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For 1,736 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 47% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 48% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 75
Highest review score: 100 Tekken 8
Lowest review score: 10 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 996 out of 1736
  2. Mixed: 688 out of 1736
  3. Negative: 52 out of 1736
1763 game reviews
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    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
    While Man of Medan isn’t the greatest game you’ll play this year, it does a good enough job of setting the Dark Pictures Anthology series out to sea. Unfortunately, the unevenly paced story, the out-of-tone voice lines, and the stiff animations make for a subpar experience that we will hopefully see improved in later iterations of the series.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Earth Defense Force: World Brothers
    If you want to just not think and shoot the big bugs into little square bits and pieces with a library of characters and weapons, EDF: World Bros. might be just the comfort food you need.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Satellite Reign
    Getting through Satellite Reign can be a painful and slow process until you can amass enough tech, skill and firepower to repel waves of soldiers. It wants to be a game that gives you different choices, but the stealth gameplay wears thin so quickly that the game just gets boring.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
    Honestly, unless you’re a big fan of Hot Wheels themselves, and derive a lot of joy from unlocking the different digitized versions of real-world toys, you can do better. Cruisin’ Blast came out the same year the first Unleashed did, and that game captured the essence of banging toy cars together in over the top racing environments perfectly. In comparison, Turbocharged is more scattershot, trying to be a Jack of All Trades and only hitting the bullseye with the IP’s aesthetic.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Defector
    Twisted Pixel Games and Oculus have created a wonderfully immersive and polished VR experience with Defector. Your journey will leave you wanting more so much so that you’re almost bound to go back for seconds. The graphics, sound design, voice acting, and freedom of movement are a great representation of what VR gaming can be today, and everyone should give it a try.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    King of Meat
    I’m not sure King of Meat has truly captured my interest in order to keep me coming back after my work obligations are over. It’s a cute, welcoming multiplayer action game with a lot of challenges and interesting mechanics. But it also feels like I’ve seen pretty much everything there is to see after a few days of playing. Hopefully with time there will be more variety with post-launch content additions and a robust player content creation suite. I might not be around for it, but I’ll always be grateful for my awesome, new Discord server tag, a sword paired with a simple word: MEAT.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny Remaster
    Onimusha 2 is a strange but good action game. There aren’t many things like it, but I’m glad it’s back just the way it is. The swordplay and progression are great and the story is an oddity determined by a number of decisions you make at crucial points. As such, there’s plenty to explore across a number of runs. The QoL and visual upgrades also add nicely without getting in the way or cheapening the experience. This remaster doesn’t hit every bullseye, but it’s an upgraded version of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny in most places that count and I’m happy to have it.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms
    Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is a great cap to Kyoto Winds, even though the two games being released so far apart and as two packages does tend to cheapen things. It's a little on the short side too, but it's got everything a great visual novel needs and then some. If you're interested in wooing samurai vampire boys or just in the mood for something a little less on the nose than other current visual novels, this should make for a great weekend play. Just make sure you enjoy those vampirism scenes in private, you hear?
    • 75 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Homeworld 3
    Homeworld 3 plays incredible from top to bottom, and I think whether you’re a fan of the series that’s been waiting for this or a newcomer that just likes good strategy, everyone who takes control of the Khar Kushan is in for an absolute feast of stellar strategy gameplay.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
    Ground Zeroes shows the enormity of potential for such an ambitious series, but also reflects the dangers of stepping into those waters. It's an intriguing taste of what might come, but this morsel is too small to satisfy in its own right.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Expanse: A Telltale Series
    The Expanse: A Telltale Series is a return to form, though that form is almost out of style. Each of the five episodes takes an average of about two hours to complete if you’re hunting for all of the collectibles, so the amount of content is on the shorter end. But if you’re looking for solid writing and characters that fit well within The Expanse universe, this adventure is another chance to revisit the series and see Camina Drummer be a badass all over again. However, the dated mechanics and the game’s choice to be a prequel impair the effort.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Tropico 5
    The game definitely a lot going for it. Its new graphics and revitalize the look of the series, and some of the updated building make better use of the limited island space available. Additionally, the eras help take away the sense that Tropico is stuck in a time stasis bubble. Mid to late game empire management can get crazy, but that's nothing new. Still, it's hard to shake off the feeling that there's a lot missing, especially after putting in so many hours into the predecessor
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Etherborn
    Overall, Etherborn is a short and sweet puzzle platformer that centers around ideas of identity and purpose. The story has something to say about human existence, and what it means to be a person. Not only does the narrative provide some food for thought, but it works to drive the gameplay. The platforming and puzzle solving is exceptional thanks to the neat gravity mechanic and the well executed camerawork. Etherborn is a unique puzzling experience that brings something special to the genre.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Tempest 4000
    It's quite the barebones package, despite being an uproarious amount of fun in small doses. Some small control tweaks, additional content, and other changes might make this the best Tempest out of the rest, but for now it's still a great diversion and addition to the series' portfolio.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    MultiVersus
    As someone who was quite high on MultiVersus after playing its Closed Alpha in 2022, I was hoping that its 1.0 release would deliver a polished platform fighter that fully realized its sky-high potential. While it still leaves several features and fixes to be desired, I can’t deny that the game is still deeply fun at its core. Now, it becomes a matter of whether or not MultiVersus will be able to achieve its full potential in an increasingly harsh landscape for live-service games.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Star Wars Battlefront
    Star Wars: Battlefront is everything a Star Wars fan could want. The game’s locations feel iconic, complete recreations of the beautiful settings introduced to us in the movies. But the game’s casual attitude towards weapons, and the limited number of locations to explore make Star Wars: Battlefront sizzle out far too early. Top that with an exorbitant DLC offer, which features content that feels like it could be in the base game, and EA has already done a great job of freezing Star Wars: Battlefront in carbonite before it’s even had a chance to live a fulfilling life.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Grow Home
    Grow Home gets high points for creativity and providing a relaxing, almost meditative, experience. Except, the game is designed around a mechanic that's often more tedious than fun, and uses a robot that's prone to random spasms and collapses. Still, it's a nice distraction from action games.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    LEGO Bricktales
    Developer ClockStone gave this a good effort, but there wasn't enough in LEGO Bricktales to keep me feeling interested. Even the story, which is typically a franchise strong suit felt underwhelming with half-hearted humor and nothing really memorable. That's not to say there isn't a foundation for something better in the future. The concept of using LEGO building to progress and doing it in your own way is a strong one, but without better tools, like blueprints and the like, the novelty wears off quickly. For now, LEGO Bricktales is a fun curiosity and little more than that.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Blood of the Werewolf
    Blood of the Werewolf is a pleasant little surprise from Midnight City, a game that's improved greatly since its PC release with a number of touches here and there, along with the additional modes.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Council - Episode 1: The Mad Ones
    The Council isn’t a perfect start, but it is quite a wonderful foundation to build upon.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Evan's Remains
    It's a shame to take great graphics and an interesting premise and ultimately squander them, but that doesn't mean Evan's Remains is absolutely horrible. Given a bit of tweaking it could have been great. As it stands, it's an iniquity you can finish in a couple of hours if you're great at puzzles. Just don't expect to get too engrossed.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Evil Genius 2: World Domination
    When I felt myself growing weary of the complication, I would march Maximillian into the mess hall and execute one of the stupider minions in front of his coworkers. This sent all the witnesses into a panic, resulting in improved productivity. I might be mentally damaged, but I’m having a great time and accomplishing my goals of world domination. Ultimately, Evil Genius 2 is a Dungeon Keeper clone in a different coat of paint. The surface has been well-prepped and the paint was applied with great expertise, though. If you consider yourself a fan of simulation-strategy games, this has to go on your must-play list for 2021.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Road 96
    Road 96 is an adventure game that’s stuffed with fascinating characters. Everybody has a story, and the game does an excellent job at weaving those stories together in an interesting way. The use of music and the game’s art style also helps to elevate the experience. Road 96 is a bit bogged down by some UI issues and framerate drops, but that didn’t stop me from really enjoying the complete product.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Jackbox Party Pack 8
    The Jackbox Party Pack 8 is another winner for the team at Jackbox Games. With the team increasingly experimenting with new ideas and tweaking old ones, it's hard to envision the Jackbox train slowing down anytime soon.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Rhythm Sprout
    Nitpicks aside, Rhythm Sprout serves as a brilliantly executed delight in the rhythm game genre that delivers an experience as polished as its AAA competitors despite being a debut title from a small indie team. Developer SURT should be incredibly proud of what they've accomplished here, and I can't wait to see even more from them in the future.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Aliens: Dark Descent
    Aliens: Dark Descent does a decent job of creating an interesting mashup of tactical action and strategy that suitably translates the tension and aesthetics of the popular movie franchise. Needing to stealth around the xenomorphs is a nerve-wracking experience, and the firefights against the aliens can be intense when they work. However, the plot and dialogue are lackluster, the enemies aren't as terrifying as they could be, and the flow between stealth and boss fights is abrupt. There's just one too many ideas in Aliens: Dark Descent, but it's still nonetheless a worthwhile adventure.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Eternights
    It’s amazing how talented Studio Sai is, and how much it got right with Eternights. I had a great time despite some rough patches in the early hours, and I’d love to see what these folks can do with more time and resources. And a better joke-writer. Don’t go into Eternights expecting an alternative to Persona; that’s not what this game is. Instead, put your action shoes on and keep an open mind about playing a more “true” dating sim, and I’ll be shocked if you don’t walk away with a smile on your face. And make sure you have a QR reader handy. You’ll see.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
    The three latter Ace Attorney games are certainly uneven, and the first two never quite reach the level of narrative power, or even general coherence, of the original trilogy. However, they do challenge the idea of what an Ace Attorney game can be and introduce some memorable characters in the process. Dual Destinies might be the sour one of the bunch, but Capcom wins the case of Apollo Justice v. the test of time.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Beat Slayer
    Beat Slayer is a game that falls short in some areas. I don't think it goes far enough in establishing its unique setting and the characters are just people you want to tune out after a while. With that said, I enjoyed the game on the whole. It's not a game that's good for long sessions, especially if you get particularly far in a run and have that adrenaline balloon get popped to send you back to the very beginning. For short sessions, however, it's got solid enough combat and a strong enough soundtrack to make it worth touring this robot-filled dystopia.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tokyo Xanadu eX+
    The new localization alone, despite the very infrequent handful of errors, is worth revisiting Tokyo Xanadu if you have played it already. There are a few performance hitches and the visual fidelity isn’t as clear as on PS4 or PC. But Tokyo Xanadu eX+ on Switch is still easily the definitive version of one of contemporary Falcom’s strangest games. It has problems a simple re-release can’t fix, but is full of cool and interesting ideas nevertheless. If you’re looking for something new there are bigger, blockbuster JPRGs that would be easier to recommend, but if you want something a little more out there, there isn’t much quite like Tokyo Xanadu.
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