The Games Machine's Scores

  • Games
For 2,678 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 71% higher than the average critic
  • 7% same as the average critic
  • 22% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 79
Highest review score: 99 Baldur's Gate 3
Lowest review score: 30 Dino Dini's Kick Off Revival
Score distribution:
2680 game reviews
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    LEGO Bricktales does only one thing, but it does it well: it allows you to play with LEGOs as you would do in your room, without placing constraints on your imagination. Its main limitation is a somewhat stubborn control system and a camera that is not easy to handle, but the final result repays the effort. The added value is a really appreciable technical compartment, which recreates small dioramas with enormous charm, based on historical LEGO sets that will lead to tears anyone who was young in the 80s/90s. It could mark the beginning of a new era for LEGO games, and that would be great news.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 73 Critic Score
    Scorn is the classic case of a brilliant idea, diligently implemented which then lacks much of the content to be savored and enjoyed. The settings are excellent and cause great anguish, and the adventure around the exploration of these carnal and biomechanical tunnels is fantastic, but the shooting phases are faulty, the puzzles are repetitive and in some cases fillers, for a project with little longevity. Having put the nearly eight years of development on the table, it was reasonable to expect something more.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Vertigo's main problem, probably, is its ambition. When you choose such a cumbersome source of inspiration, the risk of ending up crushed by it is real. The Pendulo game wisely chooses not to retrace the path traced by Hitchcock, but to borrow the main theme. Unfortunately, however, it manages to keep the interest high only in the initial stages, then a under-the-bar acting and questionable narrative choices prevail over originality. You could appreciate the attempt, not so much the outcome.
    • The Games Machine
    • 79 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    This sequel is not revolutionary as the first chapter: it is simply what who wanted a more up-to-date PvP structure needed. The 5 vs 5 gameplay works and is smoother, but in the new era of the franchise seems like there is less space than before for casual or not competitive players.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Developed by one man only – Jason Smith – Cultic is an excellent old school shooter. The campaign isn’t particularly long, but the second part will come as a free update in the future (hence the ‘Chapter One’), and there’s also a fun survival mode that will let you hone your skills.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    I was skeptical about a Switch release of NieR Automata, a game Square Enix was unable to get run smoothly on PC. But somehow Virtuos achieved a miracle, making possible to be 2B even on the Nintendo hybrid. I was expecting a Waterloo-like disaster. The outcome instead is Austerlitz.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 54 Critic Score
    Maybe 16 years ago Kamiwaza was a good and engaging action-stealth game but time has not been kind with it and now this remastered version doesn't have a meaning to live in 2022.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection arrives on Switch with all the necessary optimizations. A clever operation to propose two excellent titles also to Nintendo users, while not lacking some technical flaw, with a camera that does not always work and very long uploads. For the rest, the adventures of Chloe and Max are still in good hands and shine despite the years.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Moonscars is a soulslike (although ‘lite’ would better describe it) with a very evocative visual style and well-written characters. The gameplay is also good, but it suffers from a certain lack of enemy variety and a poor balance of character options, especially egregious when it comes to special weapons. Still, it’s not a bad game by any means, but the competition is fierce in the 2D metroidvania / soulslike genre and standing out is not an easy feat.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    A great game that shows what R-Type could be like, if only it was coded in 1958! Blast the freaking aliens like it there’s no tomorrow, with this stunning shoot ‘em up action in black & white, with great FMV intros in every level.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Valkyrie Elysium's combat system is sufficiently complex and entertaining, which is good, considering that what remains of the game is quite forgettable. A decent game for fans of the tri-Ace saga, but certainly not essential. Also because, if you're hungry for Norse adventures, there's a certain god of war waiting for you at the end of November.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    Electronic Arts says goodbye to the FIFA brand with an edition that is not perfect, but still deserves a wide promotion. HyperMotion 2 is excellent, and the gameplay offers slightly slower matches than in the past, with less dribbling and more maneuvering. There is still room for improvement, and some aspects (for example, the goalkeepers) need an adjustment via patch, but overall the game flows in a pleasant and fun way. Good, without major upheavals, the game modes, which traditionally offers a range of variants that can satisfy anyone, starting from those who want to enjoy a quick go to those who want to manage an entire team.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    In recent years, the old-school FPS genre has been undergoing a kind of rebirth; and if the results are games like Prodeus, we should be glad it has. Solid gunplay, excellent soundtrack, and graphics that might be old-school, but never feel dated: this is an excellent debut for Bounding Box Games. Granted, it’s not flawless and the checkpoint system especially raises some eyebrows, but Produes is definitely a game worth checking out if you’re into old-school FPSs. And even if you’re not, honestly.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Midnight Fight Express is a brutal beat ‘em up whose only goal, despite a story with a weird plot, is to slaughter enemy after enemy. Really enjoyable in the early levels when each new skill learned improves the way you fight, it becomes repetitive when you try to complete the secondary challeng-es, which require players to retry a lof of times the same game sequences. Those seeking for perfect completion of the game, however, will find a tough challenge, as the unlockable techniques are quite a lot and all beautifully animated. To be played at a very loud volume to get even more exalt-ed.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The DioField Chronicle is a partially successful Square enix experiment. Excellent hybrid game mechanics, but everything else is a constant repetition of the same missions, without adding anything new.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Beyond the first few hours spent groping around and a fair amount of hard work required by the progression system, Grounded is a solid survival with a good technical value, and which offers a good amount of settings that allow you to customize the game according to your needs.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    A bit of JRPG with cards, a bit of a board game, the last piece of a very particular set of three is not a narrative masterpiece nor a memorable challenge, it is a melancholy JRPG in which everything is lived through the cards, it can entertain as long as you accept its merits, defects and quirks.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 87 Critic Score
    Visual Concepts has finally created a beautiful chapter of NBA 2K, balanced, rich in content, aesthetically true next gen.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Blind Fate: Edo no Yami in my opinion lives on lights and shadows: on the one hand it boasts fabulous ideas, honestly well recreated and described, especially in the advanced stages where the narrative also acquires a good level of maturity in the themes exposed, but to make the whole thing decay we think the stages of combat. Too bad, because Troglobytes Games has all the right cards to shine.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Biomutant on the PS5 is, for better and for worse, the same game published a year ago on other platforms. Its enhanced graphics are a nice addition, but the flaws of this action RPG still reside in its outdated gameplay formula.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    A decent graphic adventure in which some good intuitions, excellent replayability and some problems of various kinds such as frustrating controls coexist.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Soulstice turned out to be a good stylish action game, with a solid combat system embellished with good ideas, able to tell its excellent protagonists, Briar and Lute, both through the battle and with the cutscenes. The story of Ilden's veil torn above the sky is intriguing, with beautiful twists and a well-studied mythology, it is therefore a pity that the setting is not able to sustain this charm, despite the very good basic technique, trapped in a artistic direction that is often too generic and redundant.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Islets is a compact, very nice metroidvania, full of ideas and adorable characters. A beautiful, hand-drawn world divided into six parts to be put together, rebuilt, setting off on an adventure that is as crazy as it is epic.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    It took me a couple of days to convince myself, because at the beginning Return to Monkey Island seemed to be a victim of the hype: what should we have expected, in fact, from those who wrote the rules of the game and today it goes down again in the arena after thirty 'years? But then I became more and more immersed in the crazy archipelago invented by Ron Gilbert and I can not help but promote the work with flying colors. Only, always remember to face it in difficult mode, because with the "casual" one you would end up getting only a small percentage of the achievements and missing out on much of the more "cerebral" fun.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Immortality is a love letter to a certain way of making and intending cinema, but it’s also an almost perfect experiment that aims to blend the languages of cinema and video game into a single one.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    Same as its predecessors Verdun and Tannenberg, Isonzo is a niche shooter, and this reflects both in its gameplay mechanics and in its production budget. Undeniable technical limitations, however, cannot hide the fact that Isonzo is a solid game that fully shows the passion Blackmill Games poured into it, and is especially enjoyable if played with an organized group. Recommended, as long as you’re aware of what you’re getting into and don’t mind getting killed by someone you can’t even see.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Re: Legend tries to keep pace in the sector panorama and it seems to succeed at first, diminishing shortly proceeding in the story.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    Metal: Hellsinger is an interesting hybrid between FPS and rhythm game that sounds like a real Love Letter to the great classics like Doom. Its gameplay and music come together in a combination of violence and adrenaline in which it is easy to get lost.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sunday Gold is a successful mix of a point and click adventure and a turn-based combat game, with a bit of role-playing. Taken individually, these three components would not be that memorable: puzzles can be solved by trial and error, shooting is not very varied, and character builds are quite simple. Combined, however, they represent a successful alchemy capable of transmuting not so precious metals into gold. Flaws become less visible, limitations appear more distant, and one of the most difficult gameplay genres to innovate could find a new youth.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    By focusing on surprising customization but not on a deep combat system or gameplay, LEGO Brawls is a decent digital hobby for LEGO collectors rather than a stimulating brawler game for competitive gamers.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Steelrising confirms the golden age of Spiders’ team, with a solid and compelling soulslike. Nothing new, but a complete, funny and rewarding game.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    A solid "more of the same" that will delight fans of the previous Splatoon. It is thanks to Nintendo for having made an effort (with good results) to stick a fun and quite varied single player experience to a purely multiplayer-oriented franchise. Splatoon 3 is another example of the Nintendo Difference, perhaps not the most original but certainly one of the most fun.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a storm of punches that hits straight in the stomach. It’s a video game that monopolized my free time and that I'll continue to dissect well beyond my (current) fourth playthrough. It’s a game that has crept between my mind and my heart, something that I’ll hardly be able to chase away from there. Not that I’d want to, to be honest. Northway Games has managed to create something that transcends genres, a video game that I’d like to be enjoyed by as many people as humanly possible.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Green Hell VR is a great survival game also in virtual reality for PC, certainly one of the best. The interactions are less accurate and responsive than those in the excellent version for Quest 2, but overall the audiovisual impact balances these differences and offers one of the most vivid "wilderness" settings ever seen in VR.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Madden NFL 22 is like a roller coaster”. That’s what I wrote last year in my review. 365 days after, I must repeat myself, going from NFL 22 to 23. Madden NFL 23 is a game that can be compared to a roller coaster. You go up with FieldSENSE, you go down with a problematic AI. You go up with new features in almost all game modes, you go down after experiencing bugs and glitches. There are steps forward made since the last videogame, and the direction taken by the developers is the right one, but there is still work to do to reach levels of excellence.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    We would have preferred a proper sequel, but the gigantic roster gives JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R that encyclopedic value that will keep Hiroiko Araki's fans busy for a long time. The partly revamped audio-visual presentation still holds up well against the weight of years, and the variety of characters is put at the service of a sufficiently complex and satisfying combat system. Too bad about the lack of rollback, but never say never.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Scathe is definitely not flawless. The bosses aren’t great, optimization could use some work, and the music, while good, lacks variety. But traversing the infernal labyrinth and slaughtering dozens of demons is good fun, the guns feel satisfying to use, and the game definitely knows how to keep you on your toes.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Gundam Battle Alliance was indeed a nice surprise: an encyclopedic collector's list of the most famous series dedicated to Tomino's creature, told through a combat system that is easy to assimilate and deep enough. However, the simplicity of the game scheme and its repetitive nature do not make it suitable for everyone, making it a niche game for those who like to waste hours on games like Monster Hunter.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 92 Critic Score
    The remake of The Last of Us: Part I on PlayStation 5 brings Naughty Dog's beloved classic to the same level of technical quality as its sequel and other flagship titles of this new generation Sony, making the two experiences much more homogeneous between them, with an eye towards the improvement of AI and many options for accessibility. If you have so far missed the opportunity to immerse yourself in this apocalyptic world with Joel and Ellie, this is certainly the best time to make up for it. As long as you are willing to spend.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Cowabunga Collection is a masterful work of preservation, and the best way to contemplate the rise of the Turtles in Konami's heyday while contextualising it within a historical framework created with the taste and expertise that only Digital Eclipse can boast.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    A solid management game that finally let us play as the Team Principal of our favourite F1 team. There are plenty of meaningful decisions to take, both on and off track, but sometimes all the numbers risk to feel overwhelming.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    I had forgotten that feeling of joy mixed with curiosity related to the unexpected arrival of a new cabinet in the arcade. Arcade Paradise made me relive this. I really liked a lot of the video games, while others, despite being quite good, simply weren't my cup of tea. But if you love retro/hyper-casual genre you will surely find at least a dozen of games that you will want to keep on playing, no matter if you already completed their quests. The managerial section, despite being an original part of the game, is the least developed feature; this is a video game for players who love more action and less thinking.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Krypto is back... well, not the original one but an all-in-one clone that this time must face the KGB menace. This second adventure is better than the previous one, thanks to wider levels, new powers and a better mission design.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    Pac is back with its first PlayStation adventure. This time the yellow fellow must save his family across six worlds, full of danger and (obviously) ghosts. A nice platform game for young and nostalgic players.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Timothy and the Tower of Mu is a declaration of love for the NES carved in pixels. It’s an hard but not frustrating platformer, with lot of contents and secrets to discover. It is unfortunately penalized by an imprecise control system and the lack of configuration options does not help. Players used to jump with precision and timing will ignore these shortcomings, but less experienced players may be put off by the difficulty and be unable to fully enjoy everything Kibou Entertainment created.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    Saints Row proved to be a worthy reboot of the saga, capable of looking back to draw heavily on the soul of the franchise, but also of looking forward to the future of the series, creating a perfect starting point for everything that, potentially, will come. Volition has given its best both on the content and on the technical front, and the result is an open world that has nothing, or almost nothing, to envy to the competition.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Endling - Extinction is Forever is, first of all, a survival adventure for everyone since the difficulty setting is deliberately easy, so everybody will be able to enjoy the game at its fullest. The story is compelling and it deals with a pressing issue, exasperating the drama, but never declining into the banality of the so-called “educational games” thanks to the excellent storytelling. The artistic side is also awesome, and we can say that if extinction is forever, a diamond is forever too, so the game can be considered a small diamond that is worth playing.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Soul Hackers 2 delivers a dry and essential experience for Megami Tensei fans in an old-fashioned dungeon crawler that doesn't dare to risk something new. In its caution it proves to be a good game for those who can't sleep waiting for the next Persona, but those who know Atlus' demons inside out won't find anything truly innovative.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Behind its souls-like mask, Thymesia hides a gameplay surprisingly dynamic, engaging and full of fun challenges. Even if it cannot really punch above its weight and reach the high levels of some of the greatest (due in large part to a story that doesn’t really shine), this OverBorder Studio game shouldn’t be overlooked, especially by the fans of the genre.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Rollerdrome is a catchy title. Roll7 wins with this successful sport-shooter formula.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered on PC is an excellent way to live or relive one of the best console classics of last years, a real "definitive version" that can push the game to unprecedented graphical heights.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Cult of the Lamb looks like a roguelike in The Binding of Isaac way, but in reality, it is also a deep god game. The message behind the title is: you have to be afraid of losing those who the day before you treated as pawns. You feel omnipotent and invincible, but the truth is that you are a slave to others like anyone else.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 71 Critic Score
    First time in Europe for the Chinese-folklore inspired ARPG series, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever has a charming personality and world-building, but it fails in delivering a strong experience due to balance and optimization issues.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 92 Critic Score
    Let the fun begin! What, did you think the campus was meant for study? In Two Point Campus there is very little difference and the joyful tone will make you happier and happier as you spend hours between gourmet cuisine competitions and a doomed magic university that looks suspiciously like Hogwarts.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Hard West 2 is a definite step forward in the right direction for the series.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    South of the Circle is a weird and fascinating experience, that mixes poor gameplay with a great script. It's essentially an interactive film, where all we're asked to do is look at the screen.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    In Hell Pie there was the risk that all efforts made in the creation of a crazy and irreverent storytelling could detract energies and resources from the actual gameplay development. Luckily, devs did not get lost along the way and what we have here is an excellent 3D action platformer, which also entertains us with its demential humor without falling into the trap of being little more than a collection of crass jokes. There are some minor flaws, but nothing major.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a masterpiece, and I'm not used to using the term too lightly. It has a magnetic plot, is supported by a successful cast and the audiovisual presentation literally sparkles, enhancing Switch as rarely before. If you love Japanese RPGs, you have to have far more serious problems than those that plague Aionios to get rid of it.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Despite being a jack of all trade (and master of none), Bright Memory: Infinite is still a game both frantic and visually impressive, but it’s also very short. Maybe too short.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Live A Live tries to do many things, but not all of them live up to the same standard. The overall narrative is satisfying, but the stylistic discrepancy between its various adventures, combined with a certain underlying simplicity, makes the game a short adventure lacking depth, but admittedly exciting when it gets into the right gear.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Another nostalgic compilation from Capcom with a robust miscellaneous of arcade games, glued together by a shiny old-school interface and a wide range of visual options. Some of the titles are already available in other collections, but this time each one can be purchased separately.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Stray is an average game, a fairy tale about a missing kitten who wants to return to the surface. The scripted parts are also its strongest and most effective narratively, while the open areas feel much less focused. All in all, Stray is a simple, enjoyable game. Great for those looking for a nice adventure and a bit of social criticism.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    As Dusk Falls is a mixed bag. The story, while certainly not out of this world, provides good characters and a fair amount of drama, but the peculiar art style doesn’t always succeed in conveying the right emotion. The voice-over, and especially the Italian dubbing, also occasionally suffers from the same issue. The multiplayer mode does make the game more engaging, but it’s still an experience with very little interaction. Enjoyment might vary wildly depending on your tastes.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 57 Critic Score
    Matchpoint: Tennis Championships shows all its limits after just a few matches. There are some interesting ideas but, considering the poor A.I and the lack of game modes, there is no reason to play this game for more than a few hours.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Wear the headset and start shooting. And dodging. And creating absurd weapons. MOTHERGUNSHIP: FORGE is a pretty straight-forward roguelite shooter that delivers on its premise. It won’t do much more than that, but that’s fine, believe me.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Playing Neon White is like being John Romero in 1993 in front of a machine running the original DOOM. The same need for speed, the same surgical precision, the same satisfaction in beating a level and getting the maximum score. Arcade at its finest, at its essence, at its core. One of the fastest-paced experiences on the market and definitely this summer’s gaming obsession.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    After nearly 25 years Bandai Namco gives us the opportunity to (re)discover two great classic platform games. A quite good remaster that could have been far better with some extra material, and the addition of the chapters released on portable consoles.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Arcadegeddin is a fun and engaging roguelite/shooter. Be aware that there are still a bunch of minor bugs and glitches despite a long Early Access period, but hopefully the devs will fix them soon.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is like one of those delicious cream puffs, a single explosive mouthful with which you risk getting lost in a blissful glycemic trance.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is a game of ups and downs. It’s a good visual novel with an interesting story and an intriguing cast, but misses the mark in the puzzle/shoot’em up sections. The end result is a game with no balance, interesting for those looking for a visual novel with an intriguing story, to be avoided by those who want to enjoy an exciting gameplay experience.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Honestly, I feel like I can’t do anything but completely pan Nightdive’s efforts on Blade Runner Enhanced Edition: from a technical standpoint, the game is indefensible, with plenty of bugs, and certainly doesn’t feel “Enhanced” compared to the original (luckily still available on GOG). Undoubtedly the lack of chunks of the source code and the format of the original assets did Nightdive no favors, but this is still a poor tribute to Westwood’s legacy.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Perfection is not stationed in Tahnra yet, but despite this, Symphony of War is still a strong and compelling turn-based strategy thanks to the amazing mix of simplicity and depth of its mechanics.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Thanks to a constant hint system always suggesting what our next step should be, Keplerth guarantees a casual approach to the usually hardcore survival genre, as long as you select a low difficulty level. Just like in other sandboxes, you decide how to play, choosing whether to run along the main quest or dedicate to hunting, fishing, breeding, farming, expanding and improving our base. By activating permadeath the gameplay gets as tough as the meanest roguelike and it's worth a try.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    There will always be a place for games like Freud’s Bones, which have some imperfections, yes, but are also daring and willing to explore new themes. Fortuna Imperatore’s debut game takes some considerable risks, such as having to explain psychotherapy to the player in order for him to untangle the main mechanics, but it hits the mark and churns out one of the most interesting systems of recent times. Not everything else is at the same level, but there is always a clear sense of the desire not to go down paths already taken by others: from a forerunner like Freud, one could not expect anything else.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    F1 22 manages to improve on last year’s game by evolving its driving model based on the new Formula 1 regulations. Unfortunately this happened to the detriment of the amount of content present in this iteration. Right now we have a foot in the new era, but the other is still in the past.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 73 Critic Score
    Outriders Worldslayer follows in the same vein of Outriders, quite literally: one year later, both its strengths (tight gameplay, loot management) and flaws (poor enemy variety, lackluster boss design, weak plot) have stayed exactly the same. Very likely you’ll enjoy this expansion if you liked the base game, but if you didn’t this won’t make you change your mind.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    DNF Duel is an 2.5 D Fighting Game with an excellent core and a very interesting roster but very little to offer to new players in terms of contents. In its current state, it can be an easy suggestion for anyone more interested in playing in a more competitive way rather than for a casual player.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Sonic Collection is not only a (guess what?) collection of the first games featuring the blue hedgehog and friends cleverly remastered and with an improved gameplay, but it’s also a long platformer – if we consider the Story mode which will take us by hand through all four chapters – which I would recommend also to those who are unfamiliar with the franchise and are simply looking for a fun and fast paced game with colorful graphics and an awesome level design where there’s always something new to discover. Highly recommended both for Sonic lovers and newcomers.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    Players beware: it is really hard to stop playing Redout 2. It's more a simulator than an arcade, but it will still keep you hooked and wanting to race again and again on amazing tracks located in beautiful environment. It would really need a training mode, because damn it's tough.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 87 Critic Score
    A quality fighting games collection with some of Capcom's best beat 'em ups, including Red Earth (which makes its debut on PCs and consoles!), the complete Darkstalkers saga and lots of customization options.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes may initially seem like just another musou, but it possesses some elements that serve as a link to the illustrious Fire Emblem series. This gives it a distinct identity, but at the heart of the combat, the mechanics of the series will inexorably feel like something already seen. Great for fans, a little less so for others: if you're not afraid of a challenge, play by enabling the permanent death of fallen warriors. It will help you better enjoy all the possibilities the game offers.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    If brainless fun is what you are looking for, look no more. Starship Troopers: Terran Command is light on strategic elements but delivers the feeling of being part of the mobile infantry, as made famous by Paul Verhoeven’s movie and Robert Heinlein’s novel.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    The Quarry is a worthy heir to Until Dawn. It’s a classic teen horror, with a good amount of high-tension moments and an impressive number of branches that will push the most curious to return multiple times to Hackett's Quarry in search of the truth, dodging death on their own or with a group of friends.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 92 Critic Score
    TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is a sensational belt scroller, created with both passion and respect for the classics. The folks over at Tribute Games must really have loved their work, and it shows every second you spend playing. If you love this genre of games and are nostalgic for the old days when the Turtles dominated the arcade ecosystem, Shredder's Revenge is your game of the summer. Or maybe of a lifetime.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Postal Brain Damaged is a bomb! Fun, fast, ferocious and punishing. A Postal spinoff that breathes new life into a franchise that seemed to have lost all ideas.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles brings on Switch the same flavor we savored at the end of 2021, bringing to the table the free updates released on the other platforms, and the promise of new playable characters coming in the future. The portable experience is surprisingly faithful to the home console one, but some extent of exclusive content or at least an updated story mode would have turned a simple “switch port” into a much more welcomed return.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 89 Critic Score
    Mario Strikers is back. Like Smash Bros. Ultimate this is an “easy to play, hard to master” game in which you'll find different levels of engagement and entertainment: from fast and furious rapid matches to seasonal multiplayer challenges... and that's only the tip of the iceberg of things to come.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    One scam at a time, the (mis)adventures of an XVIII century apprentice cheater are transformed into the chapters of an unmissable tale in which the deceptions at the table are intertwined with political intrigues. Recommended even for those who are not that into card games.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Lots of games, but not all stars among Pac-Man's birthday guests. The essential emulation gives a no-frills experience to the old glories in a context tailor-made for chasing the online leaderboards, but the absolute lack of extras is a great disappointment.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    Sniper Elite 5 marks the new entry point for tactical shooters, and although it's not a big revolution for this kind of games, thanks to a refined and engaging stealth and sniping approach, as well as the interaction with many elements of the scenario, it offers a fun gameplay in which there isn't a single way to complete missions that require multiple objectives to be fullfilled, all while offering a robust challenge. It’s a pity that the game is not especially daring, but it's a fun single player and the online should grant it a lengthy lifespan.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Touken Ranbu Warriors features a combat system which virtually would allow to complete all missions just using, in addition to the directional stick, a single button. Acting this way, however, you would miss the soul of the entire musou and its myriad of lethal and spectacular attacks performed by charismatic characters. Although the official plan is restoring the normal course of history, the real one is to unlock all the combos to try them out on the field and slaughter the poor, unfortunate enemies. Thanks to its breathtaking onslaughts at the price of a simple gameplay, fans of this kind of products will love it.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Dolmen, in its current state, is a game that seldomly works. Not very consistent and with poorly conceived mechanics. Frankly, what was published looks more like an early build that still needs months of optimization and polish.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    The Serpent Rogue focuses the whole experience on gathering resources and crafting, relegating every other feature of gameplay to the role of supporting actor. But then it repeatedly puts a spanner in its own works by inserting materials too hard to find, a limited inventory and a loot system that relies more on luck than on skill or knowledge. The result is some kind of roguelike adventure that can be great fun when everything runs smoothly and you quickly find what you need, but is extremely frustrating if you can't progress because that common ingredient is nowhere to be found. Those who prefer the alembic to the sword will surely like it, others may find it a bit dull.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 64 Critic Score
    Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong follows in the vein of narrative games like those of Telltale and Quantic Dream, but cannot reach the same level of quality. The narrative has a tendency to feel too linear and technically wise the game is far from impressive.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    Whether you’re playing with your friends or alone, Evil Dead: The Game will give you a short but entertaining action-survival experience. Carrying some friends along is a good idea – Ash is still one of the best characters in the horror universe but he can't do everything on his own! As always with multiplayer games, playerbase retention and developer support are going to be crucial aspects in the coming weeks and months.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    A peculiar FPS that will appeal to those who love H.P. Lovecraft, to those who miss the legendary DOOM of the past and to those who are ready to ignore some flaws in the name of old-fashioned fun.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Plagued with technical issues partially resolved patch after patch, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate Daemonhunters has also problems in terms of balancing and AI. The boss fights are well done, but it’s also a little monotonous as you find yourself playing the same dull couple of missions from the start to the very end of the game.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 77 Critic Score
    The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story shows us a hundred years of the Shijima clan amidst mysteries, deaths and intrigues. It does so with an interesting story, which works well and which, albeit with some strange events, follows a coherent and understandable plot. Gameplay is simple, with some interesting ideas and a few too many hints that reduce the need to think and to guess what happened. Even with this limitation, it still remains a fun gaming experience, that will bring crime fans on a century-long journey for a considerable number of hours.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    We Were Here Forever is essentially a Non-Fungible-Escape Room. Playing with a friend means trying to explain what is happening to you, while at the same time you have to deduce from his (or her) words hints and clues that might help you find your freedom. Words are your only weapon, and your only way out, so make sure you play this with the right person (or the wrong one, for potentially hilarious outcomes).
    • 67 Metascore
    • 67 Critic Score
    Source of Madness is a roguelite with a brilliant potential, which unfortunately feels mostly squandered. It’s a fun game mechanically, but repetition kicks in after just a few hours.

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