GameCritics' Scores

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For 4,118 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: 1,978 out of 4118
  2. Mixed: 1,542 out of 4118
  3. Negative: 598 out of 4118
4124 game reviews
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    • 62 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mutant Football League
    It successfully channels the spirit of its inspiration, it will please the niche audience that remembers it, and it’s impossible not to appreciate all the TLC that must have gone into its creation. Good strategy will win games and the playbook is not shallow, but it’s impossible not to love a game where victory can also be won by killing the opposing team’s best players.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    A Way Out
    While I enjoy the idea of dedicated co-op and I’m excited to see someone exploring the space, it doesn’t feel like A Way Out trusted itself or its players to do so – the gameplay is simple to the point of being bland, the script is too predictable, and its efforts to evoke emotion feel cheap. It might be fine to play with a friend over a weekend, but it will be forgotten soon after, and it’s a shame.
    • 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.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 25 Critic Score
    Play with Me (2018)
    It’s possible that Play With Me gets fantastic further in, and the developers certainly show a thorough understanding of the SAW franchise – this is a much better implementation than the official adaptation. Still, the experience is just too user-unfriendly to be worth spending time on. There’s some hope, however – they already noticed and fixed the match issue. Perhaps future patches will address some of the other myriad problems. Until then, however, I won’t be playing with 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?
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Paratopic
    Paratopic‘s unique approach to storytelling and its unsettling content come together in a lo-fi, short experience that left me wanting more of this world and this story. But seriously, don’t watch the tapes.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Pop-Up Pilgrims
    Pop-Up Pilgrims has a lot to like — cute and varied character design, appropriately festive music, colorful, animated visuals that overflow with sakura blossoms. However, I simply couldn’t look past the struggles I had with the gameplay. Due to the clunky, headset-guided controls and taxing physical requirements, Pop-Up Pilgrims would probably be a better experience without VR.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Ghost of a Tale
    I wish Ghost of a Tale was more polished and I’m annoyed that it ends as abruptly as it does, but I’m still eager to spend more time in this world. Whether Gallat continues his work or moves on to something else, he’s one to watch… and if this is what he can pull off more or less by himself, I’d love to see what he could do with a bigger team and a serious budget behind him.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Apex Construct
    APEX Construct manages what few others have – it creates a fully-fledged action adventure experience in VR. The levels are expansive and detailed, the story is intriguing enough to keep people trailblazing through each new area, and the combat – while occasionally frustrating – is just the kind of thing players looking to test their virtual bow skills will gobble up. It’s as good an adventure as I’ve seen in the made-for-VR world.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Steredenn: Binary Stars
    Binary Stars is not only a shmup, it’s also takes cues from roguelikes like randomly generated levels and permadeath. I may never finish it, but even so, Steredenn: Binary Stars is worth playing, and I will happily play it over and over again.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Way of the Passive Fist
    Fundamentally, the palette of action choices felt too limited, and the stately procession of single challengers makes each melee seem slow and boring. The premise feels compromised by the use of defense solely as a way to build up to violent attacks, rather than a way of dealing with bosses on its own. There’s an interesting idea or two in here, but they’re not developed into a complete, coherent experience.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Crossing Souls
    Crossing Souls has great style and art direction, and while the plot can be quite cheesy, it’s in a good way. It’s just a shame that poor controls dampen what should be a more enjoyable retro-inspired experience than it is.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    Castle of Heart
    I cannot overstate how pointless and infuriating Castle of Heart feels to play.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
    Ni No Kuni II is absolutely delightful. While the original was bogged down by some cumbersome mechanics, Level 5 has done an outstanding job of cutting the fat while adding new elements and keeping things fresh — It has almost none of the filler that plagues the JRPG genre. I can’t stress how happy it makes me to see a game as good as this appeal to both someone like me, and to children as well. But most importantly, it’s not a kids’ game — it’s just a fantastic JRPG.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology
    Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology offers a staggering amount of content for the price — there are nearly 300 different events to see, and the campaign can finish with dozens of possible endings. Patient RPG fans looking for intriguing story hooks and puzzle-like battle mechanics would do well to try it. Those looking to simply enjoy the narrative without being punished can also dip into Friendly mode and enjoy the experience as well.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Blasters of the Universe
    Although it’s a bit short with only four levels, two difficulties, a weekly challenge, and an online score attack leaderboard, it’s right in line with what I’ve come to expect from an arcade-style title, and in its favor, it’s a rather refreshing take on the ‘shooting gallery’ genre that is quickly becoming stale among VR offerings.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Council - Episode 1: The Mad Ones
    The Council: Episode 1, The Mad Ones is a treasure thanks to a great story that’s well-told, some of the highest Interactive Movie production values I’ve seen, and a skill and experience system that serves to make it even deeper and more replayable than it already was. And the cliffhanger ending? It’s so compelling that I can’t wait for the next chapter to arrive.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Into the Breach
    Those hankering for something reminiscent of Advance Wars or Valkyria Chronicles will find much to enjoy, and players looking to challenge their grey matter should absolutely give it a try.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mulaka
    Mulaka is a treat for the eyes that’s just fine as it is, but I can’t help but feel there were many opportunities where it could have, and should have, done more.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
    The overall story does come up short when stacked against the incredible Yakuza 0, but it’s still a joy to take Kiryu out for a stroll in the most meticulously-crafted and comically-dangerous rendition of Japan ever offered.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Metal Gear Survive
    When it was first announced by Konami and revealed to have not only a survival focus but (gasp!) zombies, a lot of folks, myself included, rolled their eyes at the idea. But after playing and completing Metal Gear Survive, it won me over. It’s an enjoyable, bizarre and flawed creation, and I’m glad it exists.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Dragon Ball FighterZ
    The single player modes aren’t particularly engaging, and the broken online makes engaging in the multiplayer take way longer than it needs to. Those lucky enough to have a thriving local fighting scene are the real winners here until the servers are sorted out. FighterZ isn’t entirely my thing, but it’s easy to see that it’s as well-made, polished, and fanservicey as humanly possible.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Bridge Constructor Portal
    Bridge Constructor Portal is a great way to introduce a newcomer like me to this surprisingly popular genre. It uses the borrowed IP well, and while not every joke hits, the fact that the dev was able to shoehorn that Portal flavor into a completely new genre is commendable. This is probably isn’t the product that Valve fans were wishing for, but let’s stop berating them and enjoy what we’ve received — turning up one’s nose at a surprise gift like this would be silly.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Arizona Sunshine
    Arizona Sunshine is a game that allows players to chill out and blast zombies to pieces in the comfort of their own homes, living out their dreams of slipping into a world where they can use an epic arsenal of weapons to completely eradicate a shambling threat. That may not be the highest bar to clear, but Vertigo Games accomplishes it with style.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 35 Critic Score
    Dynasty Warriors 9
    Dynasty Warriors 9 is a complete mess. The open-world elements like crafting, hunting and finding landmarks don’t fit with the story, and the technological sacrifices made to include them ensure that the mass battle sequences are nearly non-functional.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Typoman: Revised
    In the end, Typoman might appear to offer a clever blend of Limbo’s brooding world and Scribblenauts’ creative spark, but summing it up as such would gloss over the fact that its limitations never let it ascend to the heights that a combination of those titles might suggest.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    The Red Strings Club
    The underwhelming mouse-based elements are frustrating because they’re so unnecessary when compared to the interesting stuff going on with the characters and concepts. When it acts more like a visual novel, The Red Strings Club work crackles with lively ideas and compelling characters. Had it focused on that and pared away the irrelevancies, The Red Strings Club would be the amazing experience that it almost was.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Secret of Mana
    Secret of Mana isn’t an improvement in any way, and as such it fails the number one requirement of a remake – there’s no reason to recommend it over the original. Square Enix’s attempts to modernize this classic only make it feel older and less relevant, and the resulting mess is something I can’t see appealing to anyone. Returning fans will wish they were playing the original, and newcomers will likely wonder why Secret of Mana was ever such a big deal to begin with.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A Normal Lost Phone
    As a straight cis man, I acknowledge that I’m not the authoritative voice on any of this. However, while I’m mixed on how well A Normal Lost Phone conveys its intended message, the game’s design is too interesting to dismiss, and it’s so short and cheap that anyone who’s curious can (and should) come to their own conclusions.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
    White Day isn’t at the top of its genre, but it’s a solid entry. The real surprise, though, is the effective post-release work that the developers did to fix their game and transform it into something worthwhile after starting it off as a frustrating failure. There are plenty of issues with taking games away from physical media, but examples like this support the concept — the developers didn’t release an unfinished work, they’d just made bad design choices. Luckily, the current nature of gaming gave them a chance to turn a mediocre work into a good one, and they were smart enough to take it.
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