GameFocus' Scores

  • Games
For 1,355 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 74% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 21% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 76
Highest review score: 99 Dead Space: Extraction
Lowest review score: 10 The Expendables 2 Videogame
Score distribution:
1355 game reviews
    • 86 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias is a great “in-between games” game. It is undoubtedly one of the best titles I’ve played for WiiWare and can hold it’s own against offerings on other consoles. The gameplay and story are a little more succinct than I’d like, but I suppose that’s the aim of downloadable games.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Don’t let the basic gameplay fool you, Sam and Max: Beyond Time and Space is a challenging, fun and surprisingly funny romp through a genre that hasn’t gotten much love in recent years. Proof positive that a game can entertain without having to resort to flashy animations and complex control schemes.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Brutal Legend is a solid and entertaining game with an entertaining and interesting story with some of the best audio, soundtrack, sound effects and voice acting, seen this year. Unfortunately the game itself is lacking in variety and innovation. Perhaps the massive marketing blitz provided by EA simply drove expectations to unreachable heights. Regardless, Brutal Legend is at least a must try for any fan of open world action.
    • 96 Metascore
    • 99 Critic Score
    While it may not re-invent anything, Naughty Dog makes it feel like something new thanks to their care for detail and wish to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience. If past PS3 exclusives such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Killzone 2 set a foothold in the Playstation landscape, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves tops everything we've seen so far, whether it's a first or third-party title. I will not go as far to name it "Game of the Century" because it's a bold statement. However, it does take a spot on the short list of outstanding games that will be often copied but never reproduced.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 77 Critic Score
    If you loved the first Mario and Sonic outing, the Winter Olympics is most definitely a welcome addition to the series. The controls feel less contrived than the previous game, and the addition of Balance Board support makes a huge difference. Perhaps not a gold medal finish, but it’s definitely reached the podium this time around.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Essentially, Where the Wild Things Are is a standard platformer. Make no mistake, it’s still a solid effort, but the true selling point is really the chance to play through Sendak’s world, not the gameplay itself. If you enjoyed either the book or the movie, the Wild Things game will make a nice companion piece to either one.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Squeeballs Party is a rather simplistic game that certainly won’t win awards but is definitely worth checking out, particularly over and above most of the immense number of subpar mini-game collections on the Wii. If you are looking for a cute and inexpensive Wii game for the younglings, this might just be your best bet.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    This game has amazing potential, but sadly at the moment all that they have offered is a shell of what could be, I hope they finish what they started.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    To say this is the best South Park game is an understatement, it’s the only good one. For those who were worried this would be just another rushed licensed game should be relieved; there is a lot of fantastic content for fans of the series and the Tower Defense aspect of the game is done really well.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    The single player game is well done and the co-op/multiplayer game is a nice treat in this age of pointless multiplayer action experiences we are bombarded with on an almost daily basis. But in the long run this game is not one I can see playing for more than a couple of weeks until the next game comes out that will keep my attention for a longer period of time. I have to say this is only a buy if you must; it actually is more of a rental.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 93 Critic Score
    If you are not a hardcore gamer or a gamer who can play your average action RPG on a difficulty above easy you probably will hate yourself for putting a single dollar out for this game. But if you are a gamer looking for a true challenge with plenty of extreme action, fun replay value, great multiplayer and a unique twist on everything then this is a game you must own.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Basketball gamers know what they want and it seems like the step back taken by EA Canada last year is making sense this year. Improving on last year’s new features, refining the gameplay mechanics, not adding anything major and removing what wasn’t necessary, it resumes what NBA Live 10 is. Fans of the franchise will certainly love this year’s game and basketball gamers in general will spend a few quality hours with it.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Basketball gamers know what they want and it seems like the step back taken by EA Canada last year is making sense this year. Improving on last year’s new features, refining the gameplay mechanics, not adding anything major and removing what wasn’t necessary, it resumes what NBA Live 10 is. Fans of the franchise will certainly love this year’s game and basketball gamers in general will spend a few quality hours with it.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Even though NBA Today and My Player are noteworthy additions to the franchise and the quick changes to the gameplay mechanics bring more authenticity, NBA 2K10 won’t make history or known as the game that re-invented basketball games. It did improved and that’s all we want. NBA 2K10 is a bit more complex than NBA LIVE 10 but if you are looking for the game that is closest to the real sport, you will certainly be pleased by this new version. In spite of NBA LIVE finally going on the right direction, it looks like the pressure is now on 2K’s camp.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 66 Critic Score
    It is really hard to recommend this year’s edition of The Inside. The additions from last year are strictly on the Block Party side of things when improvements were desperately needed on the hardwood. If you still have last year’s edition, I would say stick with it for one more year. But, if you are in desperate need to play an NBA game on your PSP, be prepared for a mediocre performance on the court.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    With its beautiful graphics and great environmental sound it is easy to find yourself traveling around the island just picking herbs and mushrooms while stumbling upon the odd monster to fight. In the end this is a must buy because it is rare we PC gamers see a good RPG like this and that is what is most important.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    We can certainly ask ourselves why the game took so long to develop if it was going to lack the essence of what made other Gran Turismos appealing to play. Sure the graphics are great and there’s a bunch of cars to unlock but if there’s no structure to keep me going back to the game, the willingness to play often will simply go away. Regardless of this, Gran Turismo remains an interesting game to check out…even though it’s not worth the five year wait.
    • 35 Metascore
    • 47 Critic Score
    Marvellous and XSeed have proven they know how to make far better than this on the Wii, with Little King's Story, so why release a game that's nowhere near the same quality? Yes, there's a lot to do, but when none of it is particularly fun, it's hard to recommend to anyone but the most hardcore RPG fans, and even they may tire of the broken combat and repetitive mission structure. Enter Valhalla at your own risk.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 67 Critic Score
    The fact that Hydravision took the time to improve on a few things before porting it to the PSP is good. If you have a friend to play with, your gameplay experience will be even better...and funnier. Just don’t expect an AAA quality game...but it does the job.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 87 Critic Score
    PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe is an absolutely incredible game for the PSP and one that should be in every owners collection regardless of their affinity to the Tower Defense genre.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 69 Critic Score
    I believe Military Madness: Nectaris is an excellent example of a niche genre game that will really appeal to diehard fans of turn-based hex-board strategy fans. The rest of us will probably find the basics of the game, its repetitiveness and substandard graphics and audio to be too big of a turn off to give it any real consideration.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    This is what I like about the gaming industry: there’s always a surprise waiting for you around the corner. Although the offering has obvious technical limitations and does come with a solid learning curve, Beaterator is very interesting and packs enough punch to please and intrigue any kind of gamer. Beaterator is worth checking out!
    • 82 Metascore
    • 99 Critic Score
    Dead Space is by far one of the best Survival Horror franchises on the market. It brought many new and familiar interesting features to the table on the big consoles but many people were wondering if the Wii could handle this game. Well Electronic Arts and Visceral Games have knocked this ball out of the park and we have possibly one of the best games on the Wii.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Most adult gamers will find MySims Agents to be a walk in the park and will probably get bored of the same routine rather quickly. As such, this game is not geared for adults but for younger gamers looking for a bit of adventure and something that doesn’t contain any violence. This is definitely the best game in the franchise and one that anyone under the age of 13 will enjoy.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 87 Critic Score
    For those who have been yearning for more quality arcade-style racing games for their PlayStation Portable, MotorStorm: Arctic Edge is the answer you have been waiting for. With non-stop action and fantastic visuals coupled with a deep single-player mode and proper online multiplayer, there is everything you will need for a very long time. Don’t be afraid, pick this one up and start heating up the ice.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Ninja Gaiden games aren’t for everyone. People will hate it; some will love it to death. The adventure may be linear and the hack n’ slash ridiculously repetitive but it’s so much fun. Despite the fact that this revamped version of last year’s Ninja Gaiden 2 game does things differently, it manages to keep the essence of the game intact. Taking into account that you might have never played a Ninja Gaiden game, there’s no reason why you should pass on this one.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 59 Critic Score
    If you must play everything that contains Zombies, this might hold your interest for a bit, but the interesting concept quickly loses its appeal. There are way too many short-comings to make this a worth-while purchase; a bit more development time would have done wonders to the final product. If you see this Zombie Army, I suggest you move in the other direction.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Unlike other Kingdom Hearts, this version lends itself well to being able to pick it up and put it down making it a game you can play for quite a long time and still enjoy when you do play it. There is though, enough meat in this game to satisfy the person who wants to play this game very seriously and tear though the content.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 56 Critic Score
    It feels like whatever budget this game had was blown on the audio and visuals in the game, leaving the story and design team scrambling with what little finances they had leftover to make a worthwhile game out of it. Unfortunately for them, the game comes up feeling pretty shallow. While I give it props for having an expensive looking sheen, it’s definitely not a noteworthy DS game in any other respect. Do yourself a favor and leave this one to gather dust on the shelves.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    I hate to put my final comment in such a blunt manner but I do not want anyone to be confused of my overall view of Ion Assault. So my bottom line is, skip this game at its current price and pick it up when it is 5 dollars or so.

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