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For 5,859 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 45% higher than the average critic
  • 18% same as the average critic
  • 37% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 8 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 67
Highest review score: 100 Horace
Lowest review score: 10 153 Hand Video Poker
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,261 out of 5859
  2. Mixed: 2,822 out of 5859
  3. Negative: 776 out of 5859
5867 game reviews
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    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Black The Fall
    The inspiration behind Black The Fall should be enough to draw an audience. The problem is, if you were judging the game with no prior knowledge or understanding of communism, you may not enjoy it as much as someone who is informed about the themes dealt with – as obscure as the interpretation may be at times. The visual narrative throughout is all that's offered to help understand the game’s universe; fortunately it does a satisfactory job shaping the world. The puzzle elements are not groundbreaking, but when mixed with the platforming provide a rewarding experience that is similar to the likes of LIMBO. The major blemish is the performance and reduced visuals. The sluggish performance ultimately makes this a far less enjoyable game to play on the Switch, and the below average visuals can make it tricky to distinguish what is going on at times.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Her Majesty's SPIFFING
    Her Majesty's SPIFFING is a lovingly made tribute to the point-and-click adventure genre of the early '90s, with a likably cheeky and surprisingly topical sense of humour. Its traditional underlying mechanics, however, can't quite cash the cheques its script is writing, and it's all over a little too quickly.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Black Hole
    Black Hole’s intense shmup action feels far more suited to Nintendo Switch than its previous platforms, and the gravitational mechanic makes for a cool twist on a well-worn formula. It’s a solid little shooter for one player to blast through with twin-sticks at the ready, it’s just a shame there’s no support for local couchplay to go along with its litany of customisable options.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Yesterday Origins
    Yesterday’s Origins doesn’t attempt to change the formula of the point and click adventure and that’s okay. The story is delightfully bonkers and it looks pretty, but if you dig deep there’s some repetition, some odd stylistic choices and you might not recall it in years to come, but it’s nice to see such a game on Nintendo Switch.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    INK
    Replace the blood and brutality of Super Meat Boy with paint, add invisible levels and marginally tone down the difficulty, and what you have is INK. The practical use of the featured art style is a novel idea, but somehow the title still lacks a distinctive sense of character - even with all the vivid colours on display. What’s left is a streamlined but more basic fast-paced platform game that does a competent job recreating the same types of experiences we’ve seen in the past, requiring twitch-like reflexes and pinpoint accuracy.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mana Spark
    Would it be fair to call this game Titan Souls Lite? How much does the phrase “twin-stick shooter dungeon roguelike” intrigue you? Honestly, the price is probably a fair bet for providing several hours of solid, challenging combat mechanics. Just beware that the drip-feed progression can feel grindy, even for a shorter game – and that choice of camera takes something away from the whole experience, in this reviewer's opinion. Mana Spark is a game that shines brightly in certain areas, enough to perhaps hide the shortcomings it has as well.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
    While it’s not the best the series has been – many could argue Jedi Knight II or Jedi Outcast will perpetually battle for that title – Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is still a fun and lengthy trek across the (non-canon) Star Wars universe. The multiplayer doesn’t live up to its former glories, but the sprawling and semi non-linear campaign certainly makes up for it with its lightning-fast lightsaber combat and that silly quintessentially silly approach to Star Wars that was still rife in the early 2000s. Don’t expect Jedi: Fallen Order, but do expect a time capsule of an action-adventure.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    World of Tanks Blitz
    World of Tanks Blitz takes the core gameplay of its full-fat forebearers and translates it fairly successfully to Nintendo's hybrid platform. This one's not going to win any beauty pageants, it's highly repetitive, there are some balancing issues and a pretty essential comms system is MIA but, overall, there's still a decent game to get to grips with here – especially if you like tanks, which, as we've already established, everybody does. With a huge number of tanks, countless upgrades and none of the absolute essentials hidden behind the game's premium paywall, there's literally hundreds of hours of tank-blasting action to indulge in that's well worth checking out for the princely sum of zero.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Redout: Space Assault
    Redout: Space Assault isn’t a bad game by any means, it just isn’t an exceptional one either. This is a bargain bin game, the kind of thing that’s worth a few hours of your time after you’ve picked it up on a deep sale. Intense shooting action and outstanding visuals languish in the shadow of repetitive design and generally shallow gameplay, making for an experience that’s just pretty good once all is said and done, but hardly something that's going to top genre lists at the close of 2021. If you like Star Fox and are simply desperate for something to fill that void, this may be a good buy right away. Otherwise, wait it out and maybe play this one a while down the road.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon
    Perils on Gorgon is a well-written and highly enjoyable expansion to The Outer Worlds that provides lots of interesting new background info and lore whilst whisking players off on an engaging eight to ten-hour long sci-fi mystery. There's nothing new here in terms of mechanics, no great big surprises or new gameplay additions, but it sure does feel great to get back together with the crew of the Unreliable in a Switch port of Obsidian's sci-fi RPG that's been patched into a much more playable state in the months since it initially released.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Residual
    Residual is a comprehensive survival experience that fans of the genre will absolutely adore. Exploring the procedurally generated planets feels a bit daunting at first, but when the game opens up and starts dishing out essential resources, it becomes a lot more manageable. There are a few teething issues that we hope will be ironed out in time, like the confusing inventory UI, overly frequent need to eat/sleep, and the slightly dodgy navigation controls, but overall Residual is a fun, engaging 2D survival game that can sit proud alongside genre heavies like Minecraft and Don’t Starve.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Gang Beasts
    Gang Beasts' charm has always been its janky, unpredictable, chaotic physics brawling, and you'll either be pleased or disappointed to know that it hasn't changed too much since 2014. On Switch, it runs well in Local and Online mode, although the Switch's voice chat options make the latter a less appealing choice. If you're a fan of portable party games, though, this is a classic not to be missed.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition
    Existing fans will feel so well served by this release that there needn’t be any hesitation in picking it up. Those dipping their toes for the first time should know that it operates in a way that has aged differently to other classic first-person shooters. Whereas Doom's combat and fluidity remain free and immediate, its axis of movement more realistic and its stage layouts more controlled, Rise of the Triad functions around its own, unique design parameters, where violence and abstraction reign supreme. Learn its maps, the versatility of its weaponry, and how to make best use of its playground elements, and there’s a game here with the capacity to enthrall.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    No Sleep for Kaname Date - From AI: The Somnium Files
    No Sleep for Kaname is a good spin-off for existing AI: The Somnium Files fans. While the Somnium segments haven’t evolved much since their introduction in the first game, the new escape puzzle games are a welcome addition to the series. Despite a new writer taking the helm for this entry, the writing is tonally consistent and the characters are as charming as ever.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    System Shock
    System Shock is, on paper, a brilliant remake that thoughtfully updates the 1994 original for modern systems, introducing both gyro aiming and mouse support along with a host of graphical upgrades. Unfortunately, the move over to the Switch 2 has tanked the performance, resulting in a game that never feels satisfying enough to play. Should this get fixed in the future, it may well be worth investigating, but for now, you'll be better off playing it on another platform.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Lydia
    With only 4 short chapters to play through, Lydia will only take you about 1 or 2 hours to complete, so those after more of a meaty experience might want to look elsewhere. We would, however, encourage you to experience it at least once, if only for its eye-opening message. It successfully tells a haunting story about abuse and heartbreak without necessarily shoving it down your throat, and that’s really hard to do. It’s one of the most emotionally impactful games to grace the Switch since its launch nearly three years ago.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Picross e4
    Picross e4 offers very little new from its predecessors.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl Gold
    Snack World serves up a beautifully presented helping of dungeon crawling, garnished with generous amounts of humour and charm. Its character is also its saving grace, because it helps keep your interest when the actual mechanics start to feel repetitive. Or, to milk the food analogy further: its outer shell is so endearing that you’ll still enjoy consuming it even when you can tell it’s starting to get a little stale.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Frenzic
    Frenzic's a decent game, but with many other, better 200 Point alternatives available, it's kind of hard to recommend.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Rising Board 3D
    Make no mistake, Rising Board 3D can be fun, but unfortunately that fun is as randomised as its stages. Runs end far too easily, unavoidable obstacles or hazards clipping you from off-screen, and the lack of even local leaderboards means there's little incentive to better your score. Unlockable boards vary the gameplay a bit, but it's so easy to grind for sun points that earning them doesn't feel like much of an achievement. There are some great visuals and sound here, but Rising Board 3D features tropics best experienced by postcard.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    ClusterPuck 99
    ClusterPuck 99 is certainly worth considering if you plan on hosting an eight-person party any time soon for a night of local multiplayer action. It won't be the star attraction, but it'll entertain friends and family for more brief periods. Where the game falls short is its lack of online multiplayer. Without online, what's left is a game that just isn't anywhere near as entertaining for solo players and is very hard to recommend.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mega Man Battle & Fighters
    Mega Man Battle & Fighters is an excellent Neo Geo Pocket Color package that is fairer and more playable in some ways than the arcade originals on which it's based. For fans of the Mega Man formula, there’s lots here to learn and plenty of rewards to be gained from defeating each story’s boss lineup. Getting to grips with each character’s strengths and weaknesses mixes things up, and it’s great fun to study and overcome the attack patterns of your adversaries. Sadly, it’s hamstrung by a prominent and invasive continue option that many will struggle to ignore, and the localisation is non-existent, making it both cumbersome to get into and limited in terms of how much one can be absorbed by the experience.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Samurai Maiden
    Samurai Maiden is mostly hack, slash, dodge, and hack some more. But, while naturally repetitive, it’s not much different in that respect from many traditional arcade games. What it does well with is in expanding its combat options in enjoyable but never confusing ways; by giving your aides different skill functions in attack and healing, and in navigating stages. It’s a simple but nicely layered adventure that will encourage grinders to unlock its galleries, weaponry and digital trinkets, while appreciating what is an attractive-looking and well-optimised game. Increased challenge is there if you need it, and, discounting the trite elements of its dialogue and story, the character models are exceptionally good, mildly bewitching, and do a great job of selling the product.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
    Unfortunately, while Turnip Boy Robs A Bank is an easy recommendation based on its gameplay and visuals, the Switch version currently struggles significantly under the weight of its fast-paced mechanics and busy encounters. If there are multiple enemies on screen or there happens to be a bunch of trip lasers blocking your path, the frame rate will drop to unacceptable levels for lengthy periods, making large chunks of your heists feel like you’re moving underwater. We were told this would be fixed via a day-one patch, but it's still MIA at launch. If these performance issues were eliminated, we'd have no qualms in telling you to don your best balaclava and get ready to bag some cash.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Nintendo Labo: Toycon 02 Robot Kit
    Labo has been labelled a gimmick by its harshest critics, and while we think that's a tad unfair, the Robot Kit does feel like something from the Wii era in terms of its throwaway appeal.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars
    Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars is a reasonably fun turn-based strategy affair with an excellent setting and some unique ideas of its own. The streamlined nature of its gameplay makes it pleasingly zippy stuff that's well-suited to strategy newcomers but a lack of real depth, a clunky UI and some dodgy enemy AI means the fun here is, unfortunately, pretty short-lived overall for anyone but genre enthusiasts and vampire fans.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Fortune Street
    Offers some tremendous potential for fun. The experience is hampered somewhat by its complexity, but that's nothing that can't be overcome with a little bit of practice.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ
    Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ may be a rather simplistic shooter, but the game offers plenty of depth.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven
    If you're an RPG fan looking for a quietly charming tale to tuck into, you'll have a great time in Maiden Heaven.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Citizens Unite!: Earth x Space
    While it's a compelling package, Citizens Unite!: Earth x Space doesn't excel as an RPG in either of its halves. There's fun to be had, but it's obfuscated to some extent by technical issues and a lack of balance to its gameplay. That said, a lot of love has obviously been poured into this title and if you like your games with a bit of a unique personality, that's very much in evidence here. If you've already played these RPGs before, there's not enough here to draw you back for a repeat play, but new players might find this worthy of their hard-earned cash – if they're willing to put up with some rough edges.
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