GameCritics' Scores

  • Games
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:
4102 game reviews
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It took me only fifteen hours to get into the third act of the game’s main quest, less than the some 20-25 hours to play through all the DLC. While these new quests fail because they’re so battle-heavy, the stories in Beasts and The Forgotten Sanctum are still complex and engrossing.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Under all the questionable choices, cut content and overall lack of value, Dead or Alive 6 is still a decent fighter. That said, many of the problems are hard to look past, and it feels like a bare-bones effort given the amount of recycled content on display. With an inferior roster, dull stage design and the hard reset on purchased content from anyone who was crazy enough to buy into the exorbitant amounts of DLC released during DOA 5‘s lifespan, it’s hard to recommend Dead or Alive 6 as it currently stands.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Ultimately, the real problem is that the developers have gotten away from the core of what makes Trials great — ultra-tight gameplay, challenging tracks, and an elegant, streamlined experience that delivers several plates’ worth of steak with none of the fat, and that’s just not the case with Trials Rising. I’ve got the patience to attempt a tricky jump hundreds of times (more than 600 goes on an Extreme track is my personal record) but grinding for EXP in a series that’s always been about pulling off impossible stunts and ascending to dirtbike godhood? I’ve got no time for it.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    This is a mediocre release, and whatever excuse we make for it – that it’s practically free, that we expected no better, or that it’s following one of the worst sequels of all time – doesn’t make it look any less out of date.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    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.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    West of Loathing is one of the best RPGs on the market, hands down. The simplistic art style and humorous themes mean anyone will be able to get in and enjoy themselves, there’s plenty of laughs and sharp writing, and players only need to engage with it in the ways that they want to. I’m hard-pressed to find anything negative to say about it! And now if you’ll excuse me, I have to hit the ol’ dusty trail and get back to it…
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    As much as I liked my time on the throttle of Ride 3, there are moments when it feels like a game that’s more concerned with the history of motorcycles as products than the actual experience of riding them. There’s a staggering amount of content and stuff to collect, which will be more than enough reason for some players to seek out what Milestone has delivered here, but the pacing and difficulty often made that content feel more like an obstacle. The speed, danger and finesse of a motorcycle is nice, but maybe a bit more freedom wouldn’t hurt.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Not only is Ape Out primed to be one of the most stylish games of the year, but it’s a strong argument for how far style can elevate material.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 35 Critic Score
    Brawlers aren’t the most complex genre, so the fundamental mistakes of visual noise and sluggish controls mean that it’s difficult to recommend Coffee Crisis to even the most dedicated brawler game fans.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    It’s not until Devil May cry 5 starts throwing tougher enemies into the mix and the main characters have most of their skills unlocked that the game really comes to life. Those who want the most out of it should be prepared for a second run at least. It may not be the best Devil May Cry — 2013’s DmC still holds that honor — but it’s a cracking action romp.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    I have absolutely no idea how long the campaign is or how long it might take to get through given how methodically I’m playing, but I’ve sunk a good number of hours into the adventure and enjoyed every minute. I haven’t rolled credits yet, but even so, I have no reservations recommending Tangledeep to people who might appreciate a masterfully-done roguelike.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    There’s no denying that Riot: Civil Unrest is earnest in its attempt to bring game mechanics to a complex, weighty topic, but ultimately it fails to execute on its ambitions, delivering neither a satisfying strategy game nor a novel exploration of its chosen topic beyond its evocative and memorable art style. And as we’ve learned from political movements throughout history, enacting lasting change is about more than presentation.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    As a VR experience, however, Intruders is jarring and involving in equal measure. Most importantly, the developers understand how to create the experience of being a child in a high-pressure situation — everything is too big, too scary, and too fast. It’s only by resolve, wit, and bravery that the little boy can survive the night and save his family, and Intruders makes players work for it by putting them through some genuinely frightening situations. There are emotions that only VR can get players to feel, and Intruders is built to push those exact buttons.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Astroneer‘s a neat little game full of little quirks and things to discover, but near the end of my time with it I was definitely starting to burn out on the loop of creating equipment on one planet before blasting off into space, landing in new, harsher environment, and starting from scratch once more. Grab an Astropeer and a couple of Astrobeers and this title could easily provide a few evenings’ worth of entertainment. Beyond that, the numerous bugs and repetition of the core experience make it a less appealing prospect.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The replayable Outposts and Expeditions are a blast (even moreso in co-op) and the mild RPG mechanics of base building is a great start, even if it needs to be expanded upon. However, in a larger sense, the adventure is brought down by a comparatively small size and cookie-cutter bad guys. New Dawn isn’t a terrible experience, but it would have been better served by being delivered as DLC material, not passed off as a full game.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Metro: Exodus is a journey worth taking, and the destination’s worthwhile as well. In this day and age, it’s fantastic to see some developers have the guts to strive for a solid single-player experience that isn’t afraid to try and tell a story of bitter survival in post apocalyptic Russia while also allowing players to absorb the exceptionally detailed world around them and occasionally blow the heads off ravenous mutoids. That’s worth celebrating, I think.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    The vast array of options in Etrian Odyssey Nexus could easily scare away players who are unfamiliar with or who dislike RPGs, but Etrian Odyssey Nexus is welcoming to all skill levels and would be a great starting point for players new to dungeon-crawling RPGs. It’s also an enjoyable and fitting send-off as the series’ last installment on the 3DS.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is a bizarre title that connected with me on several levels despite a number of issues, and it kept me coming back until credits rolled. While it did take a significant amount of time to get to the ending, the characters and the themes of coping with loss and Alex’s growth made the investment of time worth the effort. That said, I don’t know if I would recommend this game to anyone but myself, yet it’s so strange and offbeat that I think there’s something worthwhile here to check out for everyone who’s not me.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Even if it doesn’t have the scope that one would expect from a Jagged Alliance title, Rage! nails the combat and captures the essence of the series. Stripped of the larger strategy elements, the game can be completed in under twenty hours, but it doesn’t feel hollow or rushed. Jagged Alliance: Rage proves that its classic mechanics work well in a modern strategy millieu, and it makes a strong argument that bringing the series back in full would be a great idea.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Angry Birds VR launches with the promise of more content to come, so my complaint about it feeling like a brief, tantalizing experiment may be short-lived. It gives me hope for the future of VR to see such a massive brand dip its feet into this format, and it’s a joy to finally appreciate Angry Birds as a damn game once again. This is a great pairing, and I’m eager to see more of it.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Overcooked! 2 is the perfect sequel that manages to improve on its predecessor in every way, and it’s easily one of the best games of 2018.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    After so many years Kingdom Hearts III needed to be a strong send-off for the series, and for the most part, it is. The gameplay is still top tier and encourages diving back in once the credits have rolled to track down missed items and a secret boss. The individual worlds are gorgeous, and deserve to be combed through for every last scrap of treasure. It’s just a shame that plot stumbles over itself so many times because it really does drag the game down, but if I turn off the analytical part of my brain just enough, there truly is something special here.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    With over 300 maps available as of the time this review was written, there is a wealth of content to tackle. People looking for a singleplayer experience in Wargroove should prepare themselves for how difficult the campaign gets, but those open to multiplayer should jump in immediately.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    I want to love Battle Princess Madeyln. NPCs exude personality, the dialogue is always clever, and I admire Madelyn’s pluck, self-confidence, and determination. She is forthright, strong, and always willing to lend a hand — she’s a tremendous hero, and I’d love to see more stories about her in the future. But in her current incarnation? I’m just not patient enough to ignore the flaws despite all the good she’s trying to do.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Apex Legends is fast, fluid, and quite possibly the best battle royale game yet.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Override: Mech City Brawl is a series of contradictions – it’s a brawler with more depth than it requires, it’s a game showcasing hulking mechs that lack weight, and its one unique twist has been pushed to the wayside for the sake of more conventional design. It’s enjoyable in bursts and easily the best of its genre, but given that Godzilla-style games have been almost universally horrendous, it ends up being small praise.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    In spite of the game’s issue with providing a good challenge curve, I enjoyed my time with Mechanicus. It’s a great way to experience this side of the 40K world, and it remains a solid tactics outing that delivers the power fantasy of ridding the world of evil, along with multiple endings to discover. While players who are more invested in the Warhammer universe may get more out of Mechanicus than I did, it’s still worth a recommendation.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Here at the end, as The Council reveals all of its cards, it becomes clear that the developers clearly and fundamentally understood the importance of player impact on interactive movies. While the skeleton of the game is rigid – certain characters will always make it to the final chapter, and others are clearly less vital to the proceedings – the interactions with them are satisfying and consequential. Whatever ending players end up earning, The Council always makes it easy for players to feel like part of the story, and more importantly, it had a good story to tell them.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    While the game doesn’t run optimally (some framerate chugging and stutters are quite prevalent, especially in areas with a lot of special effects) the upgraded, enhanced formula that XCOM 2: War of the Chosen offers is absolutely superb. I was fully engaged in this rebellion against humanity’s extraterrestrial overlords, and I’d have no hesitation recommending it to anyone in search of a top-tier tactics experience. And for those, like me, who bounced off of the original XCOM 2? It’s absolutely worth coming back.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    In the end, Desert Child is best played as an interactive tribute album to Cowboy Bebop, where its multitudinous soundscapes can carry the weight of expectations and leave an element of surprise to its various mechanical bits — the soundtrack really is that good. Even without that charitable framing, however, I can squint and see a more cohesive and expressive game hiding in this hard luck heap. Though Desert Child’s eclecticism may not hold up when it’s weighed against the conventional expectations of what makes for a Great Videogame, it’s certainly interesting. For players willing to brush off its rougher edges, that may make it even more worthwhile.

Top Trailers