Launcher (The Washington Post)'s Scores

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For 110 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 49% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 46% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 3.4 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 78
Highest review score: 100 Demon's Souls
Lowest review score: 45 Hello Neighbor 2
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 110
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 110
  3. Negative: 1 out of 110
115 game reviews
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    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Somerville
    Somerville reminded me of the qualities that I cherish in adventure games, particularly their ability to plunge one into the unexpected. I appreciated how its mechanics sidestep the usual weaponry that goes along with science-fiction games. (A gun-toting, super-soldier shows up at one point, but things don’t end well for them.) “Somerville” effortlessly pulled me in from moment to moment because I was eager to discover the next audiovisual flourish around the corner. There is a sequence toward the end where the man revisits places that is particularly captivating for the way in which it makes the familiar strange. That said, I was a little disappointed with the final scene in the game, which struck me as an overly familiar allusion to the ending of Tarkovsky’s film “Solaris.” But that aside, “Somerville” is the best adventure game I’ve played since “Little Nightmares 2.”
    • 71 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Goat Simulator 3
    There are funnier games out there, from the refined comedic diction of “Untitled Goose Game” to the sardonic humor of “Portal.” But it’s the thrill of discovering ludicrous scenes, and the delight of digging into every crook and cranny in search of more absurd secrets to unearth, that elevates “Goat Simulator 3” above the one-note joke of the original game. Take a long walk along a quiet street, or hitch a ride on a moving van toward the next city. Perhaps you’ll spot the sigil of Baphomet, or meet a clandestine group of occult worshipers, hidden behind the dense foliage of bushes and low-hanging trees. Drag a scarecrow into a satanic circle or two, and see what unfolds; it’s usually an unexpected treat.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Pokemon Violet
    I think this is a really good step forward for the series and I love how much the series has been growing, how they’ve been incorporating more modern features and becoming more accessible for players. I still had a ton of fun playing. Really, the biggest knocks against it would be the repetitiveness of some challenges and the graphical issues.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Medium
    The Medium is uninspired, from puzzles to characters. If you’re looking for an interesting world to explore, it delivers with stunning art direction, but for those looking for a richer experience, The Medium feels skin deep.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Sonic Frontiers
    There’s something dedicated Sonic fans see in “Frontiers” that others simply don’t, and it’s not just nostalgia.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Last Stop (2021)
    Variable State may still not have found the perfect interactive formula for its cinematic talents, but until it does “Last Stop” remains a moderate success.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Maquette
    Maquette is an excellent look at how these two characters grow — I just wish the puzzles could have evolved in the same way.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Boyfriend Dungeon
    Perhaps it’s a good sign that Boyfriend Dungeon leaves players wanting more — it means that it’s compelling, even if only for a short time.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Scorn
    Scorn is an art house experience. I’m sure that other reviewers will plumb “Scorn” for its hidden high-minded commentary on the human condition, but for me, the appeal of the game is how it made me feel rather than think. I felt a constant, humming anxiety for simply existing in its macabre world. I was never particularly scared of anything I encountered; like the playable creature, I just wanted out.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Mario Golf: Super Rush
    Learning to master “Mario Golf” is one of the game’s most compelling challenges.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
    From a narrative standpoint, it’s tough to tie up all of a story’s threads when any one of them can end at any time, and “The Devil in Me” exhibits the usual flaws of that approach. Characters tend to be awkwardly sidelined, and motivations don’t quite coalesce. Even the hulking murderer who can kill every character begins to feel a little inept when we spend so much time dodging his killing blows.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction
    [W]ipe away the goo and there’s an impressive, thoughtful game underneath.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    High on Life
    This uneven mix of humor and design keeps High on Life from ever feeling like a natural combination of video game and traditional comedy, even if there are plenty of moments where glimpses of some better blend of the two elements appears. What’s here is worthwhile for audiences curious about the concept of a comedy shooter, but it’s too uneven and stiflingly desperate to please to recommend beyond that.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Madden NFL 23
    After stuffing new features into Madden over the 34 years since its debut, there’s now a ton of junk crammed in that is nowhere to be found in football and, as such, has no place in a football sim. Once you carve away most of the fat, Madden 23 is a better incarnation of the game than those of the recent past. But what EA — and Madden fans — would truly benefit from is a leaner, cleaner finished product.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    New Tales from the Borderlands
    New Tales from the Borderlands” takes a lot of what made Telltale’s gameplay unique and either keeps it the same or improves on it.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Ascent
    The Ascent reminds me of the good old days of Xbox 360 and its robust indie offerings on the old Xbox Live Arcade service, where games like “Shadow Complex” or “Super Meat Boy” were not afraid of making small twists to classic formulas.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Thymesia
    Despite some repetition, then, the full game doesn’t feel miserly, and can easily last 15-20 hours — comparable at least to other character action games such as “Devil May Cry.” Also, in the wake of the gargantuan “Elden Ring” this year, it’s quite comforting to see this kind of challenge return to more finite space. Ultimately, you may have walked grimy paths like these many times, but if the Soulslike virus remains lodged in your core as it does in Thymesia’s, you should easily become absorbed into its diseased world, never once hoping to be cured.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Callisto Protocol
    Striking Distance’s debut is a swing and a miss, but The Callisto Protocol ends on a cliffhanger. If the studio decides to revisit the series with a sequel, I’m hoping the second outing will be better than the first.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Biomutant
    There are so many borrowed ideas that you’re bound to find something you like about this game.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Twin Mirror
    As the final credits rolled on “Twin Mirror,” I was baffled, having witnessed five hours of an uneven, dull mystery that never finds its footing.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Forspoken
    Forspoken doesn’t do anything new for the open-world genre of games, but it does offer just enough to distinguish itself, mostly thanks to Frey and her magic spells, and a story that’s able to stick the landing. Or to translate this to Whedonspeak, “Yep, she really did just do that!"
    • 63 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Saints Row
    There is no shortage of enjoyable things to do in Saints Row, but doing them means putting up with a severe lack of polish. As it currently stands, Saints Row is barely playable. It’s good, mindless fun, but I cannot recommend it in good faith. I offer a little prayer that a day one patch can address some of these concerns, and that the studio has a long-term plan to salvage this promising title.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Battlefield 2042
    The problem with Battlefield 2042 isn’t a short supply of [Battlefield] moments, it’s the flimsy and frustrating connective tissue between them.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Hello Neighbor 2
    The overarching problem, I think, is that the game rarely sets up its horror. The best horror films and games ramp up the tension — and release it with a scare. But a neighbor coming up to you and catching you while you attempt to solve a puzzle mostly just feels random. There’s no setup — just surprise from something you couldn’t possibly foresee. More often than not, as I hid in closets from my pursuers, I felt frustrated rather than scared. I either wanted to continue what I was doing before, or for the pursuers to find me just to get it over with.
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Valheim
    Valheim is a good, even great, game. But these days, games have to be more than just games. And Valheim is pretty good at that, too. [Early Access Score = 80]
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