Giant Bomb's Scores

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For 1,044 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 28% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 69% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 3.8 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 71
Highest review score: 100 Dragon Age: Origins
Lowest review score: 20 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 593 out of 1044
  2. Mixed: 307 out of 1044
  3. Negative: 144 out of 1044
1079 game reviews
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    • 98 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Super Mario Galaxy 2
    For all the meaningful changes and additions that have been made, this is still more Super Mario Galaxy--which is to say that it looks and sounds about as good as a game for the Wii ever has, with consistently inventive level design, and exceptionally responsive gameplay.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Condemned 2: Bloodshot
    This game is all raw nerves and bloody fists, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll find plenty of it in the equally damaging Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Condemned 2: Bloodshot.
    • 98 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Grand Theft Auto IV
    Rather than try to out-do the Crackdowns and the Saints Rows of the world with bigger land masses and more missions, Rockstar went the other way, and managed to craft an amazingly impactful story and weave it into an open-world game in an incredibly meaningful way - all without losing the heart and soul of what makes Grand Theft Auto so popular in the first place. The end result is absolutely masterful and absolutely worth your time and money.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Cuphead
    If you’re the type of person who derives joy from angrily banging your head into a boss over and over until you can perfectly defeat it in the most glorious 90 seconds you will ever experience, then Cuphead is the total package. The tight gameplay, accompanied by an incredibly well-realized aesthetic, makes for a truly unforgettable gameplay experience.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown
    The cleverest part of XCOM: Enemy Unknown is how it bundles up all of its complexities and interdependencies and presents them in a package that, while not easy, is at least easily digested. It's often overwhelming, but in the best way possible.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown
    This game will test your mettle in a way that will make old fans tingle with a sense of unforgiving nostalgia, and will make clear to newcomers just exactly what XCOM is all about.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Cuphead
    Come for the beautiful art, stay because you smashed all your controllers.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown
    Extreme fastidiousness notwithstanding, it can take around 30 hours to see through the single-player campaign in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, though like Firaxis' Civilization series, there are so many different ways to prioritize the research, engineering, economic, and tactical elements of the game that it almost begs for multiple playthroughs.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Resident Evil 5
    I played it start to finish in three sittings, have played it extensively in other capacities while working on this review, and still can't wait to go back and play through it again cooperatively on higher difficulties to open up more of its goodies. If that's not the definition of a fine action game, I don't know what is.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
    This is one of the most fully-realized action campaigns of all time, and it sets a new bar of quality for what’s possible in the genre.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Journey
    Certainly a game that offers up aesthetic beauty, both in its visuals and score. But where it truly shines is in the experience of playing it. In Journey, the mere acts of jumping, running, and sliding around a painstakingly crafted world are enough to invoke strong emotional responses from the player. Every element, every mechanic, every single little thing works in seemingly effortless concert to deliver a game that is experientially beautiful from surface to core.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Batman: Arkham City
    It might not rewrite the book on Batman video games, but when you're building off of such a strong position--and you're only shipping the second game with such similarities, rather than a third or fourth--it's hard to bicker too much about what changes the developers did or didn't make.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Diablo III
    It's such a rare thing that my interest in continuing to play a game keeps increasing not just toward the end of the game but past the end, yet somehow the more Diablo I play, the more Diablo I want to play. It doesn't do anything especially new with the action-RPG genre, but it does all the old things very, very well, and sometimes that's more than enough.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Picross 3D
    Picross 3D gets hard. But it never feels impossible, and it's the sort of game that causes afternoons to simply vanish. If you're looking to do a little time-traveling, Picross 3D is a great way to do it.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Resident Evil 4
    I don’t know what more you could ask for in this stunning remake of Resident Evil 4. It’s obvious to say that a great remake should satisfy both returning fans and total newcomers, but this goes so far beyond that. The original game is one of my favorites of all time and now the only reason I’d recommend anyone play it is purely for historical value. And if you’re a complete newcomer to the series, this is bar none one of the most thrilling games ever. It shines as the ultimate Resident Evil experience and the greatest remake of all time.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
    The more I played of it, the less I could deny how expertly made it is in every aspect. It's an all-around fantastic portable game that's completely worth playing, whether you enjoy it in bite-size chunks or plow straight through it from start to finish.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Punch-Out!!
    Not to harp on this point too much, but save for the inclusion of Mike Tyson, I'm not sure you could expect much better from a Punch-Out!! remake.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Street Fighter IV
    Street Fighter IV combines old and new in powerful ways, resulting in a game familiar enough to bring retired fans back into the fold while being different enough to appeal to the players who have stuck with the genre since day one.
    • 97 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Super Mario Odyssey
    Each kingdom is absolutely packed with charm, clever objectives, gorgeous visuals, a stellar soundtrack, and a huge variety of ways to have fun. One moon would have me leaping across tiny platforms with pinpoint precision, and the next would have me cheering up a businessman by dressing like a clown. At no point did I feel like I was checking boxes just to up my completion percentage. Even now that I've collected every moon and purple coin in the game, I still want to play more of it. It’s one of the most joyous and entertaining gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time, and it stands tall among the all-time great Mario games.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Titanfall 2
    Titanfall 2 goes for feel above all else, and it feels fantastic.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Dust: An Elysian Tail
    Cramming this many elements into a single downloadable game seems like an audacious move, but Dust pulls it off with confidence, style, and heart, resulting in a game that deserves to be played by a lot of people.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Titanfall 2
    Titanfall 2 might not fix every issue you had with the previous game (and depending on your tastes, it might introduce one or two new ones), but it's a bigger, bolder game that takes a few chances and comes out better and more distinctive for it. On top of all that, it simply feels great.
    • 95 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Last of Us
    The Last of Us is not simply Uncharted with zombies, but it couldn't exist without Naughty Dog having made Uncharted first, either. It's a dark adventure, one rarely filled with laughs or joy. There are bitter pills to swallow along the way, and nothing is taken for granted, not even characters. People live, people die. Sometimes it's fair, sometimes it's not. It's still a zombie game, but a sobering one. Take a deep breath.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Control
    Control feels like Remedy firing on all cylinders, resulting in a smart and sensational action-adventure.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Rock Band 3
    I'm not sure where else there is to go, but I don't really care. I'm having too much fun right now.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Bayonetta 2
    Bayonetta 2 doesn’t drastically change the already wacky formula that the first game introduced, but it’s a bigger and more nuanced version of its predecessor. It’s also the best game of its kind in years. If you’ve ever enjoyed this breed of reflex-heavy, hyperactive, ludicrous action game, Bayonetta 2 is a no-brainer.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    NBA 2K12
    Were it not for the online issues, NBA 2K12 would be the closest thing to a "perfect" video game basketball experience we have yet come to. In fact, it still probably is. This is one of those rare sports games where the offline content nearly made me forget about the online component.
    • 97 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Grand Theft Auto V
    The writing associated with those main characters and their stories is the best part of Grand Theft Auto V.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
    Brotherhood lacks that generational leap we saw from Assassin's Creed to Assassin's Creed II, but it more than makes up for that with a full-bodied single-player experience teeming with interesting gameplay additions and a risky multiplayer component.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Super Mario Maker
    Super Mario Maker lets you make your own Super Mario Bros. levels and if that isn't enough for you then you're probably beyond help anyway.
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These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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    • 85 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Starfield
    While a lot of Starfield's familiar Bethesda cruft is outdated and often boring in the early game, the story, quest, characters, and interactions all get better the more you play. That doesn't mean you can ignore the awkward traversal and janky bugs, but it is questionable how damaging those elements are to the experience after 250 hours in Todd Howard's space epic. [Quick Look]
    • 69 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
    "The Devil in Me" takes an intriguing historical true-crime premise, mixes it with a bit of SAW, and half-bakes it, amounting to a very by-the-numbers, unscary addition of the Dark Pictures Anthology. Unlikable characters with dull personal problems and a plot with glacial pacing bog down a game that had a lot of potential in its set-up. That's not to mention the graphical glitches and other oddities that make the game feel rushed out the door. These unfortunate factors culminate to make The Devil In Me the weakest of the Anthology series thus far. [Quick Look]
    • 69 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Callisto Protocol
    The Callisto Protocol was touted as the next Dead Space and it unfortunately suffers for that comparison. With frustrating, awkward combat, an uninteresting plot, and jump scares that fall completely flat, The Callisto Protocol struggles in the shadow of its spiritual predecessor, which did all of those things better 14 years ago. (This is all not to mention the full-screen strobing light effects that cannot be turned off; an accessibility failure that one would not expect of a modern AAA game.) It's a pity that Callisto copied the aesthetic of Dead Space while failing to execute the aspects that made it frightening and fun. [Quick Look]
    • 90 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
    Quick look (video).
    • 56 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Redfall
    Redfall fails to compel on nearly every level, not just in its uninteresting story, but also its all-too-familiar gameplay. Not only does Redfall feel like a game stuck in yesteryear, even its performance finds a way to disappoint. [Quick Look]
    • 88 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Horizon Forbidden West
    Undoubtedly a gorgeous spectacle in every way, Forbidden West struggles to develop a compelling storyline out of the gate. It mitigates that through a satisfying and customizable combat system, though in our playthrough so far, hasn't demonstrated a substantial evolution from the original. [Quick Look]
    • 71 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Hong Kong Massacre
    Quick look.
    • 76 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    For Honor
    Quick look.
    • 90 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Marvel's Spider-Man 2
    It runs so, so smooth with no hiccups. Doesn't matter how much crazy bullshit is happening on the screen. Technically it's in the top 3 PS5 showcases. It's phenomenal.
    • 79 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Escape Academy
    Former GameMaster Jess geeks out way too hard at Jeff Grubb, teaching him the ropes of escape rooms! [Quick look]
    • 69 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    High on Life
    Despite the way-too-chatty guns (for what it's worth, there's options for that), High on Life ends up being a pretty fun shooter in a colorful and ridiculously stupid sci-fi world. It's not reinventing the wheel with its combat, but it doesn't really have to in order to be an alright time. The boss fights are surprisingly enjoyable and the game's exploration is satisfying, with upgrades and unlocks that open the world gradually, in a way that reminds me a bit of Ratchet and Clank. High on Life's crass humor is an understandable balk point for many — and the first hour or two is unrelentingly... well, Roilandy — but if you can push past the bad first impression, it's a good ol' competent FPS. [Quick Look]
    • 83 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Octopath Traveler
    Quick Look...
    • 71 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Somerville
    Somerville's strengths come from its mysterious narrative and storytelling intrigue, but it fails to match the overall polish and cohesive game design language as its spiritual predecessors. [Quick Look]
    • 71 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Days Gone
    Quick look...
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Bayonetta 3
    Platinum makes Bayonetta wilder and more unpredictable than ever, mostly for the better. [Quick Look]
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Cyberpunk 2077
    Jeff Gerstmann & Jeff Bakalar's early impressions.
    • 56 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Choo-Choo Charles
    A spooky and ambitious little indie game that knows exactly how silly it is, Choo-Choo Charles has some expected flaws from the constraints that come from being a single-developer project, but makes up for it with its originality and moxie. (I mean, what other game out there is about fleeing from and fighting a demonic spider-train? You just can't get that in a AAA game!) It's one of those indie horrors that's brimming with the joy and the jank that makes me love the genre overall. [Quick Look]
    • 71 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Chant
    The Chant is a psychedelic folk-horror action-adventure game that has more to it than one might expect from an indie title. While it doesn't bring anything particularly new to the table with its gameplay, it does provide a successfully fun experience and a compelling cult setting to sink into. [Quick Look]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Mirror Forge
    Mirror Forge is a little indie horror joint with a lot of heart and a lot of glitches... but that's not really a deal-breaker for me. It's one of those scrappy super-indie titles whose charm is actually kinda amplified by its rough edges. The developer's love for Silent Hill, Eternal Darkness, and Stranger Things is apparent as our trauma-laden protagonist wanders through bloody hallways with ancient secrets, told to us via somewhat goofy voice acting. Cliché stuff, yes, but I can't help but enjoy that this is a game that knows what it is - an ambitious, mishmashed, indulgent homage to some really great things. A solo developer stretching their legs and seeing what they can pull off. A janky, but entertaining time. [Quick Look]
    • 84 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Resident Evil Village
    Some say it takes a village to do a quick look, others say it only takes Brad and Vinny. Sit back and enjoy as the Giant Bomb team takes an unedited look at Resident Evil Village.
    • 89 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Apex Legends
    Jeff, Brad, and Ben jump into Respawn's new free-to-play battle royale game.
    • 89 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Last of Us Part I
    Quick Look
    • 87 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Hi-Fi Rush
    It's so nice to have a surprise like this come out of nowhere...and at the end of the year I expect I'm still going to be thinking about this when it comes to game of the year time. It would have made my Top 10 last year. - JG [Quick Look]
    • 88 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Night in the Woods
    Quick Look.
    • 96 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Elden Ring
    The Jeffs and Jan convene and hold gnarled fingers together to chat about their harrowing adventures in the world of Elden Ring.
    • 78 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Detroit: Become Human
    Quick look.
    • 93 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Persona 5
    So stylish...I am diggin' it. [Quick look]
    • 83 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Marvel's Midnight Suns
    Marvel's Midnight Suns has snappy tactical combat that's incredibly satisfying and manages to juggle numerous social links successfully with familiar heroes. [Quick Look]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Ship of Fools
    Ship of Fools is a neat little roguelite Overcooked at sea mashup. Things get chaotic real quick as you and a friend have to navigate the seven seas and make sure to not throw precious material overboard. [Quick look]
    • 74 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
    An intro into the Warhammer universe that'll make you want to dive all the way in. Gothic organs blast as you and three other friends blast through hordes and hordes of decaying enemies. [Unprofessional Friday]
    • 80 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Entropy Centre
    The Entropy Centre is a brutally brain-bending Portal-like, using time as its main mechanic. Casual puzzle-enjoyers might find its trial-and-error game loop more frustrating than fun, but the meticulous-minded will probably enjoy its challenges. [Quick Look]
    • 71 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Pokemon Violet
    The age of the Switch's hardware and GameFreak's prowess as a studio is on full display in the newest Pokemon release as we see muddy textures and single frame animations. While we get a new crop of cute Pokemon, a more open world, and new battle mechanics we're unfortunately stuck trudging along at a snail's pace because of the game itself. [Quick Look]
    • 72 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Pokemon Scarlet
    The age of the Switch's hardware and GameFreak's prowess as a studio is on full display in the newest Pokemon release as we see muddy textures and single frame animations. While we get a new crop of cute Pokemon, a more open world, and new battle mechanics we're unfortunately stuck trudging along at a snail's pace because of the game itself. [Quick Look]
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Pentiment
    Pentiment sheds the dice rolls and combat to emphasize the branching conversations and compelling narrative that Obsidian is best at. And the result is an engaging page-turner that can only really work as a video game. [Quick Look]
    • 93 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
    Quick look.

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