PLAY! Zine's Scores

  • Games
For 1,364 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 55% higher than the average critic
  • 8% same as the average critic
  • 37% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.6 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 75
Highest review score: 100 Returnal
Lowest review score: 10 Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV
Score distribution:
1364 game reviews
    • 83 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    If you are allergic to cats, hate mystery, exploration and a good atmosphere in video games, don’t play Stray. Otherwise, you’ve probably already beaten it. It’s a rare occasion to get a title such as this. And if it looks like something you might enjoy, that’s likely because you most surely would.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Yakuza 6 is a good game. Nice story and fun gameplay are what it does best. There were some unnecessary changes in gameplay, overall, maybe not the best Yakuza, but still tons of fun and stuff to do.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    An RTS classic, now with a stunning new look, numerous quality-of-life improvements, and minor gameplay tweaks. If you enjoyed the original, this one is a no-brainer.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    King of Cards delivers a great epilogue for an even greater Shovel Knight saga. It is cleverly designed, has that old school vibe we all love, and a really cool move set for our new hero. Joustus, the card game is a great addition, but since it is pretty much a mandatory element, it may throw the entire tempo of the game down to the danger zone.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    When the greatest flaw of a game is the amount of dedication it requires from the player, you know you are diving into something special. Not every player is going to enjoy the uninviting limitations of the genre, but those that do manage to stay around are in for a treat. One of the most charming anime-styled games of this type and has a story worth seeing through.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Robobeat is an incredibly satisfying rhythm roguelike shooter that adds many new features to the rhythm shooter genre, including the ability to import custom songs to the game. You can enjoy the game even more by listening to your favorite artists.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Cat Quest III builds upon its predecessor, making it an even more enjoyable experience. Quite charming and fun to play, especially if you bring a buddy for some cooperative pirate action! Too bad it does not last a tad bit longer. Either way, it’s a relaxing blast to play through.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    True Colors came with a great change, a one time release instead of an episodic one. The story, characters and other elements are at their root. True Life is Strange experience with a focus on trauma, life and what we make of it.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Brilliant co-op game that lets you "accidentally" drop ammo crates over your friend's head while shouting quotes from Starship Troopers.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Champions League is here and with it, the system of first touch and contact with balls, which works great. All around, it's the best football simulation at the market.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    As long as you like the genre, it doesn’t matter if you’ve played the originals - this game is a true gem. With its impeccable charm and infinite replayability, chances are you'll never remove it from your Switch library.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Fight'n Rage is a truly fun and nostalgic beat ’em up experience that will wake those old days in players pretty easy. Even though it lacks some features, like online multiplayer, it is sure to provide more than a few hours of fun in its local co-op and versus modes, with its wide range of game modes.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 69 Critic Score
    Two Point Museum is a charming and lighthearted management sim with a fun premise and quirky humor. While it offers an enjoyable experience, its repetitive gameplay and lack of real challenge may limit long-term appeal for some players.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Interesting experiment that wraps a tech-noir short story/text adventure in an elegant, meaningful and modern wrapping. It's short, and has its flaws, but the presentation is great, and worth your time.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    At first glance, the new instalment in the Atelier series continues the trend of its predecessors but actually provides an upgraded and refined experience. The UI is very user friendly, and the world is more colourful and lively than ever. One of the main downsides is the game’s PC port optimization, which is fairly poor.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sounds like escaping the Matrix, but Game Freak finally jumped out of the three decades old formula and gave it a new groove. An open world, a more dynamic catching mechanic and a more involved trainer are just some of the new flavours. Drawbacks this time around come in the shape of empty and pretty lifeless environments as well as lower graphical quality and glitches, but they don’t take away much of the overall enjoyment. Yet they surely remain something that needs more work once this amazing turn in the franchise settles in. The roots have been planted. Now, all it needs is to grow. Pardon me – evolve!
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    MK 1 is a definite upgrade in the gameplay department, making fights faster, more explosive and skill-based, bringing back the old special meter with 3 bars and introducing great new mechanics such as Cameo Fighters and aerial combos. It is a culmination of what NetherRealm has learned from the last two MK iterations and poses a great baseline for the future.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a massive and charming JRPG with a heartfelt story, classic turn-based gameplay and polished visuals and music. While some pacing and repetition issues remain, it’s a rewarding adventure for both longtime fans and newcomers.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    The arcade classic hits the Nintendo Switch and surely is a thing to be happy about if you are into chaotic, cooperative-multiplayer action-platforms. For skillful fingers, there is a lot to love here. On the other side, all the less experienced players are going to get from this Killer Queen, is a ruthless sting of the losing streak. So beware.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Regarding recent games in the Marvel universe, we had a rollercoaster of various qualities. This one is a gem in the rough, and it can be polished to a fantastic shine with a complete and patched edition down the line.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Although it’s a real-time strategy, in this game you rely on your strategy and wisdom, rather than reflexes. Experience deep tactical game with authentic historical units of the era wrapped in some interesting and refreshing gameplay mechanics.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Hearts of Iron IV proves why it’s the king of grand strategy games once more. With a plethora of improvements, this game is a must-have for every grand strategy and history buff.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 89 Critic Score
    Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless came a long way to deliver one of the most complete experiences you could ever ask of the franchise. Balanced and polished in terms of gameplay, Disgaea 7 could be the best one of them all so far. Just let the Switch version be your last choice if possible.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    MIO tries to shake up the Metroidvania formula in a few interesting ways. Some of its design choices may not appeal to everyone at first, but the challenge ultimately pays off. Fans of the genre willing to stick with it will likely find something to enjoy.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is a prime example that, even when games don’t age with grace in terms of visuals, they can still offer an amazing experience. Great characters and writing, fun combat and platforming and tons of content make this one of the most entertaining games of the genre. If you love action JRPGs, make sure not to miss this one.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Klei Entertainment has proven their class once again. This time they created a game with a perfect mix of deep turn-based stealth gameplay, beautiful art and amazing replay value.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    If a pinball ball is a piece of dung in disguise that postman rolls over a mysterious island in order to save a divine guardian from a godslayer, and it's NOT a dream... Then it's Yoku's Island Express! An excellent and gorgeous game you should not miss for a world.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Helldivers 2 is an amazing co-op shooter that deserves all the hype it’s getting. The shift from top-down to third person was an amazing choice which shifted the gameplay but kept the original feel of killing bugs and spreading liberty and democracy. However, the servers are still struggling to keep up with the high amount of people drinking liber-tea and trying to experience, in my opinion, a GOTY candidate.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Street Fighter V rises to the occasion with its Champion Edition, adding much-needed content in one whole package that was supposed to be part of original Arcade Edition. Even though it is still riddled with some of the technical issues and balance problems, it’s a most complex SF game so far and can provide hours upon hours of fun with its diverse new moves for each character and fun challenges to fulfill.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    If you have only 30 minutes for gaming, but still want to feel that wonderful sense of exhaustion and eye strain, this is the right game for you. Jokes aside, Sayonara Wild Hearts is dynamic, short, stylish, flashy and definitely not for everyone. It is an experience, more than an actual game, hence surely not for everyone. But if you want to test your ocular gaming stamina, do give it a try.

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