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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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    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To
    Ultimately I enjoyed my time with Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, due to its colorful visuals, relaxing soundtrack from Meltycanon, and familiar puzzle gameplay. But the overall experience feels just a little too breezy to make a lasting impact. The writing is cute but shallow, and the puzzle action feels like it’s barely interested in being there. The vibes are pleasant, but I feel like I’m left wanting for more substance. A little more pizazz to the gameplay or depth to the storytelling, and we’d have something special here.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Hungry Lamb
    The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty is a fascinating, challenging, and compelling story that uses its form as a visual novel to tell a story about normal, flawed, and vulnerable people. These people are dealt horrible hands outside of their control, and through a historical lens, we as the audience are shown choices that believably could have been made in real life during the depicted period. It can be ugly, but it can also be full of life, with tragedy and violence punctuated by characters bonding over shadow puppets or a meal. There’s a darkness to this story that could justifiably turn people away, but I never got a sense of titillation or glee on the creative side, but rather an interest in showing the reader a difficult piece of human history. The prose can be a bit dry at times on top of that, but otherwise in a space that’s full of anime-style fantasy and action, it was refreshing to find something more grounded in reality.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    MLB The Show 25
    I have for years held the opinion that MLB The Show is the best of the annualized sport sim franchises. While it’s not without its faults, it’s pound-for-pound the best simulation of its real-life counterpart, while hosting a bevy of modes that feel thoroughly fleshed out and supported. It’s the most hours I’ve sunk into a new MLB The Show game in years, and it’ll probably be my go-to sports game for many months to come.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sunderfolk
    Sunderfolk proves to be an admirable debut from developer Secret Door. It features many of the best aspects of tabletop games, capably molded into a two-screen video gaming experience. Even the parts of the game that feel subpar, like the mundane story, can still be a net positive simply through the power of friendship. Whether folks come together through a weekly game night or through a short session on Discord, Sunderfolk's bold ideas shine through and will hopefully set the stage for more exciting campaigns down the road.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Deedlee Doo! Carkour!
    Deedlee Doo! Carkour! is weird, charming, and delightful. Coming off of The Axis Unseen, it feels like an example of Purkeypile stretching his creative legs and doing something that is simply fun. Carkour! can certainly be frustrating. You will fail dozens of times and it will probably be because of wacky physics, but success feels delicious and its aesthetic is so silly it was hard for me to be mad at any of it for long. For those looking for a new physics challenge, it will be fascinating to see the different ways to get through Carkour!, but it’s the speedrunning methods I’m most excited to see.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Scar-Lead Salvation
    It’s a bummer, because when Scar-Lead Salvation actually gets around to where it wants to be, this game can cook. The boss fights are awesome, the rooms that actually fill up with enemies really test your knowledge and reflexes, and again, the basic gunplay and combat mechanics feel great to engage with. It’s all the other structural stuff that really holds the experience back, and makes me wonder if this project really needed to be a roguelike at all in the first place. For a game that is clearly inspired by Returnal, we seem to have really missed the forest for the trees here. But points for trying, especially from a set of studios that haven't played in this space before. I’d love to see another shot, no pun intended.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Bambas!
    Bambas! has style and heart, but without clearer direction or refinement, it ends up walking in circles.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Cast n Chill
    We often judge games for how intricate their systems are, marveling at how developers managed to cram everything into a package and make it all hum. There’s nothing wrong with that, but likewise there’s nothing wrong with celebrating a game that manages to deliver something that doesn’t feel the need to entertain every second of the experience. Fishing itself is relaxing, soothing, and at times exciting. It shouldn’t need to keep you engaged at all times like social media algorithms. Sometimes your line might sit in the water and nothing bites, and sometimes that’s the best part. Wombat Brawler gets this and delivers a thoughtful game where you Cast n Chill. That’s it, that’s the hook. Pun intended.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    MADO MONOGATARI: Fia and the Wondrous Academy
    Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy isn’t going to light the world on fire and turn millions of gamers on to a lost RPG franchise of gold, but it is neat that it exists and hasn’t gone through any weird legal filters. Sega heads finally don’t have to be a savvy enough person to be aware of niche-within-a-niche fan translations to get a little slice of history of their favorite puzzle game. Mystery Dungeon sickos may be disappointed with a game that looks like one of those but thoroughly isn’t, but the combat mechanics feel distinct and fun to play with even if their busyness doesn’t always translate to a challenge. Sometimes a dungeon-crawler can just be cute, and that’s okay.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Particle Hearts
    Particle Hearts is a puzzle game that plays primarily like a walking simulator. On the one hand, its puzzles are mostly rudimentary, and its narrative isn’t one that will move the needle. On the other hand, the game’s emotion-filled music and unique world of particles make exploring it a visual and audial pleasure that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Cladun X3
    If Cladun X3 was tuned just a little differently, it could have been a perfect time-killing grindfest for me. Being able to pick some characters, customize them to my tastes, then take them into little bite-sized dungeons for some numbers-driven dopamine has “good time” written all over it. But having to sit and tinker with the Magic Circles for gains that feel disproportionately small compared to the time I put in, while being quickly outpaced by how fast the dungeons scale up makes the pace feel arduous. I like grinding to a reasonable extent, but what Cladun X3 seems to be asking is a bit too much. I respect the wild level of creativity its customization tools have to offer, but the ways in which this game demands time in exchange for flimsy rewards make it struggle to actually capture my attention.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dungeon Antiqua 2
    Dungeon Antiqua’s mixture of Wizardry mechanics with Final Fantasy visuals and combat is a novel concept, and one that clearly has enough appeal to develop a new series in the indie RPG space. Dungeon Antiqua 2 was something I’ve been looking forward to for months, especially because adding a Final Fantasy 5-style emphasis on a job system sounds like a perfect way to add a new twist for a sequel. As fun as the experience is overall, though, there’s a bit too much overcorrection on the Wizardry side, one that I’m not sure was asked for by anyone who enjoyed the first game. Without the friction the game feels a little more generic, losing a piece of its strong identity. It’s still a great time, however, especially for fans of games like Bravely Default or Etrian Odyssey. Here’s to part 3 getting another chance to nail that sweet spot part 2 is clearly aiming for.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Dear me, I was...
    I’m sad CiNG isn’t around anymore, but I’m glad Arc System Works makes more than just fighting games, and is willing to take risks and greenlight projects like this. The spirit of visual novels that find beauty in the mundane CiNG captured in titles like Hotel Dusk is very much alive in Dear Me, I Was… and I’m grateful for that. In many ways, this experience has made me feel kind of uncomfortable, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. A lot happens during a life, and when it’s my turn to look back like this, I hope the colors are just as vibrant.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    MLB The Show 26
    MLB The Show 26 retains enough of what makes this series stand out that I still see it as an overall positive. New settings and quality-of-life improvements across the core modes are always welcome, and I’ll likely end the year with more hours in this than any other sports game. Still, I don’t think this franchise can sustain another year where it just treads water, maintaining the status quo without doing anything to elevate its game.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator
    In an increasingly digital world, I find myself longing for the days of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video. Unfortunately, I don’t think those days will ever come back, but Retro Rewind is a fulfilling trip down memory lane.
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    007 First Light
    Besides fun gameplay, 007 First Light packs a punch in the presentation department. Its audiovisuals are stunning to behold; you’ll feel like you’re playing a Bond movie, but with all the accoutrements of a modern video game, alongside decision-making that feels uniquely yours. [Hands-On Impressions]
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Perfect Tides: Station to Station
    Perfect Tides: Station to Station is more somber than wistful, more grounded than nostalgic, and more realistic than fanciful. The 2003 setting feels circumstantial rather than deliberate as a storytelling device, and the autobiographical piece of it bleeds from every word of text. It’s not entirely a downer and has plenty of humor, personality, and hopefulness. But it’s not trying to make you feel good about looking back at the past and being a fun game. This is a story about what it’s like to be on your own for the first time, and everything that comes with that. The unforeseen complications, the relationships, the learning. You’ll be reminded of the things you regret in your own life just as much, if not more than, the things you look back on fondly. You might laugh, you might cringe a little, both on behalf of Mara and yourself. Above all, it’s a good reminder that you’ve always struggled, and you’re still here to reflect. And that’s pretty cool.
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