Pocket Tactics' Scores

  • Games
For 912 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 45% higher than the average critic
  • 15% same as the average critic
  • 40% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 75
Highest review score: 100 Cinco Paus
Lowest review score: 20 Session: Skate Sim
Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 67 out of 912
914 game reviews
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Romancing Saga Minstrel Song Remastered is a simple yet welcome rejuvenation of a classic JRPG. With no dramatic overhauls, just some additional content and quality-of-life improvements, it’s still a stroll through the past, but one that’s easy to access, priced reasonably, and packed with stuff to do. It never feels essential, but it’s still a lovely time.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    A tired, lackluster, and watered-down riff on the Alien series that finds players swapping from camera to camera guiding crew members through a xenomorph-ravaged space station.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Super Meat Boy Forever is particularly frictionless on mobile. Combine this with its punishing difficulty and aged aesthetic and it just feels a little out of place, out of time. It’s a struggle to have a good time with it.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    An unimpressive and incremental sequel to an already underwhelming game, Konami is in desperate need of doing something interesting with the Bomberman formula. Luckily for Konami, the time worn Bomberman gameplay is still a blast, and new online modes are sure to please longtime fans, but it’s hard to justify spending the full price of a retail game on a title that doesn’t do enough to earn that price tag. I’ll have to forget my dreams of a true reinvention along the lines of Pac-man Championship Edition DX+ for now.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    I’d say there’s a great Sonic game here, and newcomers will find plenty to love. But if you own it already, maybe wait for a sale.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    An impressive new franchise from Square Enix, The Diofield Chronicle has a thrilling real-time battle system that gives every moment a tense, and challenging twist. It’s incredibly satisfying to turn the tide of battle with well-calculated moves, and the high fantasy story is told well with interesting characters, great visuals, and a meticulously detailed story.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    EA’s flagship soccer series has finally found its feet on Nintendo Switch, pushing the console to its limits to deliver something that feels like it’s made for 2023. There’s no crossplay, and some of the off-the-pitch graphics are a touch primitive, but for raw soccer gameplay, there’s nothing better available on Nintendo’s smash hit console.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    While engaging gameplay, roguelike concepts, and a big replayability factor bring Double Dragon back from the dead, Rise of Dragons’ late-game struggles and a skew-whiff lives system slightly detract from a promising revival.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Diablo Immortal is a mixed bag. While the solo content offers a roadmap for series looking to bring their titles to mobile, the invasive microtransactions remove some of the rewards of mastery, and leave us wishing that Diablo Immortal had stuck to its paid-for guns. There’s enough for casual players to delve into the world of Diablo and have a good time, but as things stand, and as those in the underworld will confess to, there’s no way of getting to the top without paying for it.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    While a little lacking in content and options, Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a hilarious and satisfyingly silly game that balances its gameplay nicely between moments of skill and utter mayhem. With a gorgeous culinary theme and stellar presentation, alongside plenty of great rewards to unlock, Dream Buffet will keep players coming back for several helpings for the foreseeable.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a cute and captivating game, though it could do with a little refining. Fly your days away delivering packages, boxes, and bags while fixing up your broom, and get back to your witch training.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection invites you to re-experience two of the best narrative games ever made. Better still, the Switch port performs well with only a couple of hiccups here and there, meaning it’s a solid platform to experience the story of Max and Chloe on.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Detective Pikachu Returns brings you back to Ryme City to solve crimes once again. While there’s a cute story and some light-hearted fun, the visual quality and price of the game let it down.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Quest of Dungeons feels like the barebones of a rougelike game – a stripped down, uneventful, tedious affair. It works and functions perfectly fine, but it is so inoffensive and safe in its execution, that that ends up being its biggest crime.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Colt Express is a well-designed, fun game that is destroyed by a poor online multiplayer experience.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Meganoid 2017 is an incredibly challenging game, but it is one that hangs on this challenge because of both intended design and poor controls. When you die from a laser that was off screen, it teaches you to tread more carefully and pay attention to your environment. When you slip off the edge of a platform into a spike trap due to the controls, it just leads just annoyance and frustration. I like certain elements about this game: parts of the presentation and level design, plus the large array of item, but I can’t see myself coming back to it anytime soon.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    An intriguing new take on a Final Fantasy 7 remake, Ever Crisis has a whimsical art style, new insight into beloved characters, and a delightful soundtrack. It’s a must-play for any fan of the series. Oh boy, I just really love Final Fantasy.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    If this was a 20-30 minute game, maybe, but clocking in at over 2 hours and not being able to save is a death sentence. Knowing that the odds are stacked against finishing a game doesn’t give me much incentive to start one.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    While acting as a steady starting point for kids who can’t tell their Pac-Men from their Space Invaders, Pac-Man World Re-Pac is a remaster that struggles to make itself feel necessary, with no improvements outside of graphics and mechanics to enhance the original Pac-Man World’s formula. There’s some fun to be had, but perhaps not enough to warrant a remaster when including a port of the PS1 title in a collection might have made more sense.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Teal Mask adds a variety of interesting characters and Pokémon to the ninth generation, and while Ogrepon is the clear star of the show, there’s something to love about each addition. Plus, a focus on tradition and folklore add a richness to the area of Kitakami that is so great to see. But, wildly outdated visuals, inconsistent performance, and a litany of bugs mean that it’s genuinely hard to recommend this DLC, especially for nearly the price of a brand new game.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Tomb Raider: Reloaded has much potential thanks to featuring a videogame legend, but janky controls that suffer from sluggishness and delays ensure it’s not a smooth experience.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    For all the wonderful writing and gorgeous world-building, Little Orpheus fails on a fundamental level to create anything engaging in the platforming and puzzles. There's a lot worth seeing, but it is sadly buried under monotonous gameplay.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Shadow Labyrinth offers a fresh look at a beloved franchise, throwing you into a dark new world where danger lurks around every corner. It's one of the best Metroidvanias I've played for some time, offering enjoyable combat, good boss fights, and a mysteious world with a story that begs you to unfold it.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a gorgeous title with some charming elements, but the action isn’t sharp enough to be memorable, and the town building elements only serve to hamper the other sides of the gameplay. A lovely game is buried in here somewhere, but instead, too many unsuccessful elements drag down the greater experience.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Maneater is a grisly, carnage-fuelled experience, though the Switch port exhibits some rough edges, many of which dampen the fun.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    If you were already a fan of the base game, the Mega Dimension DLC’s offer of more side-mission escapades, Rogue Mega Pokemon battles, and story content should have you engaged for countless hours. However, if you’re already not keen on Z-A’s battle-centric approach, or you don’t have the time or patience for grinding, it’s unlikely to win you over.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Like a red wine stain on a stark white dress, Blanc spoils its pristine visual style with a combination of frustrating controls, stubborn camera angles, and restrictive puzzle solutions. I love walking through the beautiful wilderness as the adorable animals, but when I try and think of good gameplay, I’m drawing a blank.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    While the unique monster-taming dungeon-crawling crossover gameplay that occupies much of Adore is surprisingly engaging, a lack of character and a bendy difficulty curve stop it from reaching its potential heights.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    A game that excels in its presentation and production, but ultimately feels like nothing more than a hollow experience. Sacred Legends has enough clever hooks to keep you going but nothing to make it memorable.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    This precision 3D platformer does not work with mobile controls. One control option has you using the gyro in the phone to control your view, which is precise, but awkward if you're in a space where you can't move around. The other option is touch only, but doesn't give you easy access to all of your abilities. If you have a controller, give it a try, but it’s not worth the hard drive space otherwise.

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