Press Start Australia's Scores

  • Games
For 806 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 57% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 38% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 79
Highest review score: 100 Horizon Forbidden West
Lowest review score: 30 The Lord of the Rings - Gollum
Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 6 out of 806
821 game reviews
    • 77 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    It mightn’t be as faultless as the iconic video games it attempts to emulate, but, in attempting to do things no action-horror game has done before, Cronos: The New Dawn etches its deserved place at, at least, the honourable mentions board at the foot of the horror game Mt Rushmore. Bloober has ensured that, no matter what they try next in this genre, we will be seated. Such is our calling.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World is ironically a mouthful of a title, but it does signify what this package is. There's a lot here to love, whether it's the significant visual improvements to Forgotten Land or a bunch of new levels to waddle through as Kirby with a brand new aesthetic. But as an expansion, it plays it extremely safe. As such, Star-Crossed World is more of Forgotten Land, which is hardly a bad thing, but it might upset fans looking for something dramatically new.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a strong return for the series, bringing together incredible art direction, strong level design, and a combat loop that's both endlessly satisfying and addictive. Sprinkle in some light Metroid-inspired backtracking and some incredibly challenging optional content, and you've got an experience that goes above and beyond anything offered by previous Shinobi games. And while the original soundtrack is average, the voice work is sterile and the story even more so, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an incredibly entertaining and satisfying action platformer that's well worth your time.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater makes great effort in updating the original games' presentation with some truly next-gen visuals. However, in that process, performance issues and changes in art direction are bound to be divisive with fans of the original. This remake then, while not quite definitive, is bound to be an acquired taste. Regardless, it's almost impossible to ignore that the game underneath Delta's slick presentation is still one of the strongest experiences you can play, and that's still worth celebrating.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dead Take is a game about actors, made for actors by actors. While the plot and mystery surrounding the narrative turns shoulder the burden of keeping up interest throughout, sound puzzle design and a blanketing atmosphere make it a worthwhile play for horror fans.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    While there is a distinct lack of things to do in Drag x Drive, it’s still worth noting that once you get the hang of it, it is an enjoyable little experience that you literally cannot find anywhere else. But once your friends are done playing with you, and you admittedly have great fun doing so, there’s not a whole lot left to do. And that’s a huge shame, because there is potential here for Drag x Drive, but the game in its current state doesn’t quite reach it.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Mafia: The Old Country is an excellent prequel to the Mafia series. There’s so much to like in the 10-15 hour experience, whether it’s the excellent writing, stunning cutscenes or the enjoyable moment to moment gameplay. While it has its flaws, Hangar 13’s latest is a well-crafted love letter to a series I’ve loved for many years.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    WWE 2K25 on Nintendo Switch 2 is excellent - it’s the full-fat experience that you can take on the go without compromise. Gripes aside, this is the definitive wrestling game for Switch players.
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Grounded 2 is shaping up to be another win for Obsidian Entertainment in the survival space. Despite some difficulty worries, this early access launch is a confident showcase of Obsidian's newfound familiarity with the survival genre.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is another good and worthwhile Souls-like with a rich setting and moreish combat. It might not capitalise on all of its potential, but it's an experience any hardcore fan of Souls will enjoy.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Super Mario Party Jamboree lives up to its name in practically every way. It's equal parts lavish and boisterous, offering up a selection of boards with novel and fun gimmicks that make it a constant joy to come back to. Adding a wide variety of ways to play, including heaps of customisable rules, only sweetens the deal. Without a doubt, Super Mario Party Jamboree is Mario Party at its best.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    An uninspired effort to infuse nostalgic IP with edgy nonsense, Shadow Labrynth offers up some fine enough Metroidvania action but fails to give players much of a reason to care about it beyond sheer novelty. Tucked away in its sprawling maps are beacons of joy in the form of classic Pac-Man mazes, but there’s only a ghost of a game built around them.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Drifter is not only one of the best games of the year, so far, I’d consider it one of the best adventure games period. Not only does it buck the genre’s conventions through new, bold ideas, its story is a start-to-finish thriller that blends mystery, horror, and science-fiction while effortlessly dripping cool.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    With Donkey Kong Bananza, DK is back in a big way. It blends new tech with old-school Nintendo charm for a destructive experience that is both intoxicating and addictive. While Pauline's storyline is underdeveloped, this is easily Donkey Kong at his absolute best. Regardless of some minor blemishes, Donkey Kong Bananza deserves a place in any self-respecting Switch 2 owner's library and, much like Super Mario Odyssey before it, sets an incredibly high bar for all that will follow.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is yet another tremendous celebration of skateboarding, the video games that catapulted it into the mainstream, and the sport’s current slate of stars. I’d argue it has some curious design choices, both necessary and not, that perhaps leave one half of the package feeling a little slightly lesser than.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Were it a bit more feature complete and fine-tuned, Rematch would be undeniable in its claim for Rocket League’s long-held crown. There’s a high, albeit achievable, skill ceiling here, but intuitive controls means anybody can header, rainbow flick, or bicycle kick goals from the box’s edge in short, exhilarating, and most importantly, moreish games of soccer.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Death Stranding 2: On The Beach does everything it can to eclipse the original in practically every way, improving on the systems surrounding the already solid core of the original. The result is a livelier world to explore, an engaging story to experience and an overall much better paced adventure through Australia that I struggled to put down. It's well worth your time and more respectful of it too.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a worthwhile throwback to a time where ATLUS was doing anything and everything with Shin Megami Tensei. Some changes may take away from the original experience, but this remastering makes for a novel adventure that I sincerely hope ATLUS expands on in the future.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Yakuza 0 Director's Cut may not be worth the double-dip for those who've experienced it before, but it's a no-brainer for first timers. It's a great upgrade to arguably the best entry in the Like A Dragon series, despite some questionable new additions.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Although Tron: Catalyst doesn't capitalise on all of the potential of its many ideas, it does still present another worthwhile experience from Bithell Games. It's a joy to engage with their interpretation of this world and the ideas it represents, even if some of the execution falls flat.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    FBC: Firebreak features an unexpected mechanical depth that gives it longer legs than a game launching with five levels perhaps deserves. With regards to set up, I think it somewhat squanders its place in the coveted Control universe, however, the parts that do break on through from the other side, like its humour and creativity, make for a surprisingly fun live-service shooter.
    • 29 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    As an open world game, MindsEye is a colossal bore. It delivers on exactly zero promises generally attached to such a genre all the while being a technical shitstorm. If you were to even accept it as a straight-forward action game, and purge the hours of monotonous driving from your mind, it’s cliché, formulaic, and sadly forgettable.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    CD Projekt Red’s done a fantastic job of bringing Cyberpunk 2077, Phantom Liberty DLC and all, to the Nintendo Switch 2. While there are some compromises that had to be made, the experience is still excellent - making this one of the best ways to play the epic RPG on the go.
    • 95 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom builds upon Breath of the Wild's robust systems to offer an experience that eclipses the original in practically every way. Not only that, but it works incredibly hard to restore some of the things lapsed players might've missed from the traditional Zelda experience, and it pays off in droves. While the novelty of its design will never be as impactful as Breath of the Wild's debut, Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best Zelda experiences you'll ever have.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will go down as one of the best launch titles of all time. Yes, technically it's a Wii U game that was ported over to the Nintendo Switch, but Nintendo made the right decision in holding this game back. It perfectly compliments the Nintendo Switch and highlights why it has the potential to be such a great and versatile console. Many have doubted Nintendo's ability to bring this series into the modern age of gaming, but they've done that and taken it one step further in creating one of the best open-world action-adventure games ever made.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is the best way to experience one of the best modern JRPGs of our time. It's a timeless experience bolstered further by uplifted production values that simply must be experienced by anyone who is a fan of the genre.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess succesfully brings together elements of the tried-and-true strategy and action genres to offer up something truly unique. While there will be debate about how worthwhile the replay value is here, Path of the Goddess leverages some incredible enemy and objective variety to keep things fresh from beginning to end.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Hogwarts Legacy is the Wizarding World game that fans have dreamt of for years. It offers a dense and rich open-world to explore complemented perfectly by a surprisingly robust and engaging combat system unlike anything else. While the story does live in the shadow of its predecessors, and managing gear can be repetitive, Hogwarts Legacy is a truly magical experience and utterly bewitching from beginning to end.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its past with multiple modes for every player and strong battle systems like no other. It invites new players into the fold with well implemented, simpler control schemes, without losing sight of the hardcore player. The World Tour mode won’t be for everyone, but Street Fighter 6 stands tall as one of the best fighters Capcom has made.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Mario Kart World is truly a supremely competent kart racer, and it delivers on the trademark chaotic fun that the franchise has delivered for generations. Even with the open world, which feels like a smokescreen for players to tinker and learn the new mechanics, the online will be where it's at and, fortunately, that's as great as it's ever been.

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