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For 1,240 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 26% higher than the average critic
  • 7% same as the average critic
  • 67% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 7.6 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 67
Highest review score: 100 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
Lowest review score: 20 Mugen Souls
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 413 out of 1240
  2. Mixed: 696 out of 1240
  3. Negative: 131 out of 1240
1245 game reviews
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    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Signs of the Sojourner
    Short, thoughtful games — including Signs of the Sojourner — are necessary, so it’s easy to look at a call for more with suspicion. Do the mechanics and dev-hours support the variety that a call for more locations, more characters, more stories would entail? Where does the call for more feed into the call for excessive commodification of personal projects? Despite these concerns, more Signs of the Sojourner would glorify an already compelling game. By the time its rhythms fall into place, the game is already over. Teasing out its secrets enhances its replayability, but it’s exciting to think of a future with more opportunities to jam out in Aldhurst and be a catalyst for social change.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland
    If the original Atelier Rorona's major drawbacks and barriers to entry were its difficulty and time-consuming crafting, then Rorona Plus fixed one and made the other less relevant.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ring Fit Adventure
    For those who have bounced off of other at-home workout products, Ring Fit Adventure makes working out as entertaining as it is satisfying, avoiding the deadly monotony most other exercise programs eventually run into.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom - Prince's Edition
    The Prince’s Edition is probably the best way to enjoy this content, as its staggered inclusion throughout the game gives it more utility to the player as a means of raising levels, materiel, and equipment, rather than leaving one with a feeling of “more of the same” well after the player has exhausted what the main game has to offer. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is nothing like its predecessor in general playstyle, but it shares the same sense of whimsy and wonder, the same motifs of sadness and redemption, and is a well-built game overall.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Metronomicon
    Anyone who's interested in the strategic side of classic RPG combat and isn't afraid of the beat should give The Metronomicon a look.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
    Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the perfect starting point for those who are new to the series. Many small quality-of-life changes help streamline the experience for players, additional content and costumes create more flavor to the story, and the addition of the orchestral soundtrack bolsters the experience. It’s a shame that the Switch port wasn’t re-rendered to give S the same graphic prowess as the original game, but even with its noticeable downgrades, Dragon Quest XI S is well worth the time.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Soul Hackers 2
    Soul Hackers 2 is a great spin-off. It isn’t as long or ambitious as other Shin Megami Tensei titles, but it’s clearly made with the same quality. While the reduced number of demons and the simpler mechanics can be a negative for veterans, Soul Hackers 2 proves to be a much friendlier starting point for newcomers. Fans of the franchise will likely enjoy this installment, even if it lacks the complexity of other titles in the series.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Pokemon Y
    Despite a few hiccups, Pokémon Y is a terrific addition to the series, but it's hard to really call it better than generation five. While it has a number of great new features, it also has a number of significant flaws, and the dearth of new pokémon is disappointing, especially in light of the addition of a whole new type.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Monster Crown: Sin Eater
    On the whole, Monster Crown: Sin Eater is a shining addition to the monster taming genre. With its diverse array of monsters at the forefront, it features a truly harrowing, cruelly immersive world full of violence and sin. While its scope and non-linear design can sometimes lead to some odd pacing and gameplay imbalance, it largely remains engaging due to its atmospheric, well-designed world, strong writing and lore, and excellent audiovisual experience. From Asur’s humble farm beginnings all the way to the heights of Meru Spire, Sin Eater provides a monstrously oppressive adventure, top-to-bottom.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Surge
    While it isn't a revolution on the tried-and-true gameplay formula, it nevertheless takes the genre into a fresh direction, retaining what makes it work for fans while putting some unique touches on the combat system, setting, and overall flavor. It presents a bleak, dystopian future and is wracked with unrelenting difficulty, but if the cost of admission is a few prematurely grey hairs, it's absolutely worth it.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    GhostWire: Tokyo
    Ghostwire: Tokyo is a fascinating and very worthwhile new title from Tango Gameworks. While there’s plenty of room for improvement in the main narrative and in establishing its antagonists, the content of the side missions ensures the game remains interesting throughout. Its ability to transport players into its supernatural Tokyo is not to be understated, and uncovering the different Japanese spirits while helping those unable to move on gives the game a thoroughly engaging loop that is hard to put down. In an already strong gaming year, Ghostwire: Tokyo is another title absolutely worth investing time into.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
    The remake does an amazing job of appealing to both newcomers and veterans by offering two versions of the game. Those who were bothered by the technical issues in the original version can enjoy the remake with all its new features, while those who want more of a challenge can still enjoy the no-frills Classic Mode.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dragon Quest Builders
    Dragon Quest Builders manages to strike a great balance, combining a streamlined Minecraft-inspired building system with a goal-directed minimalist RPG series. The simple nature of each can lack depth when compared to standalone games in the corresponding genre, but as a combination it works, enabling players to delve into each system without overloading them. The game's somewhat repetitive nature, outdated graphics, and limited combat do somewhat detract, but with the added dash of nostalgia and a hefty dose of humorous charm, Square Enix has the beginnings of a successful formula on its hands with Dragon Quest Builders.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Trials of Mana
    Trials of Mana is colorful, quirky, familiar, and a lot of fun. It is a blueprint for how an older RPG can be remade in a way that keeps the charm and working parts of the original but upgrades it so that it is graphically appealing to a modern audience. The game is unapologetically retro in its story and progression. This works as its best quality and greatest detriment. The handholding for the first eight-or-so hours makes for a less interesting experience, especially considering that makes for roughly a third of the entire game. However, even with that early dip in excitement, Trials of Mana is a thoroughly worthwhile game.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
    Devil Survivor was one of the DS's best games and Overclocked is a great title on the 3DS.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Freedom Wars
    Despite having some areas that need improvement, Freedom Wars is very easy to sink many hours into and is a thoroughly engaging handheld experience all-round. Complaints that the Vita has very few great games of interest have rightfully been met with scorn, and Freedom Wars is a strong addition to the system's library.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
    The story may take awhile to get truly interesting, but the early portion is not unappealing, and the rest of the game is quite worthwhile.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ys Seven
    The speedy combat is addictive and goes beyond mere button mashing, so while Ys Seven might not be a AAA release, it is a solid title that deserves a shot.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Borderlands 2
    Despite being an all-around improvement over the original Borderlands, Borderlands 2's biggest flaw is that it plays it safe.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda
    As far as The Legend of Zelda franchise is concerned, Cadence of Hyrule is a definite spin-off, and it has no designs to be anything but. However, the game is far more than just Crypt of the NecroDancer with a Zelda skin slapped on top. The addictive feel of classic Zelda is here in spades, just executed a little differently. To prepare for this review, I cleared normal mode, then started a new game to just try out the additional modes. What was meant as nothing more than a quick foray to test out all available options quickly turned into a second full playthrough. The music, the enemies, the world — it all feels unmistakably Zelda, even if Link now has a bit of added pep in his step.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island
    Atelier Annie is a game that shouldn't be missed, especially if players are looking for a good laugh and some challenging tasks. Just be prepared to work hard, or else you might receive a beating from Pepe for slacking off!
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island
    All in all, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island provides a thoroughly enjoyable and constantly engaging adventure. It updates the presentation and online features of the series, while stubbornly sticking to the tried and true mechanics that have worked since the SNES era. The challenge can be quite high, but the game will constantly unlock new tools along with a wealth of information, making it feel like the game is rooting for the player to succeed without compromising on the game’s structure. It may not have the wow factor to recruit legions of new fans to the series, but for anyone not afraid to explore its depths, a massive and fun adventure awaits.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Judgment
    The combat continues to improve — it’s incredibly fun taking down huge groups of yakuza — and the story and characters really shine. However, at times the rough edges on the detective elements remind the player that this is the first crack at this sort of gameplay. So it’s not a unanimous decision in Judgment‘s favor, but it is still a ton of fun and the inclusion of English voice acting and lack of an intimidating back cannon makes it a great place for newcomers to see what a Yakuza game is all about.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten DX Edition
    Defender's Quest is a triumphant blending of RPG and tower defense and should provide plenty of entertainment for fans of both genres. Though the controls may not be ideally suited to the genre, Level Up Labs has done a nice job bringing players steadily to the game and offers an impressive level of control that will appeal to the hardcore and casual player alike. Addictive gameplay and entertaining writing makes for a great experience all around.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
    Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes deserves to be thought of as one of the strongest Warriors crossovers so far. The game fully dives into the elements of its parent series and is all the better for it. Although the overall story is eminently forgettable, the opportunity to spend more time with the characters and see them interact with each other again is very welcome, and it’s backed up by strong gameplay that makes fine use of the depth available to it.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Penny Arcade Adventures: Episode Three
    Rain-Slick 3 is a terrific little indie RPG, and hopefully the launching point for something much bigger from Zeboyd in the future.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Overlord II
    The game isn't terribly long, likely lasting most players a bit more than twenty hours if they take their time, but there is room for a second playthrough if players want to try a different evil philosophy.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    South Park: The Fractured But Whole
    While South Park: The Fractured But Whole improves on Stick of Truth in a lot of ways, the whole experience feels somehow less grand. Although the game is slightly longer, probably lasting most players 20-30 hours, it doesn't push the boundaries nearly as far as Stick of Truth, and the poor pacing towards the end of the game definitely detracts from the overall experience. That said, there are a huge number of highly memorable moments peppered throughout the game, and it's an experience South Park fans won't want to miss.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    SaGa Emerald Beyond
    At the end of the day, SaGa Emerald Beyond takes what worked in its predecessor and improves upon it, while bringing in touches of classic SaGa at the same time. The story provides a fun if surface-level romp through a variety of worlds. With many different main characters to choose from, there’s also a wealth of replayability. With one of the best and most engaging battle systems out there, even the most seasoned RPGamers will find their skills tested. SaGa Emerald Beyond is easily one of the best and most accessible SaGa games in series history.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Assassin's Creed Valhalla
    Even with its technical shortcomings on last-generation hardware, it is hard to not call Assassin’s Creed Valhalla an amazing open-world RPG. It’s obvious that Ubisoft did its homework and learned from Origins and Odyssey. Valhalla’s story is one of the best not only in the franchise but in the open-world RPG genre. The world is vast but not laden with empty, pointless space. Combat is addicting, character customization is the best the franchise has ever seen, and the welcome return of composer Jesper Kyd makes for one of last year’s most immersive and satisfying experiences.
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