Gamesurf's Scores

  • Games
For 357 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 49% higher than the average critic
  • 12% same as the average critic
  • 39% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 75
Highest review score: 100 Monster Hunter Wilds
Lowest review score: 45 Dollhouse: Behind The Broken Mirror
Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 6 out of 357
363 game reviews
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Outbound is a video game that managed to surprise us in its own way, incorporating van life into a hybrid formula capable of entertaining even those who don't particularly enjoy the genre. Crafting, resource gathering, and progression never feel overly frustrating, effectively balancing every single component and keeping it within the player's reach. The charm of this production is undeniable, but it's worth pointing out that around the midpoint of the experience (which will nonetheless last over 30 hours) and as the in-game days go by, a certain sense of repetitiveness sets in. Every single area has been designed to offer a sense of calm, with the sounds of ocean waves and rustling trees, in a dystopian future where only renewable energy is used without leaving the slightest mark on nature. However, this world feels too empty — no human presence, just us and a vast array of crafting possibilities. Fortunately, we have a wonderful little dog to keep us company, who represents the most "heartwarming" element of the entire game. Outbound is a relaxing game, an interactive holiday and a road trip that serves as an escape from the increasingly pulse-pounding frenzy of modern video games. Respect for the environment, a sense of community, and anti-consumerism — perhaps this title could even inspire us to reflect on an ever more sustainable future.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Sudden Strike 5 is an unusual strategy game where, despite the presence of tactical pause, the real-time gameplay remains strongly at the forefront. Players are required to maintain a high level of attention and react quickly, both when planning their own moves and when responding to enemy actions. The ability to choose a commander and take advantage of their different perks adds variety to the missions, allowing them to be approached with different playstyles to a certain extent. Larger maps, new units, and several small innovations make Sudden Strike 5 an improvement over its predecessor in many ways, but there are still several quality-of-life aspects that need refinement. The learning curve is extremely steep and there is no proper tutorial to guide players, while the interface feels confusing both during gameplay and on the minimap. On top of that, balancing and AI issues are hard to ignore. The controls in the version I tested also deserve some reworking, regardless of the fact that a game of this type on console will always have to contend with the limitations of a controller. All things considered, the war fought by Sudden Strike 5 is ultimately won, but only with great effort and with many collateral losses left to count.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Kingdom Loop tries to be a clone of Loop Hero, without fully succeeding, with progression issues, imbalances and little bite, but despite everything you can tell the substance is there and perhaps it just takes a little to recalibrate the product, which certainly should have launched in early access, but which will certainly see major changes in the coming months... perhaps.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Despite the 'Enhanced Edition' label, The Shore's console release fails to salvage a fundamentally flawed experience. While the creature design is genuinely unsettling and the opening moments build a solid, oppressive atmosphere, the game quickly devolves into a disjointed theme park of Lovecraftian tropes. Bogged down by clunky exploration, uninspired puzzles, and a narrative that loses all focus and logical progression, it ultimately fails to stand out in a heavily saturated genre. A missed opportunity that sinks just below a passing grade.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    By abandoning its iconic diorama perspective for a generic and clunky first-person view, Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes completely loses the soul of the franchise. Plagued by frustrating climbing mechanics, snap-turning issues, and an empty fan-service narrative, this short two-hour hide-and-seek experience fails to capture the tragic melancholy of the original games. Despite decent sound design and the inherent immersion of VR, it remains a deeply disappointing transition.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    The Day I Became a Bird is a narrative video game that captures the emotional essence of a child's first love, as described in Ingrid Chabbert's book of the same name. It's a journey of discovery and the purest expression of one's childhood self, as well as an early message about the development of "social skills." However, this transformation into a sparrow is characterized by an all-too-brief flight, touching in some ways but lacking in playfulness. It's a game aimed primarily at children, recommended for parents who want their little ones to experience a truly interactive and at times emotional adventure. However, a few gameplay elements and extremely basic puzzles are not enough to make this poem a true video game masterpiece. In any case, this journey was brought to life with great artistic mastery, both in terms of the overall graphics and the sound system. An emotional story that brings out your inner child, but we wish it could have lasted a little longer.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Waiting times and microtransactions are never welcome, but Pokémon Champions proves to be very user-friendly. Its current structure is ideal for players who want to explore the series’ competitive battling without investing too much time or resources, offering a progression system that is slow but steady. And most importantly, free. If this approach is maintained, it’s easy to recommend it to those who have drifted away over the years and would appreciate a more focused and controlled environment. You don't even need a subscription to play. That said, content and variety are still lacking. For now, at least. If you prefer having access to the full experience of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, there’s little reason to switch, especially if you’re already used to playing online. And if you’re still unsure, Pokémon Showdown is always just a click away.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Under Par Golf Architect is a cute and charming product whose features meet the modest expectations it sets. Ultimately, the gameplay boils down to designing golf courses and managing the facilities and the simple surrounding economy. It is neither a great golf game nor a great management sim: it is simply a small game that does both.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Minos is a maze-based roguelite featuring gameplay that is, all things considered, engaging—simple in structure yet remarkably deep in its mechanics. Its roguelite nature ensures that you are constantly facing new challenges within a system best described as a blend of strategy and tower defense. The goal of the game is not to hunt down aspiring heroes and tear them to shreds while playing as the Minotaur; rather, it is to devise the right strategy to funnel them toward traps and crossbows that will fire a few darts too many (much to your delight)...We believe Minos is well-suited for more contemplative players—those who enjoy experimenting with mechanics rather than adhering to a typically more linear, guided formula. If you value strategic planning, appreciate an intriguing storyline, and remain undeterred by repeated failures, then the Minotaur awaits you within that labyrinth—a maze that has become his very reason for being.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Tomodachi Life does offer a dreamlike life, but for now it will mainly appeal to those who enjoy meticulously customizing every detail of their characters and have someone nearby to share their creations with. The base package is hilarious, yet somewhat lacking, and it runs out of steam fairly quickly. As a result, it’s hard to wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone, although there are plenty of interesting possibilities should future updates expand the experience. Still, if cozy vibes and pure nonsense are your thing, the Mii will welcome you to their island with open arms. In their own peculiar way.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Narin: The Orange Room is a faltering experience in several respects that, despite having some decent foundations and a fairly interesting story, pays a very high price: it fails to actually scare the player. Even if we were willing to overlook the dated gameplay and the technical issues scattered here and there, we cannot ignore the pronounced repetitiveness that envelops the entire experience. Let’s be frank: the overall formula didn’t convince us, especially considering that the protagonist seems more inclined to deliver monologues rather than feel the tension of survival in a context that is completely hostile to her. If you’re a fan of the genre (and considering the low price), you might still want to give it a chance, though you’ll have to accept a few too many flaws. And if you’ll allow us one piece of advice: set the dialogue language to Thai—at least the protagonist will gain a lot more personality.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The goal The Occultist sets for itself is a noble one: to artfully blend the world of the occult with that of survival horror—offering no weapons and no means of self-defense, relying instead solely on wits and puzzle-solving. It is a journey that did not always unfold harmoniously, yet one that successfully established the right atmosphere and maintained a high level of tension. However, one must also take into account certain technical limitations encountered on consoles, including a frame rate that is not exactly stable.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Overall, CoinPit is a rather unusual project, almost anachronistic in the way it blends arcade gameplay, psychological horror, and incremental mechanics. Unlike other projects, such as CloverPit, it is less successful and less iconic. Its deliberately simple graphics, imperfect yet effective physics, and the obsessive economy based on debt and risky choices make it a title designed for a specific audience—those fascinated by roguelikes with a touch of atmosphere.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Re-releasing a game multiple times doesn't seem wrong to us; the important thing is to do it wisely and strive to deliver the best possible experience to players at the time. Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage is being released on Nintendo Switch 2 in a less than appealing package with very little content, despite the desire to add some freshness with the World Stage mode. Regarding online play, unfortunately, the situation isn't the best: finding players could be more challenging than expected, considering how sparsely populated it is currently. However, netcode rollback can sometimes ensure (under the right conditions) a decent online experience.On Nintendo Switch 2, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage runs well, although the graphics aren't exactly spotless (a situation that improves with portability). For the proposed price (€19.99) it manages to guarantee some pleasant combat: but if you are looking for online competition, well, perhaps other competitors are doing better on this front at the moment.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is simultaneously everything we wanted and everything we didn’t from this franchise. Crystal Dynamics and Bit Bot Media skillfully use the character of Elaleth to recount the behind-the-scenes events that shaped Nosgoth, introducing a series of narrative elements that pave the way for the saga’s future. On the flip side, however, the artistic and gameplay offerings fail to satisfy those who have waited over 20 years for a new chapter. With the exception of the voice acting and a soundtrack that matches the quality of previous entries, Ascendance represents a technical step backward in every respect. For those who love 2D platformers or can look past a low-budget aesthetic and gameplay, there is a well-told story here; one that lays the groundwork for a future that will hopefully head in a different direction.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Anyone with a penchant for narrative-driven video games should check out Aether & Iron: the captivating setting, the criminal undertones, and the wide variety of characters encountered and locations visited guarantee entertainment. Furthermore, there's the tactical component, which, without overdoing it, manages to offer a satisfying challenge. Seismic Squirrel's offering is certainly not without its flaws—at times it's a bit too textual and not visual—but it will win over those willing to immerse themselves in its story.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Project Songbird is a title that collapses under the weight of its own ambitions. While it bravely tackles mature themes like creative block and depression, the narrative is ultimately derailed by intrusive authorial narcissism. The gameplay fares no better, suffering from a disjointed mix of superfluous combat, poorly executed stealth mechanics, and frustrating inventory bugs. Despite an excellent soundtrack and stellar voice acting that perfectly capture the protagonist's musical soul, these technical merits aren't enough to save an overall derivative experience. It is a bitter disappointment for a game with such sadly wasted potential.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a thoughtfully curated compilation that aims to relaunch a series that was probably overshadowed by Battle Network. After 20 years, time has somewhat washed away the sense of “disappointment” that once permeated various communities, allowing players to rediscover some unique JRPGs and introducing them to a new generation—especially fans of Mega Man. We believe that the Star Force saga features a solid combat system that can also satisfy the most demanding RPG players: some boss battles, particularly in Star Force 3, could really put players to the test. All things considered, this re-release doesn’t offer anything new, but it delights with a complete package that lets you enjoy the entire epic from start to finish (each chapter will take no less than 20 hours to complete 100%). Compared to other re-releases, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection doesn’t offer anything particularly revolutionary. However, having these historic games in a single package—without having to go crazy trying to track down an old Nintendo DS—is no small thing. And besides, Star Force 3 truly feels like a brand-new addition.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Screamer is one of the most visually striking and nostalgically satisfying arcade games to hit the market since the PS3/Xbox 360 era — the golden age of racing. Unfortunately, the game is undermined by frustrating AI and level design that prevents you from fully enjoying the experience it otherwise deserves, given what it has to offer.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Reigns: The Witcher sticks to the formula established by the original Reigns without reinventing it. Its blend with CD Projekt Red’s fantasy RPG offers fans of the Witcher an enjoyable diversion alongside their favorite character, while also serving as a potential entry point for newcomers to the series. Overall, it’s not particularly captivating, but it gets the job done.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Devil Jam is an independent production that stages a concert built around rhythm and automatic attacks. What we have here is a roguelite with some interesting ideas, based on upgrades placed on a dedicated grid to create an offensive and defensive score capable of wiping out entire armies of demons. What you end up with is a bold production that presents an overall functional combat system, but one that may feel rather repetitive even to those who strongly enjoy the genre. The presence of only a single map and a handful of bosses doesn’t help either, making the experience feel less deep than expected. However, the ticket price for Devil Jam is very low (€7.99), and it would almost be outrageous not to attend at least once this concert with decidedly hellish notes.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Ultimately, Marathon presents itself as a kind of digital Rorschach test in which each player projects their own tolerance thresholds for frustration and aesthetic fascination: it is a work dedicated to gunplay fetishists who demand a physical response to every mouse input, and to those who, tired of the reassuring linearity of modern blockbusters, seek the thrill of fragmented and brutal storytelling. The shift toward the extraction shooter genre proves to be a bold strategic move to test the limits of competition, attracting anyone curious to see how the DNA of 1994 has mutated under Ziegler’s vision, while simultaneously forcefully repelling those who look for a guided approach or a minimalist UI. It is not a game for those who detest extraction anxiety or the permanent loss of loot, since the absence of waypoints and the informational overload of the HUD require a cognitive investment that many might find exhausting. Those with modern hardware and ultrawide displays will derive the greatest visual pleasure from this chromatic jungle, but they will still have to reckon with a system that gives nothing away and turns every mistake into a definitive erasure. Marathon, ultimately, is a technological shell that admits no compromises: either one accepts living within its distortions, or one is rejected by the system like obsolete code.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is not the product we expected following the remaster of the two Soul Reaver titles. This release feels like another "nostalgia bait" operation that is, frankly, difficult to justify. One commendable addition is the over-the-shoulder camera, which significantly improves the game's quality of life and assists during both platforming sections and combat. On the other hand, new mechanics such as the local map and the "foresight" ability feel negligible, adding very little to the overall experience. The graphical enhancements applied to the environments are bland and barely noticeable; in fact, they occasionally break the atmosphere of the original game. While the character models are highly detailed, the development team seems to have taken too many liberties in redesigning some of the key protagonists. From a gameplay perspective, the title suffers from the exact same issues as the original 2004 release: it remains repetitive and tedious, both in its combat encounters and its environmental puzzles. Ultimately, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered stays afloat solely thanks to the masterful narrative and world-building of the original game, but it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The world is changing, and the way we play with portable monsters has evolved significantly. This pair of iconic titles has had its day and hasn't aged very well, but if we add to this the cost of a copy (digital only) and with zero optimization beyond simple emulation, then frankly I wouldn't recommend it, unless you're a die-hard fan and want to play it again and again.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The world is changing, and the way we play with portable monsters has evolved significantly. This pair of iconic titles has had its day and hasn't aged very well, but if we add to this the cost of a copy (digital only) and with zero optimization beyond simple emulation, then frankly I wouldn't recommend it, unless you're a die-hard fan and want to play it again and again.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    City Hunter returns to current-generation consoles in a remaster that doesn't just do its homework, but delivers a complete version of a very niche title aimed at the game's most die-hard fans. It's a faithful port of the original PC Engine version (also localized in Italian) with numerous bug fixes and gameplay tweaks to bring it more in line with modern times. However, there are limitations stemming from its age, some "gameplay niggles" that make this formula too repetitive and (perhaps) lacking appeal, not to mention a meager running time that doesn't fully justify its asking price. Nevertheless, City Hunter fans will be happy to embark on this new mission and, more precisely, (re)discover a forgotten title brought to life in a new light for all lovers of the game and video games in general.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    If you missed the rugged goblin, then you'll be able to relate to it just as you did with the previous installments. And despite a few stumbles, fans of the genre will have a blast.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Hordes of Hunger presents itself as a title that comfortably reaches a passing grade, yet fails to make the qualitative leap necessary to truly dominate the modern roguelite market in 2026. Although the manual combat concept is excellent and injects a welcome sense of freshness into a genre often too static, such as survivor-like games, the technical execution suffers from issues that undermine the long-term enjoyment of progression. The camera remains the most evident flaw, as getting stuck in the geometry of the Mountain Fortress during a boss fight can turn an engaging challenge into a moment of pure, unjustified frustration for the player. The balance of the Vampire build represents another critical point, since forcing the user down a single survival path drastically limits the creativity one would expect from such a layered and promising Forge system. The absence of an autosave system during runs and the persistent white flash in transitions to the Sanctuary further signal a lack of polish that Hyperstrange will need to address through targeted patches in order to avoid alienating the more detail-oriented segment of the community.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Manairons is one of those gaming productions that deserves our applause for its inspiration and originality. On one hand, we find a stimulating artistic and sound design—dark in tone, yet conveying hope for the future. On the other, the gameplay mechanics are quite successful regarding the platforming and puzzle phases, but fall short when it comes to the general combat system. In any case, despite some obvious limitations, Manairons still manages to find its place in the genre, thanks to an original story born from the legends, customs, and traditions of the Pyrenees mountain range. Unleashing the power of the magic flute wasn't bad at all, though one must always keep in mind a few "off-key notes" on the musical score of this fantasy journey.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Sons of Sparta is only a partially convincing experience; it has a surprisingly well-crafted soundtrack and a simple yet enjoyable story centered on the relationship between Kratos and his brother Deimos, but it suffers from a severe lack of identity that limits its impact. The gameplay works without ever excelling, the power-ups are useful but not particularly impactful, and the violence, a defining element of the world it belongs to, is toned down. The idea of ​​creating a smaller project could have proved successful, but the overly cautious management makes it a title that entertains for a few hours without truly leaving a mark. If it weren't for that name on the cover, it would easily go unnoticed.

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