Hardcore Gamer's Scores

  • Games
For 4,330 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 Assassin's Creed III
Lowest review score: 20 The Quiet Man
Score distribution:
4333 game reviews
    • 90 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Aspiration is a good thing and The Room franchise has grown into an hours-long, Myst-like game with many puzzles and a fully-formed story to drive it along.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Outriders is an exciting evolution of the third-person shooter genre, with thrilling sci-fi powers and satisfying gunplay that makes nearly every battle feel fast-paced and gripping until the last enemy drops. The memorable planet of Enoch alongside a steady flow of loot with plenty of promising ways to mod and enhance your weapons and armor are both strong motivators to see the game to its conclusion and beyond, even when the story does little to intrigue and the server issues plague both the solo and co-op experiences. Additional mission variety could have helped keep the game feel fresh for a little while longer, but with such deep and engaging combat that evolves alongside the player thanks to the innovative world tier system, Outriders is sure to please players looking for the next great looter shooter.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Suffice it to say, Stranger of Sword City is a must-play for JRPG fans who own an Xbox One.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Command & Conquer comes back after decades with something for everyone. With two important RTS games in one bundle, this is a serious collection for anyone wanting to get into the series and those of us wishing to return.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Titanfall has some noteworthy shortcomings, and yet the accessible gameplay makes it an easy recommendation not only for FPS veterans, but those who normally avoid the genre as well. As a result, Titanfall is the best gateway FPS ever created and is a must-buy for anybody with an Xbox One.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Even if the gameplay of Super Robot Wars Y merely follows in the footsteps of the franchise's past successes, it still provides a fantastic SRPG experience that any fan of mecha, whether they be hardcore or casual, can find enjoyment in. It's always great to see that the franchise is continuing to experiment with its visuals, roster and how the story is told. One can only hope that the future of the franchise continues down this path.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It’s a great game that holds up after six years, but it’s about time that The Elder Scrolls VI is announced instead of yet another release of Skyrim.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    With an original story, sprawling environments, excellent use of the Vita's touch capabilities and tons of bonuses to find, it's sure to be a premiere game of the console for long to come. If the graphics were more refined and the story less disjointed, it would certainly rival the best the series has to offer.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Night School Studio’s debut release is spooky, touching, and beautiful, and an adventure absolutely worth experiencing.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is the best-playing entry in the long-running series. If you’ve ever enjoyed a Bubble Bobble game, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. The gameplay is faster-paced and tighter than ever before and it looks fantastic in either handheld mode or on TV. The core formula has been tweaked to include more puzzles and boss battles, but the root of the game remains intact. The end result is a classic-feeling, user-friendly game that isn’t bogged down by a lot of the clunkiness of games of the original’s era.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dungelot is an enjoyable roguelike that can provide a challenge to players of almost any skill level without becoming frustrating.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Legend of Mana was already a fantastic experience when it first released, and this brand new HD release has helped make it all the more endearing. While the unique story structure can make it confusing to approach at first, the brilliant, funny and charming writing cannot be denied.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    That Trigger Witch does nothing new is something that cannot be hidden. It’s a well worn genre piece mixing in elements that have been used over and over for generations, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun, which is where Rainbite pulls the rabbit from the hat. Exploring the world is fun, gunning down the enemies is fun, and finding and using new and varied weapons is, well, fun. At a bargain price and clocking in at around eight or so hours, there isn’t much reason to leave Trigger Witch in the holster. It’s not the best game ever, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do. That’s reason enough to turn on a personal playlist and get trigger happy.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Despite its low price tag, the vague roadmap and bare bones nature of Fall Guys is hard to ignore, raising some sustainability questions as the game aims to remain relevant in a crowded market in the weeks and months to come. But for now, Fall Guys is easily one of the most widely accessible and consistently amusing massive multiplayer games of this year, as the race for the next crown continues to remain just as thrilling after hours of matches.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Thankfully, Battlefield 6 is exactly what the Battlefield franchise needed. Setting aside the terrible campaign, which fails to tell anything resembling an actual story, Battlefield 6 is a return to form for Battlefield.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Halo Wars will feel like a game of ’My First RTS’ for all the well seasoned veterans of the genre, but a good solid starting point for those that have never played a strategy game.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The NBA 2K series continues to deliver the best professional basketball experience available on consoles and PCs. Though some strange visual bugs might rub a bit of shine off of an otherwise excellent package, there’s no denying how well NBA 2K15 plays.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It may be a departure from previous titles, but Sonic Lost World is an enjoyable new take on the Speedster.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    With over eighty hours of content, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix is the ultimate way to experience the franchise and the perfect time sink as we wait for Kingdom Hearts III.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Miitopia on Switch is a fantastic conversion from the 3DS and does an admirable job at enhancing the experience. The jump up in graphics is welcome, but the biggest improvement to the experience as a whole lies in its Mii integration. Having so much customization for the cast thanks to a robust online selection of fan creations allows the story to be goofier and funnier than it could be on its own, and the various absurd situations the cast is placed in help provide a lot of comedy. It’s basic as an RPG, but the execution of the basic combat system is good and it features modern quality-of-life improvements like auto-battle and fast-forward to keep the pacing high. If you’ve been craving a silly, fun RPG that isn’t too difficult and offers a lot of variety, Miitopia is a must-buy.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines is a strange, captivating experience unlike any other RPG. Its plot is bizarre and tinged with dark humor, delving deeper into Japanese mythology than just about any game on the market.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The final product is greater than the sum of its parts, though, and anyone seeking a fast-paced 3D action-platformer will be thrilled with Super Cloudbuilt.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Orgarhythm surprised me in a lot of great ways. I expected to be terrified of an RTS/rhythm hybrid going in, but its user-friendly nature made it easy to learn. The fast pace is great for people who have avoided RTSes due to slow pacing, and it winds up creating a fantastic gateway game for newcomers. It may be rough around the edges visually, but the outstanding soundtrack and incredible controls (for something that is largely touch-based) make it a must-buy for anyone remotely interested in the genre.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    With a ten to fifteen-hour playtime, hidden unlockables to look for in every level, and fleshed-out online mode, Logan's Shadow is one of the PSP's best games to date. [Nov 2007, p.57]
    • Hardcore Gamer
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Birthdays: The Beginning is a cute and clever world-builder where simple actions can have deep, complicated results. While it was never apparent that life evolved by the guiding hand of a super-sentai hero, Birthdays shows how much all of Earth owes to their climate-controlling wisdom. Flying around the planet raising and lowering the land has far more complex results than would be expected thanks to the interlocking systems, and it’s always a treat to see what new life pops up as the result of the latest round of tweaking. The main story is plenty big enough but is also joined by a sandbox and goal-based modes, providing plenty of world-building fun. As cute as it is deep, Birthdays is a purely charming life-sim.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The time and effort for MotoGP 19 prove that this is Milestone’s best game to date. It’s actually only $50 and has more going for it than some of its competition. The racing is enjoyable and has the ability to be mastered while the A.N.N.A. AI has some flashes but some other aspects need to be touched up. The plethora of bike classes are welcoming and the Historical Challenges will have players hooked. While the visuals take a bump, fans of the series will no doubt enjoy the updates to the game.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    MLB The Show 22 continues the tradition of being an excellent emulation of the sport of baseball, but this is another year without major changes. The team seems to be playing it safe and while there will be new players that are blown away, PlayStation players continue to clamor for something refreshing. The cooperative play is fun and it works well, but a portion of this requires going down the rabbit hole that is Diamond Dynasty. It’s the look and the feel of what’s on the field with the updated presentation and the new announcing team that helps to bring some light to the series. Regardless, there’s nothing like the experience of playing MLB The Show 22 alongside opening day.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Gyruss never managed to attain the popularity of other shooters of the time such as "Galaga", but it deserved better. [July 2007, p.69]
    • Hardcore Gamer
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st] brings new additions to the table, but doesn’t offer massive improvements over the games that came before it. It’s very much a reminder of a bygone era where an incremental upgrade led to a “new” entry in a series, but this does at least include quality of life improvements thanks to the overhauled storyline presentation. Anyone who has a prior version of the game will know what they’re getting into here, while newcomers should have a blast if they enjoy a faster-paced Guilty Gear-style affair.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    At the end of the day, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 feels less like a true game of the series and more of the spin-off that it is, trading the methodical and tactical pacing of the franchise mainstays for a more fast-paced and action oriented shooter.

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