functional multiplayer.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Let Them Come
    With a better upgrade/weapons system and slightly nerfed bosses, Let Them Come would be a fine experience — the kind of quick diversion players could drop into for a few minutes of alien slaughter here and there. Unfortunately, at some point in development the decision was made to prioritize challenge and droning repetition over playability, and the result is a title that can only be enjoyed by players who like spending time with games that hate them.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    PITFALL!
    It's still worth it to see what it brings to the genre, but don't expect to finish it without significant financial investment.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    XCOM 2
    To be perfectly blunt, XCOM 2 is a pretty bad experience right now, and the best advice I can give is simple: wait for upcoming patches to fix things before buying. There's a much better game hidden somewhere beneath the performance issues and gameplay flaws, and it's a shame.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
    Without marrying any substantial content or meaningful context to the visuals, this is the type of depth-free cheap titillation that we need to move past if we're ever to break away from the stereotypical gutter that society at large perceives current videogames to be in.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Starship Troopers: Extermination
    Adding insult to all of this injury, it just lacks any flair that could set it apart from the competition. The combat is fine if somewhat uninspired, the writing and presentation frequently fall flat, and when it comes to chewing through hordes of enemies, there are plenty of competing titles on the market that offer a more compelling experience — the obvious comparisons are Earth Defense Force and Helldivers 2, and even something bug-adjacent like Exoprimal stands out more. Sadly, as things stand I can’t recommend this to anyone except the most hardcore fans of the IP.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Cold Fear
    All of the elements that make up a decent survival horror game are on display here. The monsters, the violence, the simplistic, action-oriented storytelling... They're just so shoddily rendered and assembled that all they add up to is a mediocre experience.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Oxenfree
    For players who click with these characters, Oxenfree offers between four and six hours of walking around and listening to them hash out issues in their lives. I congratulate the developers on the quality and production of the dialogue, but as a whole, Oxenfree is a weightless slip of a game that left no lasting impressions.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Spirit of the North
    Sadly, my drive to persist was sapped by a series of glitches in one section that led me to replay the same should-have-been-easy bit over and over again. That was bad enough, but combined with the poor controls, lack of engaging gameplay, an inability to manually save and infrequent checkpoints, every session was a slog. Writing a negative review for Spirit of the North is tough because on paper, it seems like something I’d fall in love with. That said, it’s just not a good experience — my appreciation for its non-violent content and environmental themes can’t carry its many shortcomings.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Summer in Mara
    When it works and the quests follow a natural flow, Summer in Mara can be wonderful. At its best moments, I found it to be relaxing and effortlessly charming. Sadly, the horrendous backtracking, time-wasting filler content and frustrating resource management make it less of a vacation and more of a job.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Raiders of the Broken Planet: Hades Betrayal
    Sadly, while I enjoyed coming back to Raiders, checking out the new character and playing through the new levels once, my original assessment still stands — the multiplayer/replay premise of the game doesn’t make a lot of sense, and I can’t help but feel that the IP would be better served by recycling the assets into a different project. People who’ve put the time in, know what to expect and want more content will get it with Hades Betrayal, but it’s tough to recommend it to anyone.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel
    The characters are there—now someone just needs to figure out how to create some gameplay that makes the experience fun and not a chore.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    From Dust
    From Dust is an interesting, original and creative project... unfortunately, it never capitalizes on its promise thanks to too many technical problems and a feeling of unpolished awkwardness. More frustrating and tedious than uplifting and deific, I'd love to see a revamped installment with the kinks ironed out. As it stands, I was all too ready to leave the islands behind and head back to the mainland at the first opportunity.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    F.E.A.R. 3
    Unfortunately, F.E.A.R. 3 is a prime example of a game that can't decide what it wants to be. In trying to be an intense horror campaign and an intricate co-op/multiplayer experience at the same time, it winds up being neither and pleasing no one. I see some good ideas in the story and multiplayer modes, but a distinct lack of focus brings it all down.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    The Amazing Spider-Man 2
    Although The Amazing Spider-man 2 isn't a catastrophic disaster by any means, there's also absolutely nothing to recommend it.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
    It's not as pretty as "Splinter Cell", it's not as engaging as "SOCOM 2", and it features a frustration factor that's almost in the realm of "Ninja Gaiden"—without the rewards.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    A Fistful of Gun
    I wish I enjoyed A Fistful of Gun more than I do. There's a lot about its visuals and arcade-style presentation to like, but it never stops feeling disappointingly shallow and overly-chaotic. Exciting and charming in small doses, it's just a relentless slog through hails of gunfire during extended play. Fans of the Western genre might get into it, but I'm riding to another saloon.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Pax Augusta
    The building effects are well developed and its fundamental mechanics prove to be entertaining. The graphics are also a positive talking point, creating a realistic feel that can transport the player a few thousand years back. However, Pax Augusta — at the time of review — remains incredibly unpolished and riddled with bugs, some of them which simply can’t be ignored. It’s clear that the developer put time and passion into this project, and if the bugs can be ironed out, it will be a solid title for history and city-builder fans to enjoy.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Taxi Chaos
    I love a good nostalgia trip and I don’t mind a bit of pandering here and there, but Taxi Chaos takes it too far by essentially doing nothing more than replicating the game it was inspired by. Paying homage to one of the greats wouldn’t be an issue if it added its own ideas and flair, but there just isn’t much here that wasn’t already done — and done better — by Sega.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer
    It's well presented and Brave's misshapen but personable face and tape-like hair make him an oddly likeable hero (that one wouldn't necessarily mind seeing again), but for the most part his showcase adventure ranks as an inescapably hollow and forgettable experience.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Deception IV: Blood Ties
    In its current state, it's a relic with a coat of paint on top, and it's not likely to keep anyone's attention for very long.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Def Jam: Icon
    Even if I couldn't set my love for the series aside for this review, I'm sure that Def Jam Icon's problems are so clear and inarguable that even if I'd never played any of the previous titles I would have rated it exactly the same.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Touch the Dead
    It's too bad that by over-complicating everything, Touch the Dead gets this simple formula so very wrong.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Once Alive
    I do believe that there’s something interesting and unique about Once Alive, but it needs more polish to fully shine — there’s the core of a good story, but the plot falls flat at the end. The setting is intriguing, but it’s dragged down by some of the puzzles. Emotional beats exist, but they’re blunted by poor voice direction. With just a bit more work on the details, I think Once Alive could reach its full potential.
    • 37 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Past Cure
    Past Cure isn’t terrible. It has a great visual style, and the combat manages to offer some thrilling setpieces. It’s the lack of a coherent story that really sinks it, though. The way the script gives only glimpses of the big picture before undercutting all the work it’s done right at the end is simply unacceptable. Perhaps a sequel could redeem this effort and let the developers figure out the story they want to tell, but that doesn’t let them off the hook for keeping the player so thoroughly in the dark this time around.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord
    ith inert characters, forgettable villains, and an achingly slow plot, Tears to Tiara 2 never offers a reason for anyone to keep reading.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Nidhogg 2
    While I still respect the concept and gameplay at the core, this superfluous follow-up stretches the definition of what a sequel is, and the majority of what it changes isn’t great. More than anything else, Nidhogg 2 is like someone drawing a mustache on the Mona Lisa with a sharpie – it was perfect the first time, and ‘touching it up’ has only marred that beauty. I’ll be sticking with the original.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    The Weaponographist
    The concepts behind the The Weaponographist are interesting ones, and they incentivize combo-hunting better than most titles I've seen in a while. It's just too bad that the developers weren't able to get a better handle on character progression and combat design. With a lot of tweaking, this could have been a bite-sized little gem. As it stands? The Weaponographist is a drawn-out mess.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Steambot Chronicles
    Humor and unusual storytelling can't save it from stiff controls and an awkward camera.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    The Precinct
    The foot chases are a delight, the town of Averno is an interesting location to explore, and there’s a couple of side-cases which actually ask the player to participate in finding evidence and solving a crime. These diversions are wonderful and offer a glimpse of the kind of experience that The Precinct seems to want to be — unfortunately, that potential is let down by too many poor mechanics and a plot that doesn’t do it job.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition
    With the modern ability to patch games, there’s a good chance this review might be rendered completely irrelevant within a few months — that’s one of the perils of writing something in an age where so many experiences are dramatically different months after release. My hope is that someday the Spacer’s Choice Edition will be a great version of The Outer Worlds, but that day ain’t today.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Birthdays the Beginning
    While I absolutely love the concept of Birthdays: The Beginning, the execution leaves much to be desired. It’s too passive and too finicky, and doesn’t do enough with the core concept of life appearing and evolving over time. There’s not much here for seasoned players or curious kids, and as someone who’s been playing games for a while, I can say that this formula was done far, far better on the SNES back in 1993 with EVO: Search For Eden. Look it up!
    • 79 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Trials Fusion
    Hardcore Trials fans have probably already bought and completed this game, but for others who may be curious and haven't jumped in yet, I'd recommend either of the others before this one.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Shelter 3
    Shelter 3 is hard to recommend, both to fans of the series and newcomers. At best, it plays like an half-finished, repetitive experiment that can be easily completed in an hour. Anyone interested in what the series brings to the table should instead try either of the previous titles for a more accomplished, realized adventure.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Untold Legends: The Warrior's Code
    The Warrior's Code is a long slog that's guaranteed to kill some free time—and may even entertain newcomers to the genre—but there isn't anything rewarding or enjoyable about it.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut
    While Strike Suit Zero has a solid core, it needs more development time and enrichment in nearly every aspect apart from the combat mechanics. Players looking for a megadose of space shooting will find it, but those craving a well-rounded package offering more than just dogfighting should look elsewhere.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Knights in Tight Spaces
    Maybe Ground Shatter will get KITS there after a few patches and updates, but right now, anybody picking this one up is in for a rough knight.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    SNK 40th Anniversary Collection
    Simply put, the releases in this compilation are not worth the extravagant and loving package Digital Eclipse surrounded them in. In this collection, there’s just one bonafide classic (Crystalis), one game people might remember fondly (Ikari Warriors), and a bunch of basically unknown stuff that ranges from being brief, dated distractions to downright horrific work. While celebrating SNK is a fine idea, the ratio of good-to-bad here make this particular compilation extremely difficult to recommend.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Runers
    Runers has an interesting crafting mechanic and a truly staggering number of weapons, but beyond that, there's just nothing much to recommend.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Whiplash
    It's a shame that given such a potentially provocative issue as the premise of the game, Whiplash chooses to take it nowhere and instead falls back on ineffectual humor, cartoonish violence, and an unimaginative interface.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Star Wars Battlefront II
    The worst thing about Star Wars Battlefront II is that it could have been great. Without the terrible leveling system designed to milk money from players, the multiplayer would be a blast. If the story was expanded and focused on Versio, it could have been worth discussing. Instead, the final product is so cynical and wrongheaded that it’s added fuel to a larger discussion about lootboxes and gambling that’s starting to grab the attention of lawmakers outside the industry.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Ragnarok Odyssey
    When all's said and done, Ragnarok Odyssey takes almost all of its major cues from the leader of its genre, and then flatly fails to deliver a commensurate level of depth in combat, quest design, and equipment tinkering.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Still Life
    I just can't imagine a filmmaker putting me in a situation where, once the movie stopped, I was forced to go onto a website to find out how it ended. I also can't imagine how anyone at Microids couldn't see just what a fatal misstep this lack of an ending was.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Starlink: Battle for Atlas
    My time with Starlink: Battle for Atlas was surprising, but that doesn’t mean that it was positive. It’s got lot of potential that goes unrealized since the story and quests are a wash and the toys-to-life aspect is DOA, but the ship mechanics are dead-on and it’s not hard to imagine how some retooling and editing could result in the best Star Fox game ever made. This Battle has been lost, but I believe that Ubisoft can ultimately win this war.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade
    The game is a technical and mechanical mess, with unbalanced combat that’s neither intense nor rewarding.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Mafia
    The bland graphics, clunky controls, and atrocious load times (nearing 40 seconds in some instances) are nearly insurmountable shortcomings.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story
    Roguelikes always involve repetition, but the difference between a good roguelike and a bad one is whether there’s a sense of momentum from one run to the next – some feeling that I’m slowly chipping away at a discernible goal by gaining the right tools or learning the right lessons. Katana Kami occupies that space for a while, but then keeps going for no good reason. Players with the self-discipline to call it quits when the final boss is felled may find value here, but as a whole, Katana Kami is a solid eight-hour roguelike stretched and distorted into a thirty-hour grotesquerie.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Spectral Force 3
    In the end, Spectral Force 3 is more disappointing than bad.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy
    SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is a tough sell. Dedicated King of Fighters fans and SNK enthusiasts like myself will find the battle system too simple and limiting, and the roster is missing too many of SNK’s finest female characters. Also, anyone hoping to perform a five finger knuckle shuffle while seeing Leona cosplaying as Heidern or a female Terry Bogard will be stymied by the poor graphics and inferior character models.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Bloody Roar 4
    It's the perfect example of the sort of game that seems to poised to make its mark on the world and then inexplicably proceeds to hang out at the local mall for its entire adult life.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
    Given the subject matter, Kane & Lynch never had a chance of being a fun game, but it had every chance of being a good one. It's not.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Almost There: The Platformer
    Almost There provides exactly the kind of challenge I want from my sadistic platformers, but the controls drove me away before finishing it, and I can’t imagine ever going back unless it’s fixed – without perfect and intuitive controls, it goes from sadistic to unfair, and no one deserves that.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    The Walking Dead: Season Two Episode 3 - In Harm's Way
    I was ready to forgive a couple of rough episodes as long as things got rolling by the midpoint, but with only two installments left, it seems unlikely that The Walking Dead, Season Two will be able to muster anything that season one didn't already do better.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Ashen
    Ashen now holds the dubious honor of being the first game I couldn’t bring myself to finish before posting a review. Well done, Ashen — you broke me. It’s just a shame you didn’t do it in a more interesting or cleverly-designed manner.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
    Until now, I’ve liked each new Ninja Theory game more than the last, and I can never deny the craft on display. Given that this is their first release since the Microsoft acquisition, I credit Hellblade II for not feeling compromised by corporate interests, but that only makes it more baffling that it lacks any real vision that I was able to discern. It’s not an offensively bad experience, and yet I can only offer one of the most damning criticisms imaginable – I have no idea why it was made.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Romeo is a Dead Man
    While Suda-51’s trademark style and weirdness is still present, this is perhaps his worst-playing game to date, and this leaves me a bit worried about Grasshopper Manufacture being in NetEase’s hands. Those who enjoy Suda’s work will still manage to find bits of his output that they like here, but it’s a real slog to get to the good stuff, and I suspect that anyone who’s not already a fan of his catalog will find this experience to be genuinely awful.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
    Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is the most disappointing kind of game as it’s one that offers so much promise and then fails to deliver on it, even when it comes to the most obvious, low-hanging fruit.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    The Plucky Squire
    I wish All Possible Futures luck in their future ventures, but here, in today’s hyper-crowded indie scene, there are dozens and dozens of games that deserve to be plucked up ahead of this Squire.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Flat Eye
    One could argue that my boredom was an intended result of Flat Eye‘s ludonarrative theming, but I just don’t buy it and that diegetic UI just wasn’t enough — I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Payday 2
    The sad part is that with some real work put into it, Payday 2 could have been awesome on the Switch. If some of the old problems had been solved, motion controls included and the graphics updated, that would have been a great start. Instead, I’m left with poor visuals, glitching enemies, terrible AI and no way to coordinate with anyone who wants to play. As it stands, it’s extraordinarily difficult to recommend this version of Payday 2 when better versions of this broken game exist at half price on other platforms.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Darius Cozmic Collection: Arcade
    While M2’s emulation work is spectacular as always, the Darius Cozmic Collection suffers from a failure of imagination. It envisions the history of this eclectic, evocative franchise as a commodity to be fastidiously repackaged and sold as’ content’ rather than taking the opportunity to explore and appreciate one of the strangest sagas in gaming. It’s a frustratingly narrow view that leaves the Darius story untold, and Taito has ensured that these collections will blend in with countless others on a shelf, struggling to be found in the crowded marketplace.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Red Johnson's Chronicles - One Against All
    With its relatively small menu of uninspired puzzles and cast of irritants, One Against All fails in its attempt to capture the Layton magic.
    • 36 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Alekhine's Gun
    Alekhine's Gun stole from the best, but didn't know what to do with the spoils of its crime. The story is interesting and the levels are playable thanks to the source material being just that good, but it's missing the spark and attention to detail which made Hitman such a phenomenon. The copycat locations may look better than the originals, but the gameplay simply isn't there.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Darius Cozmic Collection: Console
    While M2’s emulation work is spectacular as always, the Darius Cozmic Collection suffers from a failure of imagination. It envisions the history of this eclectic, evocative franchise as a commodity to be fastidiously repackaged and sold as’ content’ rather than taking the opportunity to explore and appreciate one of the strangest sagas in gaming. It’s a frustratingly narrow view that leaves the Darius story untold, and Taito has ensured that these collections will blend in with countless others on a shelf, struggling to be found in the crowded marketplace.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    It came from space and ate our brains
    So, the levels in ICFSaAOB are long, but the lack of meta play or any incentive to replay means its lifespan is short — paradoxically, it’s too long in the short term, and too short in the long term. It is also repetitive to the point of tedium and the answer in almost all situations is ‘use the shotgun’.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Sacred Citadel
    It's tough to recommend Sacred Citadel when there are so many superior side scrolling fighters already on the market.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Devil's Hunt
    This apparently is the first entry in a planned trilogy, and while the high production values suggest that the developers are staffed by talented visual stylists, I can’t see any value in coming back for more unless something can be done to completely overhaul the terrible combat of this combat-focused game.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Legend of Kay Anniversary
    My son was interested enough in The Legend Of Kay to play it for a few hours. However, even at the relatively inexperienced age of six, it wasn't long before he tired of its mediocrity. Once he put the game down, he had absolutely no interest in coming back. For a game whose major audience is ostensibly children, failing to keep a game-loving little boy entertained is a pretty damning indictment.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Dead Man's Hand
    A mildly diverting shooting gallery, a mediocre FPS, and a slap in the face to those of us who have been waiting for seven years for a decent western-themed shooter.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Dragon's Lair 3D
    Sadly, the latest incarnation of that landmark effort doesn't have the personality, lush animation or blisteringly fast pace that made the original such a hit. What it does have is...not much.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Layers of Fear 2
    Coming from someone who adored the first Layers of Fear, I was ready to love this sequel. Instead, I was disappointed by the dearth of creativity, an overreliance on ineffective audiologs and documents, and multiple insta-kill chases that frustrated me until the end. I used to considered Bloober Team to be the best up-and-coming horror developer around, but either the horror genre is evolving beyond them, or the last three too-busy years have burnt them out.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Sea of Solitude
    I hate to be critical of something clearly inspired by someone’s personal journey and their hard-won life lessons, but simply sharing such things does not equate to a compelling experience. With a lack of focus, unconvincing voicework and gameplay that runs out of steam halfway through an already-brief running time, Sea of Solitude is like sitting through a few hours of a stranger’s therapy session — it certainly means a lot to someone, but I walked away unaffected.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
    Honestly, I’m glad The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered exists. I know longtime fans will rejoice at playing on newer hardware and the story is still to be relished. I am truly hopeful that this reappearance will entice a new generation of fans and perhaps inspire the creation of a true finale for the series overall. As for me, I’ll be content with my memories of playing these games new, as I find them too frustrating on multiple levels to genuinely embrace them today.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Bunker - The Underground Game
    Bunker could have been a decent adventure title had the devs shown some follow-through, but the diminishing lack of effort kills the game's potential long before it ends.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Castle of Shikigami
    The Castle Of Shikigami, while known and appreciated in the shmup community, is definitely not a top-tier bullet-hell. Its sequels are better and available on other consoles, so anyone who appreciates its bizarre aesthetic can get their fix elsewhere. It’s a noteworthy entry in the genre, but at this point it’s hardly a necessary one except for the most serious of shmup fans — in 2017, this game is obsolete.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Astor: Blade of the Monolith
    There’s a good experience buried beneath all the issues in Astor: Blade of the Monolith, I think. There’s no reason why some reworking of the combat, reordering certain elements to speed up the pacing, and putting some duct tape over the narrator’s mouth wouldn’t do wonders, but in its current state these flaws are simply too glaring.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
    The repetitive hack-and-slash gameplay has nothing in common with the earlier incarnations of the series and will surely alienate the Fallout faithful. Meanwhile, the newcomers to the Fallout universe aren't likely to be sucked in by the uninteresting and flat characters nor the nonexistent story.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Loading Human: Chapter 1
    I write this review with a fair bit of sadness. This can and should be a good title, and despite all the difficulty I had, the interesting premise of Loading Human kept drawing me back in. The story, true 360 degree movement and ability to manipulate almost every object in the space provide a cool experience — the mechanics are just too nauseating — literally. Only the most devoted players with iron stomachs might be able to suffer through in hopes of seeing light at the end of this virtual reality tunnel.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Days Gone
    I was ready to love Days Gone, and in some ways, I still do. It didn’t love me back, though. If SIE Bend had cut the length by a third, cleaned up the technical problems and had more variety in level design, it could have been one of my favorite games of all time. It’s tragic in hindsight, because I can feel the love and passion flowing through it. Unfortunately, the shared appreciation of our homeland pales in comparison to the astoundingly long list of problems on display here. It’s heartbreaking, but only homesick Oregonians like myself need apply.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller Episode 1 - The Hangman
    Cognition fails not from a lack of execution, but from a lack of imagination.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Musashi: Samurai Legend
    What is disappointing about Musashi is that I expect more from Square-Enix. The company seems to be mired in a bit of a rut as of late, and churning out average, if uninspired, games like this one doesn't seem to be a good way to get back on course.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Jupiter & Mars
    J&M was released on Earth Day, and includes information on two nonprofit organizations aiming to preserve the world’s oceans. Between that and its jubilant presentation (aided by a bouncy main theme that briefly fooled me into thinking that the game would be much more enjoyable than it turned out to be) J&M is too well-intentioned to get angry at. Unfortunately, I imagine most players will be too bored to be persuaded by its important message.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Topatoi: Spinning Through The Worlds
    Topatoi Episode 1 delays its payoff for too long, and in the end exists mostly as a suggestion of a game that might be good to play when (and if) it makes its way to the PSN store. Add the fact that the characters of Topatoi lack any of the charm or personality of your typical platformer cast—their in game models look a little revolting even—and it's a hard game to recommend.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Grandia Xtreme
    An essentially generic nature is why Grandia Xtreme winds up being such an empty experience overall.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Rise & Shine
    I’m fine with gut-wrenching violence if it’s taken seriously or if there’s a point to be made, but Rise & Shine’s over-the-top carnage is constantly being interrupted by some of the laziest and most ill-timed humor imaginable, all in service of a message that isn’t particularly original or insightful. These uncomfortable tonal shifts would be enough to tarnish even a good game, but the frustrating and underwhelming Rise & Shine isn’t worth putting up with it.
    • 38 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Dying: Reborn
    With its bleak atmosphere and intriguing story, Dying: Reborn is an acceptable effort, bringing the escape room experience to consoles in an interesting, if often disturbing fashion. The PSVR version, while a little more viscerally effective, just doesn’t feel like a complete experience to recommend. Add in some weird glitches that make examining items in VR exceedingly difficult, and the result is the opposite of Resident Evil 7 – this is a VR-enabled game that’s much more satisfying when played on a standard television.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Shadows: Awakening
    While the story may be uninspiring and some mechanics don’t quite stick the landing, I found myself returning to Shadows Awakening mostly for the amusing stories of the puppets. Even so, the characters alone can’t carry the game — maybe fans of this IP will be happy to jump in and will find the mediocre gameplay enough, but for those like me, it’s hard to recommend this title as a starting point to the Heretic Kingdoms world.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart
    Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart is both too similar to and too different from its parent series to hold my interest. Trying to “fix” the lackluster battle system with more minutiae has only made it less tolerable, and worse, I just don’t care about these characters anymore. I’ve played worse games—far worse—but Hyperdevotion Noire has lost the soul of a franchise I once loved.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    War Tech Fighters
    The first half of War Tech Fighters is a light, silly ‘blow everything up and look cool’ sort of thing, but the second half is weighed down by developers who apparently felt the need to offer a ‘real challenge’ that wasn’t necessary or welcome.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story
    Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story offers an interesting Chinese-themed ghost experience and there were moments when I could feel my heart race while trying to escape the deadly spirits chasing me. However, those chills are dulled by excessive backtracking and slow progress — and in the end, those were scarier.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    HunterX
    Frankly, I think HunterX would make an much better side-scroller with linear progression than the subpar Metroidvania that it is — I may come back to it after a few more patches and when my frustration dies down, but I really can’t HunterX right now, especially with so many other better titles to choose from.
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This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
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In Progress & Unscored

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    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Wreckfest 2
    Wreckfest 2 is, at this moment, a promising Early Access release. It’s already a blast to play and offers everything fans of combat racing could ask for – other than, you know, structure and a career mode. Still, there’s already a worthwhile amount of content, including a truly bonkers derby arena full of ramps, loops, and giant metal traps that crush cars like grapes. It’s always a risk engaging with something in Early Access, as there’s a chance that promised features will never materialize. That said, there’s already a lot to love, and for players who long to see a Volkswagen Bug car disintegrate into component parts as it’s rammed head-on by a school bus going 80, Wreckfest 2 certainly has the goods. [Early Access Score - 65]
    • 74 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Forgive me Father
    At times, Forgive Me Father feels like a great idea that lost its way during development. There’s no denying that it offers a robust package of first-person shooting gameplay, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s so much more it could offer. With more emphasis on the narrative and the addition of more interesting mechanics beside shooting and strafing, this could be a much more robust experience. For now, it’s recommended only to hardcore FPS throwback fanatics. [Early Access Provisional Score = 65]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Clunky Hero
    This is all fine, really. I’m not against the kind of simple gameplay Clunky Hero offers, but I definitely feel like there’s room for improvement as it’s still in Early Access. That said, I doubt that it will evolve into something much different than its current form — it’s just an overall solid platformer that checks off the required boxes, and nothing more. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Tempest
    I love pirate games so much that I would have stuck with Tempest right to the end if it hadn’t locked me out of completing one of the main quests. In order to research krakens, I was told to go to an island and buy some of their ink. I obeyed and headed straight there, only to find the resource couldn’t be purchased. I had plenty of money and space in my hold, and the ‘buy’ button was lit up, but no matter what I tried, the game wouldn’t let me complete the objective. I tried to meet Tempest more than halfway. I was willing to meet it 99% of the way, but in the end, it couldn’t even do that much for me.
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    REMEDIUM
    Remedium is currently in early access with the first act playable, and two more acts to come. While I can’t recommend it in its current state, I’m hoping that more polish, more content and much-needed bugfixes are in its future. [Early Access Provisional Score = 40]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    As We Descend
    As stated at the start of this video, As We Descend is currently in Early Access, which means that there are some rough edges that come along with that. Even so, I’m extremely excited to see what else is in store. It’s off to a great start with an intuitive interface, a welcoming combat system and rewarding strategies for those who can master its nuances. With some balance changes, tweaks and additional updates, I’m hopeful that As We Descend could end up one of the best in the genre. [Early Access Provisional Score = 80]

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