Shacknews' Scores

  • Games
For 1,747 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 47% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 47% 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:
1774 game reviews
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Fans will most definitely enjoy their time in the VR world of Virtual Rick-ality, but they shouldn’t go in expecting to have their minds totally blown either.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Wizard of Legend is a satisfying and thoroughly challenging roguelike with plenty of arcana to discover, relics to purchase, and several ways to help players feel as though they're customizing the game to make it totally theirs. With online and couch co-op, you can share the adventure with your friends, which makes adventuring throughout the Chaos Trials even more fun.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Laser League is delightfully chaotic.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    I'm eager to see what new situations 11 Bit Studios adds to the Frostpunk in the future, as the concept has a ton of untapped potential.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The original Pillars of Eternity is a tough act to follow, but Obsidian has knocked it out of the park once again. In addition to a layer of polish that permeates across the entire experience, the new naval aspect, larger world, advanced custom combat AI, and fully voiced dialog make this a must-have sequel.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Light Fall shows potential with its central premise and its core mechanic, but short levels, a run-of-the-mill story, and an all-too-brief campaign make it feel like there's some unrealized potential here.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Monster Prom had so much potential and so much to offer that I couldn't wait to tear into it. And on a superficial level, it's an interesting experiment that I thought I would love. Unfortunately, just like the monsters you're courting, once you get to know it it's only a great-looking shell with some fairly rotten insides.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    it's another example of a game with a great idea that flew too close to the sun.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Fans of the original Super Mega Baseball will find lots to like about this sequel. New players can expect a solid game of baseball with enough arcade magic to appeal to almost any type of player. Baseball purists will find a good time if they enter with the proper expectations.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Tropical Freeze isn't perfect by any means, but having run through it a second time, I feel like it's aged well in the last four years. The challenge can be soul-crushing, but it's satisfying to finally make it across that one jump or beat that one boss. There are enough tools available to make the journey a little bit easier this time around, but not so much to completely diminish the challenge outright.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom intensifies the action in its JRPG foundation, mirroring some of Level-5’s best work instead of leaning more heavily on the charm of Studio Ghibli. It’s resulted in a game I continue to enjoy a great deal and a desire for Level-5 to distance itself even further from the animation giant to get a peek at what the developer can do, again, when completely uninhibited in any way.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Council isn’t a perfect start, but it is quite a wonderful foundation to build upon.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    God of War feels like a breath of fresh air, thanks to a reimagined world and some deeper customization features. But at the root of the game is the classic God of War combat, slightly less gory but only slightly less grisly. Tearing monsters apart bare-handed is just as much of a rush as it ever was. And that's good, because even if it's time to grow up, it's okay not to change too much.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Far Cry 5 was a good game that could have been great. Had Ubisoft not been so concerned with holding my hand, or overwhelming me with clutter to keep me from getting bored, Hope County would have gone down as one of the better open worlds I’ve stepped foot in.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Detective Pikachu has been a solid hit through and through. From Pikachu's weirdly appropriate voice to the fun cases involving both Pokémon and humans to the interesting detective cases to solve, I had a blast getting to the end of the game.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Alliance Alive is a great-looking game with an interesting premise and intriguing battle mechanics, but in the end it falters from its combat decisions.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A Way Out is full of heart and soul: you'll grow to love the characters, and you'll become invested in Leo's charm and curious about Vincent's problems, but it’s light and it could leave you unsatisfied.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The number of missions and environments, to say nothing of the different characters and classes, should provide enough content and customization to keep fans happy for the foreseeable future. As for cutting through the rising and falling ranks of the vicious Vermintide; well, it just feels good.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Read Only Memories: Type-M translates fantastically to mobile devices, and it's an excellent example of how to create a cyberpunk-influenced adventure game that encompasses the full spectrum of the genre. It has its own road bumps, none of which are related to its mobile status, but overall it's a point-and-click adventure that you won't want to miss, as long as you can tolerate Turing.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The amount of room for experimentation in regards to mixing powers, the tandem abilities, and the tried-and-true level design are enough to make this feel like one of the better Kirby games in recent memory. But it's the drop-in, drop-out co-op that makes Kirby Star Allies truly stand out, making it one of the best couch co-op games to grace the Switch in this early life cycle.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    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?
    • 79 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    There hasn't been a game in 2018 that's made me smile as much as Pit People. It's a weird world, where things get strange and quirky fast, but it's one that's absolutely worth exploring.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    For the asking price ($14.99), Into the Breach is a pretty good buy if you're into strategy games. However, I don't think it'll convert anyone into falling in love with the genre. The gameplay is tight, but not sophisticated enough to warrant more than a few playthroughs. Once you've unlocked most or all of the squads and tried out the different mechs, it loses it's appeal and doesn't retain that "surviving against all odds" feel that FTL has.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    To offer a mobile iteration that has even less value than the regular version of the game feels like a nonsensical move.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Way of the Passive Fist is a fun diversion for an afternoon, with the Story Mode coming in at about four hours, but there isn't much reason to keep wandering beyond that.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Rad Rodgers is a familiar yet satisfying platformer that doesn't always hit all the high notes, but it does so often enough to feel like a hit for anyone looking for a reminder of the way things were when it comes to these kinds of games.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a fantastic and absolutely frustrating experience. I was treated to a memorable lead character whose agency and development was largely wiped away with a twist late in the game and a collection of incredible gameplay mechanics and quests repeatedly stifled by bugs. Despite its downfalls, though, the good parts of the game are so good.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Subsurface Circular is one of the most unique games available for the Switch right now, and this iteration feels right at home on the console. If you're looking for something that's a little off the beaten path to add to your burgeoning Switch collection, you can't go wrong with this one, even if it is on the shorter side.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Moss is a fantastic game with a story that will draw players into its world and it has some great visuals to back it up. While there is some death and darkness to the title, I would still consider it a family friendly title, but maybe not something for the young, young kiddies.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Sadly, while the original Secret of Mana was by no means a flawless experience, the remake's attempt to improve upon the formula has resulted in a game that's markedly inferior by comparison.

Top Trailers