Hardcore Gamer's Scores

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For 4,331 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:
  1. Positive: 2,431 out of 4331
  2. Mixed: 1,658 out of 4331
  3. Negative: 242 out of 4331
4334 game reviews
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    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Madden NFL 23
    Madden NFL 23 takes a few good steps forward, but seems to forget other aspects that will hopefully be addressed in the future. FieldSENSE is a good change that goes along with the other recent additions in the series. The Freeform Passing is a huge and fun change and the new hit animation engine is nice, but it can leave the occasional strange animation and outcome. The defensive coverage needs to be addressed as there seems to be glaring issues. The visuals continue to improve to bring a more realistic approach and the change to the presentation is a nice touch. Franchise Mode players should enjoy the changes to scouting and the offseason even though the in-season portion remains largely unchanged. The mode still needs a better attachment to the storyline of the season. While the changes are good, there’s still a good bit left in the dust. Ultimate Team returns with new ways to earn rewards with Field Pass. Couple that with an unchanged Yard, a largely unchanged Face of the Franchise, online play and the Franchise Mode, and there aren’t a lot of options for play here. The changes will appease Madden fans looking for gameplay and Franchise Mode improvements, which is mainly the community that provided the feedback.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R
    Moreover, if you love testing your skills against others online, this game isn’t for you, either. If you like playing fighters by yourself, huddled up in a corner in some depressingly dark room, then sure, Guilty Gear Accent Core Plus R is the thing for you. It’s just a shame that such a terrible, terrible decision can hold back such a wonderful game.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Lichdom: Battlemage
    Lichdom: Battlemage makes being a magic user feel properly badass, and if there’s a little bit of homework involved in creating the spells necessary for badass-dom? That’s just the price of being a mage.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series
    Even if you’re a fan of the books or HBO show, there’s not much incentive to play Telltale’s Game of Thrones.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Remastered
    Croc Legend of the Gobbos is a fun little platformer that was great during the PS1 era, but doesn't hold up to platformers to this day like Astro Bot. The levels vary and keep surprising you with their mechanics, but the environments themselves are basic and feel repetitive. There's also a steep difficulty curve in the middle of the game that hits you like a freight train and causes you to retry the levels over and over again. The lack of save states and a rewind feature would have resolved some of the quirks. Argonaut Games has done an admirable job of updating the graphics with remastered models and improved textures (for the most part), and it's a great to have the option to switch to the retro look if so desired. Despite annoying levels here and there, Croc Legend of the Gobbos is a 3D platformer worth revisiting.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - The Final Season Episode 2: Suffer the Children
    Suffer the Children is an unsatisfying conclusion to Clementine’s journey, temporary or otherwise, as both she and Telltale Games have seen much higher highs over the years. The evolution of the core combat makes up for the lack thereof in the season’s plot, which feels unnecessarily hurried even during the slower moments of the episode. After playing this second episode, it’s hard not to be left wanting more, as Clementine deserves a better resolution to her multi-season adventure, even if it ends up being as depressing as the fate of the developer that created her.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers
    Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers is easily the finest the series has yet to offer players. It does away with the clumsy touch controls while offering more variety in gameplay and streamlined battles that perfectly fits the new approach.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    GRIP: Combat Racing
    GRIP: Combat Racing is a must-buy for anyone craving non-stop racing action, going far beyond just being a modern-day version of Rollcage while offering a wide variety of gameplay options.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Pier Solar and the Great Architects
    It may have taken WaterMelon a while to finally give us this gem, but it was worth the wait. If you’re looking for a memorable, old-school RPG, buy Pier Solar HD.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Pokemon GO
    It’s exciting to think of what Pokémon GO could become and if you haven’t downloaded it already, do it. It’s free, there are no ads and even people who don’t know what Pokémon are have been having a good time with it.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Dragon Ball: Xenoverse
    It won’t set the world on fire, but Dragon Ball Xenoverse is one of the best DBZ games in a long time.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Dead or Alive 5 Last Round
    It might have benefited Dead or Alive 5 Last Round to be issued into Steam’s Early Access program as, in its current state, is a lacking experience that’s below its console counterparts.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Fairy Tail
    It’s apparent that a lot of work went into Fairy Tail to ensure that it’s something fans would embrace. While its target audience is obviously fans of Fairy Tail its pacing and mechanics provide an engaging enough experience where those unfamiliar with the franchise would still find it a worthwhile experience. Taken strictly on the merits of gameplay without taking the license into consideration, it’s a good though unremarkable JRPG. Side quests were abandoned a few chapters in due to their repetitive nature, but the main story and character side stories are interesting enough to keep the player engaged to completion.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
    Whether playing for the first time or revisiting once again, Rescue Team DX delivers an amazing adventure that doesn’t end after the story has been beaten. The difficulty is right in the perfect spot that’s satisfying to overcome challenges, while being random and wild enough at times that some help might be needed. The art style and music making it worth hunkering down in one area to admire the surroundings, while each new area offers brand new surroundings to never get bored of. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is on par with if not superior to the original in many ways, and offers the perfect kind of journey for players looking for the latest adventure in the world of Pokémon.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Eiyuu Senki: The World Conquest
    It won’t make believers out of anyone not into the genre or art direction, but for those looking to pump just a little bit more out of their PS3 should at least consider picking it up.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    XDefiant
    Ubisoft’s attempt to blend two disparate genres together backfires, creating massive balancing issues and diluting both experiences. Its lack of polish on the server side leads to outright aggravating and uneven experiences. Finally, while XDefiant is free-to-play, the fact that there’s little earn and outright unlock leaves little incentive to stick with the game beyond a couple of matches occasionally. XDefiant provides that solid, fun FPS action in small doses, but is sorely held back by a lack of focus, polish and earnable content.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Keylocker | Turn Based Cyberpunk Action
    Keylocker proves to be a great entry to the JRPG genre and it has all the milestones that many games of the genre have. There are likable characters, minigames, amazing music and a compelling story to bring it all together.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
    At $15, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is well worth its cost to platforming fans.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Amazing Spider-Man
    The web swinging is better, and the combat system is much more effective (not to mention some awesome Signature Moves).
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Big Bang Pro Wrestling
    Big Bang Pro Wrestling offers a fantastic portable wrestling game experience that feels right at home on the Switch. There aren’t many 8-bit-style wrestling games on the platform, with only Pro Wrestling available via the Switch Online service and no Tecmo World Wrestling as of this writing. The gameplay feel is like those two games, but with more depth and personality. Quality-wise, I’d put this above Pro Wrestling, but a notch below Tecmo World Wrestling as far as being an 8-bit-style wrestling game. If you have the other NGPC Selection games and want a pro wrestling game on the go with an SNK feel, this is a great one and works as a nice compliment to the Arcade Archives 3 Count Bout.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2
    Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a narrative adventure that won't be forgotten for a long time. The relationships that all four of these characters form have you invested in the story, while the performances by the actors are top-notch. While there are graphical issues and plot holes that haven't been filled, this game needs to be experienced, especially if you're a Life is Strange fan who feels disappointed by Square Enix's latest entry. It's a shame the gameplay isn't as interesting as the first tape, as you find the majority of the collectibles in the first half, but the story will keep you invested with engaging dialogue options, ending with plenty of replayability.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Sonic & Knuckles
    Difficulties aside, it’s a simple and fun game that translates well to the 360’s controls.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Liberation Maiden
    Liberation Maiden is an outstanding on-rails shooter worth its $8 price tag.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Shelter
    While the game is somewhat pricey considering its runtime lands just slightly over two hours, it’s marvelously unique. If you’re even slightly interested in what living the life of a badger is like, give it a shot. Its mechanics do grow tired towards the end, but the overall experience is so fascinating I can’t help but recommend it.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Boom Boom Rocket
    The music isn't bad and the gameplay is fun enough, but the track list is fairly short with only ten pieces. [June 2007, p.69]
    • Hardcore Gamer
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Erica
    ERICA stands as an intriguing example of connecting players with a game through touch controls. It succeeds primarily as a technical feat and less so as a deeply-engrossing video game. If the storyline were given more time to grow then maybe it would have blossomed into something special. As is, it’s akin to a murder mystery popcorn flick. There’s fun to be had solving the mystery, but not quite enough to create a memorable experience.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Daemon X Machina
    A modern mech title that can easily be a gateway drug to hours of fast-paced action, there’s nothing else quite like Daemon X Machina on Switch. While its story falls a bit short, it’s still enjoyable and intriguing enough of a ride to keep up with even when confusing. It shines strongest in its amount of replayability and sheer mountain of additional content that can be unlocked. Daemon X Machina is a title that’s hard to put down and is easy to get sucked in and just want to keep going further and see what other crazy things it has waiting around the corner. It’s obvious that a ton of time and dedication was put into Daemon X Machina, and it’s one that fans of the genre or those with the tiniest bit of interest should check out.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    WWE 2K17
    Fans looking for authentic and customizable WWE action at the expense of up-to-date graphics will surely get a kick out of the impressive amount of options and realistic animations available, which may be enough look past some of the game’s other issues. But for everyone else, it’s getting increasingly difficult to rely on 2K to provide a quality modern wrestling game that the medium and its ever-expanding base of devotees deserve.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    New Tales from the Borderlands
    New Tales from the Borderlands doesn’t top the amazement of the original game. That still doesn’t stop it from delivering an impressive adventure game in its own right, however, filled with an enjoyable story about family, a lot of great bits of comedy, a deeper look into different parts of the Borderlands universe, and of course, the sheer joy that is L0U13.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI
    XI is fantastic when playing against another player rather than the CPU, which is unfortunate because there's no online play. Ultimately, RTK XI is a game you should rent before you buy it. [Mar 2007, p.62]
    • Hardcore Gamer
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