PC Gamer's Scores

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For 3,862 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 50% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 45% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.7 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 72
Highest review score: 98 Crysis
Lowest review score: 7 NRA Varmint Hunter
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,078 out of 3862
  2. Mixed: 1,412 out of 3862
  3. Negative: 372 out of 3862
3876 game reviews
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    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
    But MechWarrior 5 is a game that will get a pass on its narrative woes because, I must concede, the narrative is so thin the gameplay completely trumps it. MW5 is unmistakably a game about being a sandbox mech jockey, and the stories are just a low-quality veneer over some superb robot combat. If you're here for a mech smashing simulator, this is the best new mech smashing simulator around. Here's hoping for more and better from a MechWarrior 6.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Escape from Tarkov
    Singularly unforgiving, dizzyingly complex, and like no other FPS out there: the extraction shooter's extraction shooter.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Scrolls
    If you can stomach the plodding matches, Scrolls delivers a rewarding melange of collectible card and tabletop gameplay.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Nebuchadnezzar
    Classically styled and rich in detail, Nebuchadnezzar's city-building fun is hindered by micromanagement and trading issues.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Motor City Online
    A terrific concept that isn’t terribly far away from realizing its full potential. [Feb 2002, p.72]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 71 Critic Score
    Apache Longbow Assault
    The real issue with ALA is its brevity...Even so, Apache Longbow Assault delivers an entertaining ride while it lasts, and I suppose that's all one can reasonably expect from a budget title. [Apr 2004, p.81]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    The Legend of Bum-bo
    A fun blend of puzzle and roguelike that inspires forward-thinking, but cuts your strategy short.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 49 Critic Score
    Rise of the Ronin
    Another fumbled PC port blighted by poor optimisation and unpredictable performance issues.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner
    Developer Telltale has built a sterling reputation on making smart, creative episodic games based on existing intellectual properties (see exhibit "Sam & Max), and Homestar Ruiner is no exception. [Nov 2008, p.75]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Eternal Threads
    A promising mystery concept that doesn't quite give players a truly mind-melting temporal puzzle.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    The Sims: Castaway Stories
    If you're tired of cold weather, Castaway Stories could be just the thing to warm you up. [May 2008, p.61]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars
    Even with its shortcomings, Cossacks II stands out in a cookie-cutter RTS world. [Aug 2005, p.61]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    The Political Machine 2008
    PM08's sense of humor, topical subject matter, and discount price ($19.99) make it a candidate I'd happily endorse. [Sept 2008, p.75]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 77 Critic Score
    Mad Max
    Satisfying car combat and a beautiful wasteland mostly make up for repetitive melee combat and lackluster story.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Medieval Dynasty
    Medieval dynasty is a fun, relaxing survival RPG, even if it's not always exciting.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 69 Critic Score
    Space Run
    Space Run is a fairly fun twist on tower defense, but it lacks much of the genre’s interesting experimentation.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    Alan Wake's American Nightmare
    The biggest problem is that despite the increased focus on action, combat remains unchanged--a couple of new monsters, but few new tricks. [Sept 2012, p.71]
    • PC Gamer
      • Posted Jul 12, 2012
    • 73 Metascore
    • 61 Critic Score
    Warrior Kings
    It's shameful the game was released in this [bug-filled] state, especially since it has so much potential – and such massive, involved battles. [June 2002, p.53]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 69 Critic Score
    The Bridge (2013)
    It's lovely to look at, but the process of puzzle-solving feels pedestrian. [May 2013, p.61]
    • PC Gamer
      • Posted Apr 24, 2013
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Laser Squad Nemesis
    What it lacks in flash, it delivers in sheer strategic brilliance. [June 2005, p.56]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia
    A rich content upgrade that'll please masochistic vets looking for the equivalent of Hercules' 12 labors. [Feb 2005, p.62]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    to a T
    A weird and funny story with a lot of surprises, but control and camera issues dampen the fun.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    Bloody Good Time
    A novel, homicidal romp acted out by charming, cliches. [Feb 2011, p.73]
    • PC Gamer
      • Posted Jan 7, 2011
    • 73 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Second Sight
    If feats of mind over matter were really possible, this game would be a lot better. [May 2005, p.72]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 73 Critic Score
    Dread Delusion
    Dread Delusion brims with an exhilarating sense of discovery that starts to wobble in the final act.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition
    As a one-stop shop for an entire chess-playing and learning family, this package should last until you're all grand masters. [Apr 2008, p.64]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Cloudpunk
    The story has some issues, but this vast, beautiful city is a joy to take flight in.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    Floodland
    Performance and pacing problems mar an otherwise novel and comprehensive survival city builder.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 67 Critic Score
    Disney's Treasure Planet: Battle at Procyon
    Even novice gamers are likely to be dismayed at the hold-your-hand gameplay. [Jan 2003, p.103]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    Sheep (2000)
    Definitely not a classic, but it's a fun way to kill time - and sheep. [Feb 2001, p.54]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Scarface: The World Is Yours
    Much thought has obviously gone into the mechanics of translating the film into an interactive experience. [Jan. 2007, p.64]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 53 Critic Score
    Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper
    The game starts explicitly telling you the answers to questions mere moments before asking the questions. [Oct 2009, p.79]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 77 Critic Score
    War Front: Turning Point
    War Front is a solid and entertaining game, though far less original than it purports to be. [May 2007, p.62]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel
    A decent enough expansion, but it doesn't reach the great heights of previous post-launch outings.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
    Oxenfree 2 is a more mature second run at the walk-and-talk formula.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 62 Critic Score
    The Lamplighters League
    An over-ambitious and technically flawed tactics game that can't live up to its more accomplished influences.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 64 Critic Score
    AGON: The Mysterious Codex
    While <i>AGON</i> is deep, with subtle clues and intricate puzzles, the story often drags, and seems little more than a preamble to the board games--which aren't that scintillating themselves. [July 2006, p.99]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Sacred Underworld
    Underworld doesn't fundamentally change Sacred, but it provides worthwhile value to an already solid product. [Jan 2005, p.82]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Warhammer: Mark of Chaos
    Despite these issues, the game mechanics and Warhammer atmosphere make Mark of Chaos a must for fans of tactical wargaming, and unlike the tabletop game, it doesn't cost a fortune. [Jan. 2007, p.78]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Hack 'n' Slash
    Hack 'n' Slash starts as a clever game about game design, but ends up feeling like homework.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
    Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is by no means perfect, but it’s a solid RPG that very efficiently covers the entire Dragon Ball Z saga. The game sometimes crumbles under the weight of its own systems, but Kakarot is still a fun way to revisit (or even experience for the first time) the Dragon Ball Z saga.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 69 Critic Score
    Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder
    A rehash with a flawed engine, but its sense of battlefield tactics is appealing. [Feb 2005, p.53]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Directive 8020
    Directive 8020 is everything you could want from a sci-fi horror game: Body horror aliens, the unwavering dread that all of us are insignificant when set against the great expanse of the universe, and fun QTEs.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Worms Blast
    A welcome diversion. [Jan 2003, p.106]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna
    Thin and familiar, but it offers some terrific hacking and slashing. [Feb 2004, p.72]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 89 Critic Score
    The Suffering: Ties That Bind
    A chilling sequel that improves on its forebear in almost every way. [Dec 2005, p.66]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Bob Came in Pieces
    Challenging fun. [May 2010, p.82]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 64 Critic Score
    Battlefield 3: Close Quarters
    It's worth buying if you're sick of getting shot by premium players' overpowered new weapons on regular servers and want to equip the new arsenal yourself, but Battlefield 3's hectic fighting fails at CoD's smaller scale. [Oct 2012, p.71]
    • PC Gamer
      • Posted Aug 8, 2012
    • 73 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris
    My main complaint is that there isn't enough of it—clever puzzles, shooting, and platforming have zero fat, and make its four hours fly by.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 58 Critic Score
    Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below
    Confusingly good fun at first, Dragon Quest Heroes soon falls into a familiar, inane rhythm. Dynasty Warriors' audience will at least get something out of it.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - A Criminal Past
    A well-designed level that forces you out of your comfort zone and fills in some of Adam Jensen’s backstory.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Layers of Fear
    Beautiful, horrifying, and impressively updated through the power of Unreal Engine 5, Layers of Fear is a deft upgrade for two horror gems.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 58 Critic Score
    Lords of the Fallen (2014)
    If you have a capable rig—and don’t experience the crashes I did—I think it’s a worthwhile experience. Still, it’s less interesting than Dark Souls in terms of plot and setting, and full of wandering and grinding that first tested my patience, and finally made me as powerful as some of the bosses. If I could take its combat system, weapons, and enemies and put it in another more interesting game, I would.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    Anarchy Online: Alien Invasion
    AO addicts should buy this add-on - solo-ers and MMO noobs, not so much. [Jan 2005, p.97]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    Need for Speed Unbound
    Some well-judged bold calls in both mechanics and visual direction elevate a familiar arcade racer above NFS's previous monotony.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 48 Critic Score
    Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
    A beautiful action movie that punishes improvisation, with under-populated multiplayer that can’t compete with a nine-year-old game.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 64 Critic Score
    Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game
    In fact, everything about SoTA feels done in a perfunctory and barely interested way. [July 2007, p.58]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Penumbra: Overture
    It may not be Best in Show, but it's slavering in the top dogs' general direction. [Aug 2007, p.66]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft
    Tomb Raider Remastered is an impressive and authentic update. Too authentic in some places, though.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Strike Vector
    Strike Vector’s aerial combat is brilliant and beautiful, but it needs to be put into a package that does it justice.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Warlock 2: The Exiled
    Warlock 2 is now the best version of an enjoyably streamlined strategy series. Unfortunately, for owners of the original, it isn't so much better that it's worth wholeheartedly recommending.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Screamer
    An immaculately presented arcade racer with a thousand good ideas, but the twin-stick drifting wasn’t one of them.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Rocket Arena
    Rocket Arena is the best kind of mindless fun.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    4x4 Evolution
    A few fouled spark plugs turn a potentially great off-road racer into a good one. [Jan 2001, p.126]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
    A moderately entertaining, albeit retrograde, arcade driving experience. [Jan 2003, p.112]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Banished
    A nice change of pace for city-builders, but it loses momentum once the immediate urgency of survival goes away.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Glow Worm
    Great graphics and addictive gameplay turn this worm into a butterfly. [Dec. 2006, p.122]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    A Story About My Uncle
    Fast, fluid and fun first-person platforming tied together with a warm narrative. Pace slows near the end, though.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Destiny 2: Beyond Light
    Beyond Light is a fun campaign on a beautiful and expansive new world, but Destiny 2 is still some way from being the best version of itself.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 69 Critic Score
    Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for Windows 10
    Gears of War is fun as ever, but the technical flaws and limitations of Ultimate Edition are disappointing.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Oddworld: Soulstorm
    Oddworld: Soulstorm's charm, characters, and sincere narrative are imprisoned within buggy, erratic software.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 64 Critic Score
    The Sims 4: Get to Work
    Each new career is entertaining in its own way, but you probably won’t want to play through them more than once.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Frontlines: Fuel of War
    Frontlines genuinely feels like a game made by Battlefield fanatics for other fans. [May 2008, p.54]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Always Sometimes Monsters
    A convincing examination of player choice set in an all-too-realistic modern world.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 58 Critic Score
    Hard Reset
    Hard Reset isn't just a reference to what you're expected to do to the killer robots infesting the city, but what the developer tries to do to the shooter design itself. [Holiday 2011, p.80]
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Oni
    A fun martial-arts romp that could have been a multiplayer classic. [Apr 2001, p.96]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 69 Critic Score
    Crusader Kings
    A cool new twist on a grand strategy, hampered by technical problems. [July 2004, p.74]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 61 Critic Score
    Steel Division 2
    Weighed down by a terrible campaign, this is still a superb multiplayer WW2 tactical RTS.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    My Time At Portia
    A glacial pace and abundance of busywork make My Time At Portia a tough recommendation.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 62 Critic Score
    Time of Defiance
    If you're the slightest bit impatient, you'll be bored within five minutes. [Feb 2005, p.59]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    SpellForce 3
    SpellForce 3 competently blends RPG and RTS games into a generally enjoyable package, but there’s not enough creative force to create a lasting spell.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Disney/Pixar Cars
    Unspectacular graphics and sometimes frustrating mini-games take away from Cars' short play, but even with these small problems, it's an enjoyable experience for prepubescent gamers. [Oct. 2006, p.108]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Outriders
    Buried by an unsatisfying combat loop and bad campaign, Outriders is a forgettable loot game that ends right as it's getting started.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Isonzo
    We're in a milsim boom and Isonzo's thrilling, if limiting battlefields fit nicely into it.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    RAGE 2
    Some of the best first-person shooting on PC, but the rest of the game struggles to keep up with it.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    HAWKEN
    They've nailed the sensation of stomping around in a giant machine, but the F2P model needs an oil change.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 61 Critic Score
    Hard West
    The presentation is aced, but Hard West’s turn-based combat is too rote to be engrossing.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Soldiers of Anarchy
    Brace yourself for sometimes klutzy controls, but all in all, it's a smart RTS with a plucky respect for squad-based classics. [Jan 2003, p.114]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Bandits: Phoenix Rising
    Don't be ashamed if you find yourself gleefully yelling along with dialogue like "Eat crap, flaming craphead!" [Apr 2003, p.99]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 46 Critic Score
    Out of the Park Baseball Manager 2006
    Overall, OOTP 2006 is a big letdown, even for an unbiased SI fanboy and OOTP nut like myself. [Sep 2006, p.98]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Massive Chalice
    ​Double Fine’s Massive Chalice takes XCOM’s DNA in a fresh direction, but doesn’t exceed it.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm
    I wouldn't necessarily recommend Soulstorm for players new to the series, as mastering the interactions between nine different races is a serious endeavor, but you're getting a lot of game for $40. [May 2008, p.62]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Smelter
    The RTS layer is limited and repetitive, but the platforming levels are well-designed and challenging.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Flame in the Flood
    Lovely and challenging with enjoyable crafting and survival elements, but poor river controls make it harsher than it should be.​
    • 73 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    Evil West
    Evil West delivers on its big dumb action game premise, for better and worse.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 69 Critic Score
    Pathfinder: Kingmaker
    A good RPG with some unique ideas, but one that ultimately plays it too safe to really stand out from the crowd.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    Yooka-Laylee
    A decent revival of the N64-era 3D platformer, but with all the flaws that carries, as well as some new ones of its own.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Hitman: Codename 47
    A fun game that gets fatally sidetracked. I coulda been a contender. [Mar 2001, p.96]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Earth 2160
    A must for hardcore RTS nuts, but not the best option for casual players. [Feb 2006, p.48]
    • PC Gamer
    • 73 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
    Not quite as novel as its predecessor, but the co-op is still bewitching.
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