The Games Machine's Scores

  • Games
For 2,656 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:
2658 game reviews
    • 79 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Dystopika is a relaxing city builder without any of the ambitions typical of management video games. It's a pure sandbox game with which to unleash your creativity and build your dream cyberpunk megalopolis.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    The perfect mix between two great puzzle games, much more enjoyable in multiplayer than in single.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Since no one else can take advantage of the official license, it's not like Frontier Development has to make its way among a thousand competitors, but in any case the developer has worked hard this year too. The innovations introduced in F1 Manager 2024 improve the gaming experience substantially, offering important innovations both during the actual races and in the more strictly managerial phases. Now that we know that the level of this management system stands at high quality levels, it would be appropriate to also focus on the performance, to make it less aseptic and more in line with the motorsport it simulates.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    The Operator, developed by Bureau 81, is a video game of very good quality due to the many options it offers in solving the various puzzles it puts into play, also demonstrating a remarkable attention to discovery and reading, which Bastien Giafferi himself has never hidden as his great passion. The title, capable of engaging, could lead you to reflect on society and what really matters.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is more than just a nostalgia operation: it is the celebration of a precise idea of ​​role-playing game, rooted in tradition but refined by brilliant intuitions and design choices that stand the test of time. The combat system, with the Brave/Default dynamic, remains one of the most successful inventions of the genre, while the writing and the sekaikan manage to enhance even a story with initially familiar traits. Sure, some narrative passages that are too diluted and curious choices regarding unlockable content risk breaking the rhythm, but overall it is a return of class, which does not look out of place at all in today's panorama and, in particular, in the newborn Switch 2 game library.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    The Switch version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a truly wonderful game, yet another potential killer application for the new Nintendo console. Despite occasionally showing the fact that it was originally released in 2011, the game is still one of the best fantasy experiences out there.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    51 Worldwide Games is an excellent collection that lives up to its name, which includes fifty-one games from all over the world: although most of them come from Europe or Asia, some of them are typical of Africa and South America. The latest Nintendo game proves to be an excellent pastime both for those who want to tackle each game alone, and for those who love to have fun in the company of friends and family.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    The peculiar gameplay of Into The Restless Ruins combines familiar but only seemingly incompatible game elements. Dungeon crawling, deck-building and roguelike blend to perfection in Ant Workshop's title, which rewards skill as much as daring and curiosity. Longevity is not its strong suit, but the experience is undoubtedly worth it.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Dishonored 2 is a big "more of the same". A gorgeous level design and an inspired art direction are the two main PROs; on the other side, the story is not as good as the previous one and the PC version really needs a patch quickly to fix a myriad of performance issues.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Bravery and Greed is an enjoyable game with lots of clever ideas, but it seems almost left to its own devices. Excellent co-op, but too many useless equipment items, few bosses, and a not-so-clear overview during the combat phases. Still, it remains a wonderful experience with friends.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Harry Potter fans will go mad at the chance to experience an epic adventure within a familiar setting recreated with such passion and accuracy, but those who crave it for action RPG soul should know that Hogwarts Legacy is not it features exceptionally deep mechanics. It's a game with a lot of heart, there's no doubt about it, it's simple to play and effective in catapulting you into the Wizarding World thanks to a fun combat system, a narrative component with the right attitude and an open world that may not be huge but certainly with all the curves and POIs at the right point.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    The second (and final) DLC of Dark Souls III proves to be a far more robust and articulated experience than the first one. The level design is tangled yet magnificent, the content is richer and never ordinary. The perfect conclusion to an unforgettable chapter of the Dark Souls series.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Highwater is an effective and essential video game, well written and with a confident plot and a context capable of hitting the mark. It is a prequel that manages to fit uniquely into the experiences of the past, with the team having embraced a turn-based combat system that is excellently implemented but not so deep. It is a dynamic adventure that bases its total focus on narrative.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    MIO: Memories in Orbit is a beautiful and substantial Metroidvania with excellent presentation and fluid gameplay that avoids becoming frantic. It's a shame about the trial-and-error platforming sections and the overly cryptic exploration, but fans of Metroidvania games will find plenty to enjoy (though you might want to keep a guide handy).
    • 75 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    RUINER is surely a title not suitabile for everyone because of its top-down shooter mechanics; it's easy to learn, but very, very hard to master. The solid cyberpunk setting gives the game a dark-neon atmosphere that perfectly fits around the gameplay: this should be enough to turn on the attention of the genre lovers.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Dragon Quest Builders is not perfect, but it is accessible and exciting. If you're searching for a Minecraft-like product with a nice graphic and some good ludic dynamics, this could be the game you should buy.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Atomfall is a simplified immersive sim that transports the player into a Quarantine Zone filled with mysteries, where moral decisions shape the course of the adventure and its conclusion. Featuring a retrofuturistic sci-fi setting that is distinctly "British", Rebellion’s game offers non-linear progression and a fair degree of freedom. The survival and combat mechanics are solid as well, although the final stages suffer from a sudden and unjustified spike in difficulty.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Yakuza Kiwami isn’t that big and deep like the prequel, and it’s not a must-buy if you've played the original title on PS2, but it’s a good game, available for a very fair price. The combat system has been revamped, and the huge amount of secondary missions and minigames are bound to keep everyone entertained for quite a while.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    While MLB The Show 25 closely follows the aesthetics and gameplay structure of the previous edition, albeit with some pleasant refinements, it is the new game modes that bring a breath of fresh air and elevate the level of excitement. From the single-player career mode to the collectible card system known as Diamond Dynasty, passing through the management of an entire franchise, the implemented changes are particularly well-thought-out. They inject vital energy, intensifying the passion of fans and compelling them to take the field daily in an endless cycle of pitches and hits.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Narita Boy is an extremely competent 2D platformer. The guys from Studio Koba have succeeded in the uneasy task of giving a unique personality to a video game whose basic mechanics could sometimes appear derivative.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Gunfire Reborn has great gunplay, huge variety in builds, and a formula as simple as it is immediate: you get in, you shoot, you hope to get to the end. It might not sound like much, but it’s more than enough to make Duoyi’s game incredibly compelling and almost addictive.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Total War: Warhammer is an excellent beginning for the new franchise from SEGA. You can see the game as a traditional Total War on steroids, where everything is more powerful and more spectacular. The gameplay changes drastically depending on the race you choose, and that's a really nice addition for everyone eager to experiment a little bit, or for newcomers to the series.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales certainly does not reinvent the original work, but manages to tell a particularly intense story by introducing and deepening an extremely positive character with a compelling personality. More compact than Peter Parker's adventure, with an elegantly told political subtext and a warm family dimension that you’re going to want to protect at any cost, Insomniac’s game also showcases what PS5 has to offer from a technical point of view, with an impressive lighting system that benefits greatly from Ray Tracing and a world that loads in an instant thanks to the new and powerful SSD, which virtually eliminates pop-ups, while also allowing incredibly fluid action, a great sense of scale and an absolutely breathtaking overall visual impact. Some repetitive secondary missions and not particularly exciting environmental puzzles dampen the rhythm a bit here and there, but at the same time the game does not lack incredible scenes, both scenographically and emotionally. A very good stand alone episode, a must for those who loved the Marvel’s Spider-Man, and a great appetizer for a more than likely sequel.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    The Final Shape is one of Destiny 2's best expansions and a worthy conclusion to the Light and Darkness saga. Lots of content, all beautifully crafted, including an outstanding campaign and exciting endgame activities, are matched by a new subclass and the introduction of some brand new enemies. The latter are not very inspired, to be honest, but in some specific situations they require changing approaches to confrontations to get the upper hand. All in all, a big yes for The Final Shape and for Bungie, which can thus redeem itself after the débâcle of Lightfall.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Dark Souls meets Diablo and spices it up with a bit of Tetris in this original “shifting” action-roguelike that will test both your combat skills and your wits.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster reintroduces the legendary mix of first person shooter, survival horror and role-playing game. It offers a large map to explore, full of interconnected paths and dangers to eliminate with weapons, psionic powers and hacking techniques. The research system adds tactical depth, allowing you to analyze enemies in order to increase their vulnerability. On the technical side, the remaster enhances the experience of the original with targeted refinements such as updated resolution, mod support, fifty achievements and cross-play co-op modes. The magic that made the game a cornerstone is still alive, even if some gameplay mechanics are starting to show their age.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is a passionate and engaging video game, which expresses its best through game design, one of the most valuable and focused that I have had in my hands. A greater commitment regarding progression would have been appreciated, but the work presents vast possibilities for different choices and approaches based on the clashes. It's a hack'n slash that achieves its goal, and much more, also supported by an exciting story.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Kona 2: Brume is an exciting and engaging video game, biting and well presented. If on the one hand it offers a wonderful and solitary glimpse of Canada, to be precise the Quebec region, on the other there is a thick mystery to be solved that is as complex as the world. Strengthened by an extremely elegant, high-caliber game design, the production achieves its goal without hesitation and with the maturity of someone who wants to say "Present!" in one of the busiest months on the scene for several years now.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Behind Children of Morta's pixel art, lies an excellent hack’n’slash which has little to envy to the pillars of the genre. The RPG aspect is well defined, and the growth of the characters is never trivial.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Subnautica is a survival game worthy of competing with the most noble titles of the same genre. The PS4 version has a bunch of technical issues (loading times and frame rate above all), but nothing that can undermine the gaming experience.

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