Hardcore Gamer's Scores

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For 4,333 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 50% higher than the average critic
  • 9% same as the average critic
  • 41% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.4 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 73
Highest review score: 100 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
Lowest review score: 20 Vampire Rain
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,432 out of 4333
  2. Mixed: 1,659 out of 4333
  3. Negative: 242 out of 4333
4335 game reviews
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    • tbd Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    MAGICALxSPIRAL
    The best aspect is absolutely the ability to use and counter spells, but even that strategic element is unnecessary during the majority of battles. From the adequate but eyebrow-raising animation to forced rather than desirable replay value, it’s tough to recommend MAGICAL×SPIRAL.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist
    An absolute dream for fans. This is the exact game we’ve been waiting for since the first disappointing PC release over a decade ago.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Angels of Death
    There’s a lot to love in Angels of Death because it isn’t yet another indie horror copycat. In almost every way it pushes toward different directions. From the offbeat storyline to gameplay which is always shaking itself up, players are in for one heck of a ride.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Hive Jump
    Hive Jump combines many sub-genres of action-platformers into one game, and does them all fairly well. Its shooting is fantastic, with strong sound design making each kill feel rewarding.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Smashbox Arena
    Smashbox Arena is a fantastic take on dodgeball, combining the classic playground activity with an arena FPS to make something fast enough for good competitive gaming while remaining appropriate for all ages.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Poi
    While another round of polish would do a nice job of knocking off the rough edges, the core experience is a lively game that remains fun and playable from start to finish.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Super Pixel Smash
    If Super Pixel Smash was one part of a larger collection of mini-games, it would be a standout. Things can get a bit hectic and there is some skill required, but it doesn’t manage to extend past feeling like a mini-game.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Rosenkreuzstilette
    It would be easy to criticize Rosenkreuzstilette for copying so much of its content from Mega Man games, but that is what makes it so enjoyable. There have been many games that try to piggyback on more successful franchises on a superficial level but completely miss what made the source material so great. This is a blatant Mega Man clone, but it is a clone that was properly done.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sweetest Monster
    The best thing about Sweetest Monster is the story it presents. On the other hand, it’s likely the storyline which is sure to turn some readers completely away. If you’re coming to this game from something vapidly sweet like Nekopara then it may totally rock your world in a bad way. Others with a taste for dark, disturbing tales may love it — or find it doesn’t go far enough. With such a wide array of opinions, the only way to know if you’ll enjoy this one or not is to simply play Sweetest Monster yourself.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    DYE
    For a first attempt at the genre, Bat Country Games shows a clear understanding of how to integrate the player’s abilities within the level design, coercing players into switching between them in a rapid-fire fashion. Despite this, Dye still stumbles at the finish line by eliminating any sense of motivation to progress further, as uncontrollable, frequent deaths and infrequent checkpoints raise the challenge beyond what is necessary, or arguably feasible. Dye will still likely find an audience among speedrunners, as well as equally dedicated gamers who can put up with the repetition, but with plenty of challenging platformers already available that offer a more attainable rate of success, it will be hard for Dye to have that same rate of return that these demanding platformers so often rely upon.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    forma.8
    Forma.8 is an interesting (if flawed) take on the concept of lone exploration in its most pure and absolute sense. It’s not pretentious to talk kindly on the use of color and geometric abstraction to give meaning to one’s World, because the way MixedBag manage to conjure intrigue with such basic structures alongside their chosen tones and particularly hollowed-out level design deserves a warm reception. Though skating a little too precariously in its more long-winded moments, Forma.8 ends up being an enjoyable alternative to the Metroidvania thesis.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    D.C. III R: Da Capo III R
    Da Capo 3 R is a massive visual novel that is set to provide hours upon hours of entertainment for the sort of visual novel fan who loves their slice of life tales with a dose of fantasy. Anyone not enthused with generally sappy tales of high schoolers may unfortunately find large parts of the story dull — in which case the huge length is a detriment. At least MangaGamer has provided an option for fans to get an all-ages edition or 18+ release via Da Capo 3 R X~Rated. No matter which you choose, you’ll be in for an enormous visual novel with a likable cast, mysteries to uncover and an anime-styled look at magic.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Stranger of Sword City Revisited
    Stranger of Sword City Revisited is an improvement over the original release, making this the version to play if Stranger of Sword City is a title on your radar that you haven’t gotten to yet. Stranger of Sword City Revisited is an intelligent old school dungeon crawler and is among the better games that have attempted to utilize this style in recent years. For fans of old school dungeon crawlers, this is a must-play title. The tricky part is, is this worthwhile for someone revisit that has completed the original version? The changes are many, and they do improve the overall game quite a bit, but Stranger of Sword City was not a short game, and revisiting it for those who completed the first game would probably be limited to only the most die hard fans. Old school.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Shadows of Pygmalion
    The Shadows of Pygmalion provides a tremendously enjoyable dramatic story which showcases just how strenuous being a “hero” can be — especially when you’re just a normal high schooler. While it sounds initially like yet another one of those stories, you’ll find that The Shadows of Pygmalion takes things in intriguing directions. It also manages to give the yuri community a more action-driven tale than what they might be used to, which is fantastic. The biggest letdown may simply be that there is not room for more gameplay choices. Fortunately, most readers will find themselves swept up in the story so quickly that they won’t even notice a lack of dialogue options on their journey.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    88 Heroes
    88 Heroes is an excellent 2D platformer that makes great use of a unique premise to make it infinitely replayable. Having 88 characters to choose from keeps each play session different while also giving you enough familiarity with the main goal to ensure that you have some idea of what to do for each stage. The controls are sharp and the graphics are gorgeous for what they need to be. The music could use some improvement, but its shortcomings are overcome by strong voice and sound effect work. Anyone craving a new 2D platformer with a unique twist on classic gameplay should check it out.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass
    Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass feels like it shouldn’t have taken as long as it has to release. While it feels good to finally have something new to sink our teeth into in Battlefield 1, They Shall Not Pass feels like content that should have been there at launch or earlier in the lifecycle. Three of the new maps are fantastic and stand strong when compared to the base maps, but there’s a strong sense of déjà vu about them. The final map, while good on paper, is ultimately brought down by poor design decisions, and the new weapons, while fun, are locked beyond arbitrary walls. There’s a decent amount of content here, but it doesn’t justify the asking price, or how long it’s taken to actually get a substantial amount of new content in Battlefield 1.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    PacaPlus
    PacaPlus excels at being a strange visual novel with a girlfriend turned into a fluffy alpaca. It falters when attempting to create a tale which is joyful to read, through. With middling writing, readers will most likely find themselves playing simply because of the silly premise rather than because they care at all about Kazuma or Yukari’s plight. That’s not awful — but it would have been fantastic to see the second English version of this game offer immensely improved translation quality. Instead, we’ve got a bare-bones effort which reduces the Engrish-ness but otherwise leaves the mechanical script alone. In some respects, the game is far funnier in the PacoProject translation and as such may be worth grabbing from DLsite instead of Steam. Still, if all you need is ridiculous sequences with a goofy alpaca, PacaPlus has you covered.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Twisted Arrow
    Twisted Arrow is ugly, simple and fails to break any real ground. What little plot there is during the short campaign shows the same lack of creativity as the graphical design. Yet, through the feel of firing the bow and dealing with the enemies in various ways, it succeeds where it’s the most important: it’s fun. Remarkably fun, at that. It ties the mechanics in so close with the player’s skill, using the motion controls in a way that’s more noticeably tuned than other games that have tried the same thing. This might be enough for quite a few players, this reviewer included. As a package, this is a rough offering, but for the forgiving, Twisted Arrow is worth the time.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Aaero
    While Aaero’s challenge is enticing to tackle, the unfortunate string of performance and gameplay issues add detriment to the overall package. Outside of its confined choice of soundtrack and noticeably similar level design from beginning to end, enjoyable as it may be to rack up as high a score as possible and even push one’s self to higher difficulty modes thereafter, Aaero doesn’t quite demonstrate the same degree of intrigue or immediacy that past and even fellow contemporary efforts within this genre have so clearly shown. A few interesting mechanics here and there, the majority of the game’s run-time is spent retreading the same loop — perhaps worrying more so on when the next game-breaking hiccup will pop up next.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Project Highrise: Las Vegas
    The Las Vegas DLC is absolutely a great addition for Project Highrise. Players have already been doing their best to make hotel-like atmosphere in the game, so this gives them an actual option to do so. SomaSim could have easily stopped there. Instead, they fleshed out these new room types out with additional gameplay in the form of VIP booking and visitors ranking your hotel. If you’ve fallen off the Project Highrise bandwagon over the past few months then this DLC will likely get you right back on. Any newcomers should grab the base game plus DLC as they provide a compelling package when combined.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Falconers: Moonlight
    The Falconers: Moonlight is an awesome debut for developer Bionic Penguin. Sure, it does show its indie status at times with a small intermittent soundtrack and lack of voice acting, but the pitch perfect writing, scenario and visuals pull things together in spite of a few missteps. From start to finish players will find themselves hungry to uncover what’s going on. Cassie and the rest of the crew ensure that there’s never a dull moment in the story. The heavy amount of player choice in such a short game also ensures that even non-visual novel fans can have fun playing. If you have a few hours free and are looking for a good story, check out The Falconers: Moonlight.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Nightshade
    Nightshade has tremendous promise but tends to fall short in the moments that it fails to empower its own protagonist. As this continues to occur from route to route, one can’t help but wonder why she is even portrayed as an equal to the other ninjas if her skills are rarely demonstrated. Those who don’t find issue with it shall experience a tale filled with heroic men doing their darndest to save Enju and Koga’s good name. With excellent artwork and CGs, otome fans get a great share of eye candy. The star-studded Japanese voice acting cast adds to the experience and allows players to immerse themselves. If you’d like to experience a tale where beautiful men save you at every turn then Nightshade is probably for you.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Neko-nin exHeart
    NEKO-NIN exHeart is not a game for every visual novel lover out there. It’s squarely targeted at the audience who knows they like catgirls and seek out stories about them regardless of quality. This isn’t an experience for someone looking for deep storyline, epic romance or even a lot of dialogue choices. The dull writing and technical issues don’t make a great impression either. The best aspects of artwork and voice acting help smooth out the rough edges, but only to a degree. Still, if you’re waiting on more Nekopara goodness to arrive then NEKO-NIN exHeart will probably tide you over for a couple hours.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Mighty Monster Mayhem
    When approaching Mighty Monster Mayhem, it’s fair not to expect top of the line, wiz bang graphics. Rank17 is a low budget indie studio and needs to make some understandable compromises. Instead, it’s reasonable to hope for a title to competently take the narrow focus of emulating a game from the 80’s using simplified graphics, allowing the novelty of the input to carry it the rest of the way and have it come out playable. The developer got some of it right, but the vast majority of this game is riddled with too many cracks in the facade, indicating it was launched way too soon.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Higurashi When They Cry Kai: Chapter 5 - Meakashi
    Higurashi weaves such an intense tale each and every chapter. After being involved for this long, it’s nearly impossible for fans to stop playing now. We’re finally being rewarded with an Answer Arc and getting to learn far more about the events which transpired. As future chapters release, players will finally begin to hone in on the actual truth of the matter. Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Ch.5 Meakashi offers a rather bloodthirsty introduction to Answer Arcs and also a much-needed explanation for earlier events. There are still more chapters to go, but if they’re anything like this one, players are going to be in for an amazing ride.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1
    Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol. 1 is just a small bite of the new world of Phantom Trigger. Clocking in at just a couple hours, some may feel it takes a few missteps at truly utilizing its short gameplay length fully. Still, players should easily find themselves wrapped in a militaristic world that is both intriguing and a bit frightening. The likable, if odd, cast also ensures that most will go on to read Vol. 2 after completing this one. Hopefully that chapter finds it footing as Vol. 1 definitely has promise but doesn’t fully utilize this potential.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Lily of the Valley
    Lily of the Valley is best enjoyed in a single sitting on a quiet day. It doesn’t take long to finish both endings and deserves being completed rather than left hanging with only one ending. Over the brief playtime you’ll get to know a few characters and (hopefully) feel for them by the end. However, even great visuals and a decent soundtrack can’t turn this into a total tear-jerker of a visual novel. But, since that is variable between people, it’s worth checking out if you’re at all interested in short visual novels which have little to do with fanservice or silly hijinks.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    A Butterfly in the District of Dreams
    Some folks are really into slice of life tales, and for others, it makes reading a visual novel a total slog. If you’re interested in a slightly mystical take on the genre then perhaps A Butterfly in the District of Dreams will excite you. For most, however, it’s an average tale which plods along with no real meaning for the majority of it. There’s nothing harmful about this, and there’s far worse you can play on Steam, but your hours of reading time might be better served elsewhere.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Deemo: The Last Recital
    There are pros to picking up Deemo: The Last Recital on Vita. This single purchase opens you up to tons of what the mobile game has to offer without any need of DLC purchases. The width of the Vita itself, however, might inhibit comfortable gameplay for some out there when compared to thinner smartphone screens. No matter which version you play, though, there’s still some gameplay design decisions which don’t make total sense to music game fans. Fortunately, the highly varied soundtrack makes grinding mostly bearable as players pursue growing a magical tree to its fullest. In a rhythm gaming dearth, Deemo: The Last Recital stands as an imperfect, but mostly enjoyable, title to spend time with.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    SmuggleCraft
    Despite all its issues I honestly enjoyed SmuggleCraft. The tracks are a bit lonely, the challenge level is fairly low even when a mission says Death Trap and the menus desperately need another round of polish, but the courses are beautiful and fun to fly through in their detailed, low-poly way. Zipping through a canyon at mid-day looks very different from dawn, and weather effects dress up the scenery as well. Most sections can be done by tearing through at high speed but every once in a while you need to let up on the gas during the thin, guard rail-less sections, and while it’s eventually unlikely you’ll fall off the edge failure is still a possibility. There’s a lot of work left to do to get SmuggleCraft to become the game it should have been on launch, but if it can get there it’s going to be a fantastic chase through gorgeous low-poly worlds.
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