GameCritics' Scores

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For 4,111 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 Mass Effect
Lowest review score: 0 Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,973 out of 4111
  2. Mixed: 1,540 out of 4111
  3. Negative: 598 out of 4111
4117 game reviews
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    • 78 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland
    Atelier Lulua is more than a case of ‘Gust has done it again’, although that’s obviously true. It’s a great game with a brilliantly-told story full of great twists. More than that, though, it’s notable because it takes the chance to question an element at the very heart of the genre — why is combat so central to the experience? Is it a necessary part of the story being told, or does it wind up limiting the kind of adventure that developers can to craft? There’s no clear answer here, but the fact that the question is being asked in such an interesting way deserves a huge amount of respect.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Shadow Fencer Theatre
    Frustrating puppet mechanics aside, Shadow Fencer Theatre is enjoyable for an afternoon thanks to its unique premise and visual novelty, but after putting my time in, I’ll forget it exists until the next time I have friends over.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Unruly Heroes
    It offers some good ideas and fabulous artwork, but without fine-tuning those ideas and mollifying the overly-difficult ending, I finally understand why it got lost in the shuffle this year.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Elsinore
    Putting my issues aside, the idea of participating in a full-fledged Hamlet universe works astonishingly well in Elsinore, and in contemporary society where classic literature is losing popularity, making such content accessible to a new audience is admirable, and I can only appreciate the ambition to revive Shakespeare through my favorite medium. Elsinore might be tedious at times, but I suppose that only enhances its status as a modern and authentic take on Hamlet.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Kill la Kill: IF
    While I was probably the furthest thing from the intended audience before starting this review, I had an absolute blast with Kill la Kill: IF, and I could almost be considered a convert at this point. It probably doesn’t have much chance as a serious, tournament-worthy fighter and the supporting content is thin, but if this title can win me over, it’s well worth any fighting game fan’s time.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Metal Wolf Chaos XD
    Despite the warts and jankiness in Metal Wolf Chaos HD, allowances have to be made for its age, but as a lifelong FROM fan, I’m thrilled to finally play this painfully conspicuous gap in their Western releases. Mech-heads will find it a rough novelty and Souls fans will get a shock to their systems, but for a certain segment of players, Metal Wolf Chaos HD is a great snapshot of where FROM Software was fifteen years ago.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Vambrace: Cold Soul
    Vambrace: Cold Soul is a confused title that apparently wants to deliver a rich story and hard choices, but due to strange systems, exploitable mechanics and weightless characters, none of it feels consequential in any way.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    We. The Revolution
    For me, We. The Revolution redefined what a history game could be. The story was rich with depth and empathy for the people who lived during the Reign of Terror, and the developer’s passion could easily be felt — so much so, in fact, that I was moved to play France’s national anthem numerous times in honor of this terrible period brought to life in such a wonderful way.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Astrologaster
    Astrologaster’s uniqueness makes it a joy to play, and I would recommend it to those who appreciate period pieces, narrative-heavy games and those interested in strange pieces of historically-inspired work.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Wolfenstein: Youngblood
    While Youngblood is a far more interesting idea than the ‘prequel with zombies‘ approach taken by The Old Blood, it still doesn’t have the “WOW” factor that makes the main entries so memorable, and the severe downgrade in protagonists doesn’t help. So while Wolfenstein: Youngblood is disappointing, it’s also just kinda there. At least it wasn’t so bad that it impacted my desire to play the next main entry in this series…
    • 50 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot
    The production values are impeccable and it runs perfectly on the PS4 Pro/PSVR — if there was more meat to it, I’d call Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot one of the most enjoyable VR cockpit games around, but with such a paucity of content, it doesn’t justify even a budget pricetag.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    198X
    As a piece of work that encapsulates a specific time, place and mindset, 198X is totally on-target and resonated with me strongly. As a piece of work judged on its own merits, it feels more like a tone poem or a proof-of-concept than a fully-developed experience. The story’s an unfinished sketch, the gameplay is too brief, and I’m not sure the content would make any kind of impression on someone who didn’t grow up in the ‘80s. It’s a hell of a start, but this team has much further to go.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 35 Critic Score
    They Are Billions
    As it stands, They Are Billions on PS4 is a title whose strong RTS fundamentals and brilliant premise are undercut by the complete failure to respect someone’s time or offer any reason to keep coming back once the novelty of the first few hours has worn off.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Project Nimbus: Complete Edition
    Project Nimbus left me feeling mixed. I wanted more from the campaign, both in mechanics and story. On the other hand, the mechs are responsive and the Warfront mode kept me coming back. I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it, but hardcore mech fans may find something here to like.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Samurai Shodown
    Ultimately, I enjoyed this Samurai Shodown revival. Its back-to-basics approach works, and the lack of long combos helps differentiate it in a genre filled with them. It plays well, looks decent, has a great selection of characters, and performs well online — and better, there’s a reasonable amount of people playing at launch. The slower pace and heavier reliance on pokes may turn some players away, but for everyone else, Samurai Shodown offers a fresh, satisfying twist on weapons-based combat unlike nearly anything else out there.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
    Despite the glitches, the addition of true, two-player co-op makes it a fantastic adventure to share. I found Brothers to be a hidden gem when it was first released, and that still holds true today.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Etherborn
    It’s tough to see Etherborn as anything but a misguided project and a missed opportunity. It’s frustrating to play without the ability to look around, the story has zero weight or impact, and apart from some wonderful visuals, it’s got little to offer.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Dragon Quest Builders 2
    Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes what was great about the first game and expands on it meaningfully, focusing on community development and large-scale building. While the combat is less-than-stellar, the overall result is a more unique experience that offers much to work with on the Isle of Awakening.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    My Friend Pedro
    My Friend Pedro seems like it should be wall-to-wall adrenaline-fueled gunplay and spectacle — and it is at times — but it’s too frequently dulled by stretches of tedium, switch-flipping, misplaced platforming and visually bland environments. With that banana on board, it could (and should) have been so much more.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Contra Anniversary Collection
    While the Contra Anniversary Collection doesn’t have the same breadth of content featured in its gothic counterpart, fans of the franchise or anyone interested in some old-school videogamin’ with a capital V will find a lot to like here for $20. The people at M2 know what they’re doing when it comes to retro emulation, and they have delivered another worthwhile compilation. With these two collections and the recent announcements of both the TurboGrafx 16 Mini and Contra: Rogue Corps, perhaps there is hope for Konami yet…
    • 67 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    World War Z
    I didn’t expect much out of World War Z as a licensed title, but Saber Interactive has done a great job adapting the IP’s globe-spanning scope and massive hordes of zombies while bolstering it with inspiration from a past classic. I’m not sure that I’d recommend it for players who insist on playing alone, but for those who have at least one friend or those who don’t mind recruiting some randos, it’s a great way to kill a million zombies over a weekend.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets
    Even without seeing the secret ending, I was fully satisfied with my experience playing Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets. It’s as clever and well-constructed a puzzle game as I’ve seen, and the fact that it manages to tell an interesting story through those puzzles elevates it to a whole new level. This is a great accomplishment, and deserves the attention of anyone who wants their brain teased.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Blazing Beaks
    Blazing Beaks is a good first venture into console games for Applava. This team clearly loves the twin-stick roguelike genre, and despite needing some fine-tuning, I enjoyed my time with it. With just a few tweaks, this would be a solid recommendation to fans of the genre.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Dauntless
    All in all, Dauntless is a good free-to-play experience that has the potential to become great. Its playful art style, streamlined combat, and rich progression system can provide hours of entertainment, and the fact that it features cross-platform multiplayer is a major triumph all by itself.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Crystal Crisis
    Overall Crystal Crisis is a well-made game, but it’s not the most welcoming to newcomers and has significant issues with online play. Fans of Super Puzzle Fighter will probably enjoy it, but I’m not sure many other people will.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    F1 2019
    While the Legends edition content remains a bitter disappointment and not worth investing in, the bad taste it leaves in one’s mouth isn’t enough to sour one of the best yearly sports franchises on the planet. F1 2019 is a fantastic representation of its sport, and while this year is more evolution than revolution, there’s enough here to keep fans coming back.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark
    Even with a somewhat steep learning curve and a frustrating final sequence, I enjoyed Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark. Solid design and wonderful storytelling more than made up for the annoyance and grind.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Trover Saves the Universe
    As far as my advice goes, it’s simple — for those who dig Rick & Morty, this is a must-buy, even if one doesn’t own a VR headset. Those who think the show is over-hyped, unfunny nonsense should stay as far away from it as possible. The gameplay or VR implementation isn’t anything earth-shattering, but as a delivery mechanism for Justin Roiland’s humor, Trover Saves The Universe is a fantastic success.
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