Joystiq's Scores

  • Games
Select another publication »
For 768 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 46% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 51% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.8 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 73
Highest review score: 100 The Wolf Among Us: Episode 4 - In Sheep's Clothing
Lowest review score: 20 Conduit 2
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 421 out of 768
  2. Mixed: 279 out of 768
  3. Negative: 68 out of 768
768 game reviews
view
per page
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Hector: Badge of Carnage - Episode 1: We Negotiate With Terrorists
    The first episode is an unbalanced one, but it manages to pull itself together for a satisfying conclusion. Its compelling, cliffhanging afterword ensures that I'll be giving the second chapter a shot, as well -- I only hope that it spends more time being irreverently funny, rather than spending a third of its run-time desperately attempting to convince the player of its irreverence.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Green Day: Rock Band
    If you think about it, you probably like more of their songs than you know. "Basket Case," "Longview," "When I Come Around".
    • 75 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Road Not Taken
    The cutest catalyst for an existential crisis I've ever encountered. Its puzzles are complex and brutal, at times unforgiving and in other ways surprisingly merciful. The townspeople are lovable and unique, even in their bite-sized interactions. The game is packed with surprises – it's deep in narrative, world and interaction. Overall, though, it's a roguelike...Kind of.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians
    Beatbuddy's incorporation of music into its gameplay is truly wonderful, but the repetition of its challenges holds the experience back.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Bit.Trip Fate
    The music in Fate is dark, ominous, and really cool.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Hydro Thunder Hurricane
    This is a great, content-rich title that truly puts the "arcade" in Xbox Live Arcade -- there are better retail racers, but Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a dynamite download.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ivy the Kiwi?
    There's a kind of elegance to this game that you don't really see anymore.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Batman: Arkham Origins
    The critical path through Gotham City is feeling worn, even if tread by different, younger actors.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Back to the Future: The Game - Episode I: It's About Time
    For a few hours peering into my laptop screen, Telltale managed to make me feel eight years old again. It may not be time travel, but it could be the closest you can get without a flux capacitor.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Wolf Among Us: Episode 4 - In Sheep's Clothing
    What Sheep does so elegantly is remind us that life is rarely as tidy as Snow's rules would allow, and that "right" is an ever-shifting concept. It gives us absurd characters like talking pigs and childhood boogeymen and makes them as real as we are, so that we ourselves feel like citizens of Fabletown, scraping to get by.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Costume Quest
    Sure, it may drag on at times, especially for those accustomed to more cerebral RPG fare, but it's also kind of magical, and I'm not convinced you're ever old enough to pass that up.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Prototype 2
    How much you get out of Prototype 2 depends on how much you enjoy its wonderful mobility and its particular brand of mass destruction, and how much you're willing to forgive its more brain-dead moments – both in terms of repetition and witless dialogue.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Medal of Honor
    Medal of Honor's campaign is an exceptional experience, but the total package simply doesn't beat Call of Duty...But at least EA's getting closer.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Patapon 3
    Ultimately, Patapon 3 is the product of big dreams half-achieved. Around every corner, it buckles beneath the weight of its own ambition, hoping that its catchy, four-measure jingles and visual charm can redeem its rage-inducing missteps.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief
    Has everything you want from this kind of cozy mystery: a high-stakes crime, over-the-top suspects and a plucky everyman sleuth. The story and acting are pitch-perfect and will engage even the fussiest armchair detectives, so long as they can put up with the game's mechanical shortcomings.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Galaga Legions DX
    These superb touches only serve as a reminder of how good the game could have been, and how thoroughly its been spoiled by its one defining flaw: It tries to find a happy medium between two genres, but sadly fails to capture the essence of either.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Disney Infinity
    Adults who have a fondness for Disney will get the most out of Disney Infinity, thanks to its expansive Toy Box mode, and the Play Sets will provide hours of entertainment for kids who have prior experience with platformers.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Kinectimals
    You can judge Kinectimals all you want, but are you going to be the one who tells the little girl she can't have her own imaginary tiger? Thought not.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Dive: The Medes Islands Secret
    Dive's problems seem more glaring because I liked it so much initially.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
    The game is at its best with a friend, perhaps someone turned off by the long-term learning required by more complex fighting games.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley
    Although Comic Jumper is Twisted Pixel's biggest and arguably most traditional title yet, it loses none of the studio's in-your-face personality and infectious irreverence. When developers tell me they had as much fun making a game as I had playing it, it's not often that I believe them.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mafia II
    Mafia 2 is, to put it mildly, a tightly controlled experience, to an extent that may be a little shocking to those of us who've become acclimated to the freedom of most open world games.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Syndicate
    Syndicate manages to mesh the spirit of the old with the style of the new. It's not the return some fans would have hoped for, but it expands the franchise into new territory where business is booming.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
    The rock-solid fighting mechanics alone make it worth a look, but even non-fight fans can enjoy the frenzied fun of video game icons beating each other mercilessly. Where else can you see the brutally violent god of war bested by an anthropomorphic raccoon or a rapping puppy? Nintendo should be paying attention; it's not a genre of one anymore.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Puzzle Quest 2
    Ultimately, Puzzle Quest 2 manages to add some new strengths while still clinging onto some old weaknesses, resulting in a game that's addictive and engaging in short bursts, but slightly repetitive in extended sessions.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Tumble
    The pacing of Tumble is intentionally slow -- I had many moments, on the edge of my seat, trying to slide a block into place with the slightest movements so as not to topple the rest of the structure -- but if you've got the patience, you'll be rewarded time and time again.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
    It's an echo of the past, a reminder of the good and the bad. If you have fond memories of The Sands of Time or The Two Thrones, hold onto them. Go back and play those games. Relish the original's elegance and the third game's improved pacing and combat -- The Forgotten Sands will only remind you that they are better games.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
    I find myself wishing that The Testament of Sherlock Holmes were more like a Professor Layton game than a free-roaming adventure, since the puzzles are where the game truly succeeds.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
    Your Shape Fitness Evolved won't replace your gym membership or motivate those who aren't already fitness-inclined, but for those looking to mix up their current routine or supplement their workout regimen, it may do the trick.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Killzone: Shadow Fall
    Killzone: Shadow Fall loses its sheen at times, usually when pursuing moments that are cinematic but not sensible. As a shooter, it's better at thriving on eye-catching environments and supportive combat abilities that don't just come for free.
Page:

Top Trailers

See all »
See all trailers »