Softpedia's Scores

  • Games
For 1,661 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 71% higher than the average critic
  • 10% same as the average critic
  • 19% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.1 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 79
Highest review score: 100 Red Dead Redemption 2
Lowest review score: 20 Robotex
Score distribution:
1663 game reviews
    • 84 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Whether you’re a veteran who still remembers the hiss of a CRT monitor, or a newcomer curious about where fantasy shooters began, Heretic + Hexen Remastered is essential. It’s the return of true dark sorcery, two ancient spells, perfectly recast for a new age.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    If you’re new to the game, Tom Clancy's The Division 2 will fill a void. The fact that it’s a PvE game shouldn’t be a reason not to play, even if only for the single player part. You’ll find it entertaining, and who knows, maybe you’ll also make some new friends. If you’re a Division veteran, that you’ll love Tom Clancy's The Division 2 for all the new stuff it brings, and for the way it fixed the gameplay from the first game. It never feels like a chore to go look for some better gear, and that’s pretty much the highlight of any loot shooter. Tom Clancy's The Division 2 is a winner for Ubisoft and proof that smart things can be done with loot shooters if they are handled the right way.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Aces & Adventures has strong deck building and an inspired twist on the card-driven combat concept. There are enough abilities that players can develop strategies and perform cool moves but poker combinations are random enough that the results are never guaranteed. The heroes cater to a variety of play styles and there’s a lot of content to explore using each of them. The campaign structure is a little familiar but a lot of effort has been put into the presentation. Aces & Adventures is sharp, tense, and has a solid grasp on what makes a deck battler sing.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Anomaly Agent is a great retro-inspired side-scrolling action title. The combat system has depth and delivers some frantic engagements. Surviving a big fight with just a sliver of health feels great. The presentation is solid, with a special mention for the music, and the narrative, despite its familiar beats, is engaging. There’s one mission that involves kicking someone around that will annoy some players and the platforming has some difficult moments. But the game is inventive and imbued with a sense of coolness. Anomaly Agent is accessible to newcomers but also has plenty of challenges for hardcore fans.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Fallout 4 is a deep and broad video game that can easily occupy more than 100 hours of a gamer's life, as long as they don’t become bored of some of the core mechanics of the open-world genre and want to explore the universe past the core narrative...Combat is the most disappointing element of the entire experience, especially outside of VATS, but the complexity of the world and the many small adventures that it includes are solid compensation for the occasional frustration.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Episode 5 delivers a stellar conclusion to the adventures of Bigby Wolf. There are great conflicts in terms of dialog and combat, so players will be solicited in all sorts of ways. It also displays Bigby in all his big bad wolf glory and leaves a fair amount of possibilities for a likely second season of series.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Considered on its own, with no space for nostalgia or positive past experiences, Crow Country isn’t a great game. The presentation is limited, and the gameplay never tries to do anything new. The puzzle design is good and the story, while starting off slowly, does have some great moments and one big strong twist. This sounds like a game that dedicated survival horror fans would like but not love. Fortunately, there are plenty of gamers who idealize the first few installments of Resident Evil or Silent Hill. Crow Country is designed to make them smile and give them a cool new narrative with classic mechanics that they will enjoy every second of.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    News Tower is an innovative management video game that uses the journalism theme well. The 1930s setting is a great choice, as is the fact that many of the bigger stories players will report are based on real-world events. The editor role, focused on deciding which stories to chase based on what can attract the most readers and create a solid newspaper profile, means gamers constantly make choices and quickly see their results. The building and employee management systems don’t have much depth but serve the concept. News Tower won’t teach players about journalism, but it delivers fun and tense weeks of management and printing.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Football Manager 2024 is a great experience for anyone who has played the series in the past 10 years. It refines all the core gameplay, adds some interesting new ideas, and gives players a lot of freedom to engage with the mechanics they like and delegate the rest.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    If anything, Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 is on par with this year’s FIFA 18, and it even surpasses it in some aspects. The game is more than just an evolution over the previous year, it’s more of a revolution for the PES franchise. I can’t recommend it enough, and I urge everyone to give it a try because it’s the kind of title that can provide a lot of fun, even if you are a fan of other similar football sims. And you can’t get better praise than that.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    DOOM: The Dark Ages is a masterclass in how to evolve a classic franchise without losing its identity. It’s still the frenzied demon-slaying bloodbath fans adore, but now it’s wrapped in a darker, more atmospheric package that respects both gameplay and story. With creative new weapons, a cinematic presentation, massive set pieces, and deeper lore, this is more than just another DOOM game—it’s a celebration of everything the franchise can be. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the series, if you crave high-octane action, heavy metal carnage, and just the right touch of fantasy madness, The Dark Ages demands your attention. DOOM has once again reinvented itself—and somehow, it still rips and tears.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Even though the DX versions of the three Atelier Ryza games included in the Deluxe Pack aren’t reinventing the wheel, nor bring major changes, they’re definitely worth the money if you don’t own them yet. The package doesn’t just come with all the DLC but adds new stories with some of the supporting characters who weren’t playable in the original games, as well as a lot a quality-of-life improvements and UI/UX enhancements. Atelier Ryza is one of the most streamlined trilogies in the franchise, so it makes it even more worthy for those who have never touched the series yet. Unfortunately, if you already own all three Atelier Ryza games, I don’t see why you’d want to buy the Deluxe Pack, unless you really are a hardcore fan who enjoys every bit of his favorite games.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The combat feels rather clunky and slow at times, while some of the puzzles are completely unintuitive letting you needlessly wonder the maps in search of your next main objective. Despite its shortcomings, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night stays true to the traditional Metroidvania genre, not altering the original recipe, but not improving it either. If you're a Metroidvania fan, this is definitely a 10/10 title, but newcomers to the series will probably not find the same joy in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Obviously, Galactic Civilizations III: Intrigue is now without its flaws, but it appears that Stardock managed to considerably reduce the number to just a few. Although almost every aspect of the base game has been improved, I feel that some of the newly added features need a bit of balancing or tweaking.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Luto is definitely a great spiritual successor to P.T. and a solid horror game, all in all. Not only does it cover some incredible topics, and it can get very scary, but at the same time, it’s beautifully made and without any performance issues, at least in my experience. I am a fan of the world design, the story they are showcasing, and how weird the game manages to become sometimes. The fact that they blatantly cover serious topics like anxiety, life, depression or grief is great, and it all seamlessly connects into the story. I will be honest, I did not expect the game to end this way, and for the story to be so gripping. Also, it’s great that the game is not very long, either, since you can see the conclusion in just half a dozen hours of gameplay, at most. Luto manages to nail the emotional roller-coaster that they embark us on, while also maintaining a sense of gravitas and a visual style that’s unlike anything you will find out there. It might be a debut title, sure, but it’s an excellent one, and I am looking forward to see what Broken Bird Games will come up with next time.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The game as a whole looks great, it is funny, it is frustrating to lose at it (figures) and it is an overall great experience that any player, young or old, should try.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    While not a fan of the racing genre in general, I do have my moments when I would like to just smash into someone else’s car (in a totally victim-free virtual environment, of course), and Wreckfest hits the spot perfectly. By comparison with what other games attempted in the past, I have to say that it is a true masterpiece and has pretty much taken the crown as the best title in a rather unexplored game sub-genre. So, gear up, tune up your car, rev your engines and try to make it to the finish line with a number of wheels that is higher than 1!
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Life Is Strange is an imperfect video game and the actual mechanics of playing it, including the time rewind, can become annoying of frustrating, especially when the development team tries to borrow from another genre. But the game makes it easy to create a connection with Max and to care about her choices and trials, a rare feat, and that means any fan of narrative-driven experiences should try it out to see how he deals with the feelings of the protagonist and the impact they have on Arcadia Bay.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Kingdom Hearts III may be a hack and slash, with a few RPG elements sprinkled in, but at its heart, it’s a weird adventure like nothing that you’ve ever played. It makes no sense, but once you’re in the groove things start to get into focus. When the game is over, you’re left with a strange feeling of completions and melancholy, and that should be proof enough that you’ve experienced something worthwhile.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is really fun to play and the natural progression of the players is a fantastic motivator to keep on playing. I can really say that Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 provides the best multiplayer experience in the franchise, and it’s not going to be a surprise when the next iteration is going to focus even more on this aspect.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    In an industry where conflict tends to be approached mostly in heroic terms, with only limited attention paid to its effects on individuals who are not wielding power, This War of Mine is a solid surprise, and given its small price, as many gamers as possible should try it out and see what it has to offer.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    It's a pretty good game with a handful of hindrances that prevent it from being great. It's solid for an indie game but feels a bit flimsy somehow, as more depth would have greatly improved the experience.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    In a nutshell, it's a great table for newbies and pinball wizards alike, that can offer tons of fun even to those who are not particularly crazy about flipping metal balls around, but are into Portal.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    A great racing simulator with a huge amount of cars, tracks, and options to customize. While newcomers might not appreciate the heavy-handed driving aids or get overwhelmed by the staggering number of things to experience, it's worth the commitment.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Farthest Frontier manages the hard task of being both accessible and deep, especially when players engage with its economic side. Players can jump in, tell their villagers to cut down some trees, build a few houses, and get engrossed as they try to keep villagers alive and thriving. The crop rotation system is so good that other titles in the genre should steal it. The user interface can be a little overwhelming, while the lack of any historical context might make it hard for players to keep their motivation. Farthest Frontier doesn’t try to remake the foundation of its genre (it still works on a grid), but it is focused, detailed, and well-balanced.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Forgive Me Father 2 is a good boomer shooter that builds on the ideas of the original. The action is fast and pretty brutal, with a focus on delivering as many headshots as possible while moving constantly to avoid damage. The Asylum and its unlocks allow gamers to try out strategies and find weapons that match their approach. The game’s atmosphere is designed to appeal to players who like Lovecraft vibes, although it does not offer much in the way of straight-up horror. Forgive Me Father 2 improves on an already established formula but needs extra weirdness or one big innovative mechanic.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a solid effort but falls short compared to other Capcom remasters. The fans of the original will feel nostalgic revisiting Willamette Parkview Mall, but younger players will feel a lot of frustration. The game looks like a modern production but feels and plays like a game from a time with plenty technical limitations that do not apply any longer. It is challenging and mostly rewarding but lacks the finesse of modern games.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sultan's Game has an engaging world and a ton of narrative variety but can struggle to make its actual mechanics interesting. I like the setting and how it’s inspired by One Thousand and One Nights but puts a unique twist on it. The game constantly asks players to consider what they value and how far their avatar will go to stay alive. The presentation helps with immersion. Placing cards into situations is an easy-to-understand gameplay that’s stretched to cover a wide variety of challenges. It becomes repetitive and can be unwieldy. Sultan's Game will reward gamers who are willing to experiment, like moral dilemmas, and don’t mind reading a lot.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    I always found city builders to be a very relaxing game genre, and ISLANDERS: New Shores is no exception. Granted, you can’t build the city of your dreams, instead you try to create small establishments on lost/forgotten islands. But it’s a lot of fun, and I am sure tons of people will strive to get the highest scores they can. And they should, because the game is engaging, but it can also be something you play on the side, as you wait in queue for your MMO’s dungeon crawls. I think ISLANDERS: New Shores’s main appeal is that it adds a whole lot of new stuff when compared to its predecessor. And it shows, the gameplay has evolved, the boons system is creative and enjoyable, and the sandbox system is exceptional for creatives that want no barriers. It’s the type of game you can enter, play for a few minutes or an hour and never get bored. Plus, the minimalist aesthetic and beautiful graphics serve the game, as it differentiates itself from the predecessor, while also adding some creative elements that make it a worthwhile city builder.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Fresh Tracks is a great game with very good music designed to appeal to those who already know they love the rhythm genre. On the higher difficulties, it will challenge anyone to get past a level’s challenges but also makes accommodations for those who might not be as in sync with the rhythm. The rogue elements might help with the game’s longevity but feel somewhat like an afterthought. Play on the lowest difficulty level if the rhythm challenges seem too hard, and try to unlock as many of the songs as possible. Fresh Tracks works best played in sessions of around two runs, when players hit the right balance between enjoying the music and mastering the rhythm mechanics.

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