Official Xbox Magazine UK's Scores

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For 2,214 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 40% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 54% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 7.5 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 67
Highest review score: 100 Red Dead Redemption 2
Lowest review score: 10 Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 863 out of 2214
  2. Mixed: 1,077 out of 2214
  3. Negative: 274 out of 2214
2214 game reviews
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per page
    • 63 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
    A lovingly crafted, full-bodied shooter. [Sept 2010]
    • 79 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Monday Night Combat
    Burns bright, but won't last long. [Oct 2010, p.110]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
    Once you've clocked enough playthroughs to upgrade your character's stats and worked out each enemy's attack patterns, the game starts to open up and you'll find yourself enjoying the run-throughs.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Hydro Thunder Hurricane
    Hydro Thunder Hurricane is absolutely what we hoped it would be - a colourful, anarchic arcade racer. Your mileage will vary depending on how gripped you are by score chasing, but the multiplayer should keep you busy - not least because you can bring three split-screen friends online with you. For a measly tenner, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a steal.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Clash of the Titans: The Videogame
    It's impossible to overcome the tedium after the first few hours. [July 2010, p.103]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 90 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    LIMBO
    A beautiful game, if just a bit too simple. [Sept 2010, p.92]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    DeathSpank
    Smart, thoroughly fun and just a little ugly. [Sept 2010, p.100]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 56 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Deadliest Warrior: The Game
    Guilty pleasure - with emphasis on guilty. [Oct 2010, p.111]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 63 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    DarkStar One: Broken Alliance
    Can't compete with "Elite" or "Colony Wars." [July 2010, p.103]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Blacklight: Tango Down
    Functional but flawed multiplayer shooting. [Sept 2010, p.91]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge
    Simply a must-have puzzle game. [Sept 2010, p.101]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Crackdown 2
    Crackdown 2 looks sharper, the action is fiercer and the increased number of players pays dividends. Despite all this, we can't shake the feeling that it isn't the monumental sequel that the series deserved. The over-familiarity of Pacific City and the cropping of key features like the gangs and transforming vehicles will leave some Agency veterans feeling a little bit disappointed.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Ancients of Ooga
    Okay for kids, but they could do much better. [Sept 2010, p.101]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
    Because it's so similar to the previous games, we can't recommend this as a Must Buy to all - despite all of its cracking quirks it is just that bit too familiar. But if you're a Potter fan and/or looking for a game that both you and your kids can enjoy together, look no further.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Singularity
    Dumb, derivative and gleefully enjoyable. [Sept 2010, p.87]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 45 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Sniper: Ghost Warrior
    Much scope for improvement. [Sept 2010, p.89]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 43 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Naughty Bear
    Naughty bore more like. Yeah. [Sept 2010, p.88]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 41 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
    A sub-par game that hasn't aged well. [Sept 2010, p.103]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    RISK: Factions
    Quality strategy game that's not for everyone. [Sept 2010, p.103]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Transformers: War for Cybertron
    As it stands, it's a polished outing for a much-loved pile of robots, and though it costs twice as much as the second film on Blu-Ray, it's about seven times as enjoyable. The maths speaks for itself.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Disney/Pixar Toy Story 3
    A surprisingly fun tie-in that'll keep kids busy.
    • 40 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Naval Assault: The Killing Tide
    Truly "sub"-standard. [Aug 2010, p.105]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Earthworm Jim HD
    Earthworm Jim HD is a brilliant example of how games should be remade and remixed on XBLA.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
    Tiger's looking a bit tired. [Aug 2010, p.107]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Snoopy Flying Ace
    Simple but highly effective.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Backbreaker
    More failed conversion than touchdown. [July 2010, p.102]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Alpha Protocol
    Each of the three play styles - stealth, gadgets and guns - become tedious if you doggedly stick with where your skill points have been spent. But if you're able to keep changing your style, and can forgive the attention-breaking idiocy of the enemies, you'll see there's potential here for a great sequel and series.
    • 38 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Pure Futbol
    Strips football down and takes its soul.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    DOOM II
    Still quality, but overpriced. [Aug 2010, p.111]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Blur
    The game's brilliance is distilled in those heroic moments where you shunt the person in first, whip past and then execute a perfect drift between two mines on the final corner of the final lap. This is the Xbox 360's slick, stylish answer to Mario Kart and we absolutely love it.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    UFC Undisputed 2010
    Improves on the original in almost every way. [July 2010, p.90]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Metal Slug XX
    Old-school fare, old-school swear. [Aug 2010, p.110]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Alan Wake
    Alan Wake is a strange beast - a great story, told clumsily and strewn with odd characters saying vaguely unbelievable things in an earnest way that might or might not be a joke. However, as baffling as it can be, it really does hold its own, keeping you nervous, excited and rolling your eyes indulgently so regularly that it simply won't occur to you to stop playing.
    • 95 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Red Dead Redemption
    Red Dead Redemption is a truly epic resuscitation of the Western theme in games. It's also easily the best gunslinging game we've ever played.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Split/Second
    The moment-to-moment action of narrowly avoiding explosions and falling buildings produces hundreds of those heart-in-mouth moments that Burnout is so famous for. While comparisons to Critereon's superlative series are inevitable, Black Rock's effort is, if anything, even more spectacular.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
    True to its heritage, the combat is the weak point. Upping the enemy numbers to double figures for most battles looks impressive, but the fighting system is still surprisingly ungainly for such an acrobatic warrior.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Things on Wheels
    Nowhere near clever enough to bother with. [Dec 2008, p.100]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Rocket Knight
    Control is tight and the levels are enjoyable, but even with leaderboards it doesn't draw you for multiple playthroughs. [July 2010, p.105]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Lost Planet 2
    Everything's improved except the controls. [May 2010, p.87]
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Skate 3
    Ultimately, it's all about the online: if you have an active social life on Xbox Live then Skate 3 is near-essential, but otherwise you might as well stick to last year's version.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition
    Neat ideas, but lacking longevity. [July 2010, p.104]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 41 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    Iron Man 2
    Nothing but a cynical movie cash-grab. [July 2010, p.99]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 61 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Dead to Rights: Retribution
    The few saving graces offered by the inclusion of a scrotum-seeking pooch do little to alleviate the more fundamental problems the game faces as a third person shooter. Dead to Rights: Retribution is a load of balls in exactly the way Volatile Games didn't intend.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    NIER
    Not Nierly as much fun as we'd hoped. [July 2010, p.96]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 91 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Super Street Fighter IV
    More of the same, which is fine for now. [May 2010, p.96]
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
    A must buy then, but only if the price is right.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper
    This one's probably best left undetected. [Feb 2010, p.108]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    After Burner Climax
    Truly climactic entertainment.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Final Fight: Double Impact
    Magic Sword is merely a peculiar bonus: another side-scroller from 1990 that takes a swing at the fantasy genre. Its button-bashing core contains a few RPG fragments, as you can collect protective shields and rescue imprisoned allies who then serve as a support character, and it's a decent, if limited affair.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
    Splinter Cell Conviction might not have the longest or greatest single-player campaign, but it makes up for this with a substantial selection of alternative modes.
    • 40 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Prison Break: The Conspiracy
    If you're a fan of Prison Break, why not consider assaulting some strangers and being sent to a real prison? You'll end up feeling marginally less violated than if you played this dog turd tie-in.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mega Man 10
    Mega tough, mega mean, mega good. [May 2010, p.103]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 46 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Samurai Shodown Sen
    Fun in really, really short bursts. [June 2010, p.103]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Just Cause 2
    Just Cause 2 is undoubtedly an improvement on the first game. The grappling hook is still enormous fun - even more so this time around - and there's generally more variety in the missions. Sadly, it still follows its predecessor in regularly reaching points where none of the challenges on offer seem even remotely interesting.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    MotoGP 09/10
    Looks and feels awfully tired. [Apr 2010, p.103]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Supreme Commander 2
    Supreme Commander 2 circumvents most limitations of a console RTS and focuses more on strategy than how fast you can click. If you want a truly cerebral experience, accompanied by jaw-dropping mega units, it's the one to have.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Perfect Dark
    The wrinkles are almost entirely showing on the single-player side, with clunky animation and AI being the worst offenders. But for fans of the original the chance to revisit a favourite in new HD clothing - and take it online - is no-doubt one that should be jumped at, and newcomers will also likely discover a surprisingly deep deathmatch game that's still relevant in 2010.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Metro 2033
    Totally gripping from start to finish.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
    Truncated but still truly impressive. [May 2010, p.95]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Resonance of Fate
    All that mandatory repetition roots Resonance of Fate deep in a particularly hardcore niche. But there undoubtedly will be those who are drawn by its peculiar design, and they will eventually grow to love it - despite its obvious cruelty.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Scrap Metal
    3D aside, this is uninspiring stuff. [June 2010, p.105]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Toy Soldiers
    But casual strategy fans will enjoy dispatching waves of cavalry, artillery, and airplanes in head-to-head online multiplayer matches. Just be prepared to take a few beatings while you find your footing.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Battlefield: Bad Company 2
    So while Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has improved in single-player, it's the leap in multiplayer that makes it worth the reinvestment.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Lips: Party Classics
    Excellent song selection that's great party fodder. [June 2010, p.103]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Greed Corp
    User-unfriendly but eventually compelling. [June 2010, p.105]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with Banjo-Kazooie
    A fun but deeply familiar karter.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Risen
    Feels unfinished. [Dec 2009, p.94]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
    A tasty slice of puzzling action
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares
    All in all, a decent package for Resident Evil 5 fans, especially those who have a partner to tackle Lost In Nightmares with.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Deadly Premonition
    If you demand polish, this-gen graphics, and spoonfed plots - well, maybe you need to move briskly along. [Issue#65, p.90]
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Aliens vs. Predator
    AvP is well worth your time and, with the unique online offering as well, there's plenty to get your teeth, claws and wristblades into. [Mar 2010]
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Tropico 3
    So addictive you'll be playing for weeks. [Jan 2010, p.108]
    • 59 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
    The worst DW game of this generation. [Mar 2010, p.109]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Darwinia+
    Electronica genocide is RTS addiction.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    BioShock 2
    It's indisputably an excellent shooter: intelligent, satisfying, and a tiny bit thought-provoking, with big ideas and big fights that are never as clunky, irritating or unfair as BioShock. You should play it. But you should also know that - and here we'll borrow the game's own central theme of parenthood - it's a prodigy that never quite leaves the shadow of its father.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dante's Inferno
    Dante's Inferno has a unique style, is a cracking journey and you're likely to feel slightly rocked by the end. It's not quite divine, but it's an experience you're sure to enjoy.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Chime
    It's addictive and for charity. Nice one. [Apr 2010, p.111]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 59 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    KrissX
    Here's a puzzle: tshi egma si orbnig. [Apr 2010, p.111]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 61 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Blood Bowl
    One for board game veterans only. [Feb 2010, p.109]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 96 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Mass Effect 2
    It's mature: not because of profanity or nudey bits, but because it tackles complicated themes without telling you what to think. Having already sunk a distressing number of hours into ME2, the second this sentence is finished we're firing it up and exploring the rest of the universe.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Dark Void
    It's hard not to feel sorry for Dark Void. It feels like all it ever wanted to be was a popcorn B-movie blockbuster, and there are plenty of moments where you can see how it might have managed it. But they're all so disparate, so badly arranged, that its latent charm is completely lost.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
    Serious Sam HD has just one, explosive, bloody, wildly spinning gear - one unlikely to arrest your interests for long.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Army of Two: The 40th Day
    The interaction between the two main characters extends beyond the trivial buddy moves from the first game and becomes an integral part of the journey. Marry that to some satisfyingly chunky gunplay and the odd spectacular, building-levelling explosion and you have an action game that is far more fun than it has any right to be.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Vancouver 2010 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games
    Makes us feel deathly cold inside. [Apr 2010, p.109]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 62 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Divinity II: Ego Draconis
    Creative, but a long way from divine. [Feb 2010, p.102]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 63 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond
    Definitely hazardous, but not funny or fun. [Mar 2010, p.114]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 83 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Darksiders
    Ultimately, how much enjoyment you take will depend on whether you fall in love with the cartoonish characters and if you're willing to accept the ridiculous, convoluted plot. Darksiders is well made and passes the time, but it just lacks that 'wow' factor which would elevate it to greatness. There are far too many moments that you'll have seen a hundred times before.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Bayonetta
    This is pure videogame from start to finish - escapism at its finest. It reminds you of a time you didn't question why, you just went along for the ride. There's only one question: how the hell do you top it? [Jan 2009, p.92]
    • 41 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    0 Day Attack on Earth
    One of the worst examples of this genre. [Mar 2010, p.115]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Polar Panic
    Not as cool as it could have been. [Mar 2010, p.115]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 57 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Guitar Hero: Van Halen
    Loss of (creative) control. [Mar 2010, p.96]
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Alien Breed: Evolution
    Not quite evolved enough, sadly. [Feb 2010, p.112]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Saboteur
    Great script but a mediocre game.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Call of Duty Classic
    A genuine classic that's worth another look. [Feb 2010, p.104]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 28 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    Rogue Warrior
    Dismal in just about every possible way. [Feb 2010, p.110]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
    Stands alone from the film, proud and awkward.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    MX vs. ATV Reflex
    Average racer with smart tech. [Apr 2010, p.101]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned
    An extremely satisfying and often hilarious campaign.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Gyromancer
    For match-three nutters only. [Jan 2010, p.115]
    • Official Xbox Magazine UK
    • 90 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Assassin's Creed II
    The first Assassin's Creed's charm was in the sumptuous graphics and straightforward action - that incredible climbing and free-running, and the visceral thrill of stapling evil people to the dirt with a wristblade. With AC2 the rest of the game has caught up with the brilliance of those central ideas to create a complete and coherent experience. We can think of plenty of words that could describe Assassin's Creed 2 - involving, exciting, cinematic - but there's only one word that sums it up beautifully. Killer. [Dec 2009, p.74]
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