The Games Machine's Scores

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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:
  1. Positive: 2,064 out of 2656
  2. Mixed: 569 out of 2656
  3. Negative: 23 out of 2656
2658 game reviews
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    • 80 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    Shotgun Cop Man
    Shotgun Cop Man is an atypical twin stick action shooter platformer, which does not include traditional jumps and you fly through the air exclusively using the recoil of the weapons. The Super Shotgun projects with powerful shots, while the pistol allows you to glide and correct the trajectory. Infinite ammo, reload only on contact with the ground and short but intense levels require precision and planning. The gameplay blends creative movement and tense combat, with additional challenges to eliminate all enemies, avoid damage and complete the levels within time limits. Minimalist graphics, an adrenaline-filled soundtrack and an integrated level editor complete an experience designed for fans of technical and hardcore platformers.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Mario Party Superstars
    Mario Party Superstars is a great episode, so respectful of the past that it's not afraid to pay homage to it by improving the basic formula, while adding a much-needed feature like online play.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    EA Sports WRC
    EA Sports WRC manages to bring the sensations and essence of rallying to our screens, revealing itself to be an engaging, at times overwhelming, racing game. Some details are less refined than others and there is various room for improvement, however if a good day starts in the morning I would say that, as regards the future of the series, fans can celebrate.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Turbo Kid
    Turbo Kid could have played dirty and stuffed in an endless barrage of citations for their own sake without caring too much about the content, sure to win over a large audience of nostalgic gamers anyway. Instead, it has been created with a genuine love for the metroidvania genre, adding to the typical skills such as jumping, crouching and climbing, also a large set of stunts typical of the BMX world, with a level design that takes full advantage of them. The result is interesting and successfully distracts from a look that has been seen many times before and from a main quest that adds nothing new.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus
    Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus is the Switch version of a sequel that is not as good as the original one. Nevertheless, the game is still fun and the new co-op mode is quite enjoyable.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Tom Clancy's The Division
    The Division is a fun and challenging game, whether you're playing it alone or with some friends, but it requires a certain degree of commitment to be truly appreciated. The gameplay is complex, deep and incredibly rewarding, although some things need to be fixed (i.e., the flawed respawn system). And the infected New York created by Ubisoft is simply wonderful to behold and explore.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    WWE 2K26
    WWE 2K26 builds on the success of the previous version, which was already excellent. The main addition is The Island mode, which, however, still feels undeveloped (and a bit of a money-drainer). The rest of the game has seen some refinements and adjustments that raise the bar even further. Unfortunately, a few bugs are currently undermining stability, and most importantly, the crowd experience in the arenas isn't up to par with the rest of the simulation.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
    The developers of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon define it as a love letter to open world RPGs as if the game were just a tribute to the cornerstones of the genre such as Skyrim or Oblivion, when in reality we are faced with a production with great personality, spectacular from an artistic point of view and with a plot intricate enough to glue us to the monitor for a long time. The gameplay does not aim to revolutionize the genre, but offers everything you could want from a modern RPG, reinterpreting the story of King Arthur in a dark key and full of exciting combat.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Last Epoch
    Last Epoch is an isometric hack and slash RPG that is graphically well crafted but most importantly accessible to a non-hardcore audience. You can progress without much difficulty and dying does not bring particular penalty as seen in soulslike. The few trivial starting classes can generate thousands of different builds through specializations, crafting, perks, and talents to be assigned in the skill tree. Story as always plays a marginal role, but the introduction of time travel will make wandering through the same regions in various eras interesting. Endgame management will determine long-term success, but at the moment it is an RPG worth trying.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 96 Critic Score
    Planet of Lana
    Planet of Lana is a moving and intense videogame, capable of telling a story through images and delicate situations. Strengthened by a fluid and well-amalgamated gameplay, it offers always different and well-balanced puzzles. Must have absolutely.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ys X: Nordics
    With Ys X Nordics, Falcom reconfirms the pedigree of excellent action role-playing games that it has always boasted in the Japanese production panorama. The new navigation mechanics enrich and multifaceted an exploratory system that, if it had only expressed itself in the contained three-dimensional maps that represent the islands, could have disappointed most. The battle system remains the jewel in the crown of the work, especially at higher difficulty levels, but perhaps it is time for the Japanese company to take a further step forward in terms of production values. Adol deserves to be the protagonist of a video game that does not seem to have come from a distant era.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Revenge of the Savage Planet
    A sci-fi adventure characterized by light tones and fresh gameplay, capable of giving satisfaction… as long as you are a curious player. Curiosity is essential to better appreciate the multifaceted exploratory component of Revenge of the Savage Planet and discover all its secrets. If No Man’s Sky and Outer Wilds had a relationship, this would have been their legitimate child.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    Paper Mario: The Origami King
    The Origami King is one of the most entertaining chapters in the long-lasting Paper Mario franchise and will surprise you with some fresh gameplay solutions.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    LEGO City Undercover
    If you look at it from an entertainment and sheer fun point of view, the last installment from the LEGO series by TT Games is probably the best ever made. Unfortunately, this is also one of the sloppiest portings ever seen, full of bugs, crashes and hesitating frame rate. You should wait for a patch, or some summer sale.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    The Land Beneath Us
    The Land Beneath Us looks like a classic turn-based roguelite with pleasing pixel art and very tiny levels full of dangers, in which every move must be carefully weighted. The weapon equipment system, however, grants a great variety of scenarios, making our hero sometimes very powerful only when moving upward, sometimes stronger in lateral movements, forcing us to adjust our strategy according to his position and the direction in which it would be most appropriate to engage enemies. A good variety of monsters, bosses and power-ups should keep roguelite lovers entertained for quite a while.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
    If you missed out on this hidden gem from last year, now you have the chance to make up for it and enjoy a Switch 2 version that smells like a definitive edition.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
    The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered updates the technical aspects of the renowned RPG through the use of Unreal Engine 5, enhancing lighting, animations, and sound. However, it suffers from instability, with frequent crashes and significant drops in frame rate, particularly in open environments. The original issues persist, including the notorious auto-leveling system and an outdated combat system. Additionally, some changes made to the character progression risk amplifying the problems already present in the original version.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Sims 4: Snowy Escape
    The Sims 4 Snowy Escape is yet another proof of Maxis’ competence, thanks to a full-bodied expansion on the proposed theme, which will surely be able to please the fans of the franchise. The proposed activities, the Lifestyles system and the whole package of themed objects included will delight many, especially considering how loudly desired by the community they were.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    World of Tanks
    This title marks the long-awaited debut of Wargaming on the Sony console. As with the Xbox One porting, the PS4 version of World of Tanks works very well, especially the controls. World of Tanks can be fun and addictive, and less tough than the PC counterpart, nowadays overcrowded by extremely skilled players.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Ziggurat
    Ziggurat is a very funny old school FPS arena, but in its chest beats the heart of a roguelike game. Every run is different from the other, and when you will meet the dark reaper the game will start over again from the beginning. If you liked The Binding of Isaac and also love the frenetic gameplay of DOOM this game is made for you.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Middle-earth: Shadow of War
    The Shadow of War offers a solid gameplay, a compelling concept and a much more varied setting than the previous episode, with excellent production values and an awesome soundtrack. The sequel is bigger, better and stronger, but somehow caged in a repetitive framework. The game is full of good ideas and potential, that cannot be truly fulfilled due to a storytelling without personality and a huge but boring endgame.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 2
    Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 2 is pure spectacle, a rhythm game disguised as a racing videogame. The only flaw is a career really not that exciting with a poor sense of progression.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 92 Critic Score
    Judgment
    Judgment is another hit for a team that can’t seem to miss the target.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    Wandering Sword
    Wandering Sword is a journey into an ancient China to be explored from top to bottom, meeting wonderful characters and engaging in pitched battles in which tactics, party members and character build are crucial. Progression is quite fast-paced and debunks the cliché that would have Eastern games to be based on grinding. The main campaign is fairly linear, but there are enough side quests that provide variety to the adventure, meticulously narrated with plenty of text. The HD-2D graphics are particularly well-chosen in this genre of games and are another selling point.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Keeper
    Keeper is a poetic puzzle adventure in which you play as a sentient lighthouse who, with the help of Twig, explores a mutating island. The goal is to dispel the darkness by harnessing his own light and, above all, his unwavering determination. Without words or death, without real obstacles or elaborate puzzles, the game focuses entirely on atmosphere, metamorphosis, and visual appeal. The gameplay, basic in terms of puzzles, revolves around the beam of light and Twig's contextual action, intentionally keeping it light and uncomplicated in terms of challenge, instead pushing more convincingly on emotion, the power of images, and free interpretation.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Skylanders Imaginators
    Skylanders Imaginators is fun and does not disappoint, though it's not particularly innovative and it may exceed in being too familiar to longtime fans.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Planet of Lana II
    Planet of Lana II continues the formula of the first game: environmental puzzles based on Lana and Mui's cooperation, a few essential controls, and simple yet fluid gameplay. The puzzles are intuitive and well-integrated into the environments, rewarding observation and timing rather than complex logic. Artistically, it remains a delight, with refined animations and a quiet yet effective narrative. However, the structure is almost identical to the original: the mechanics are often repeated, and the action is sparse, with very low difficulty. A coherent and refined sequel, but lacking in courage.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Venba
    Venba could have been my story. Or your story, if you know what means to be the son (or the daughter) of a couple who moved to give you a better future at the cost of giving up to pass on their roots. And it’s awesome a video game could tell this very thing in about two hours of gameplay and stay in your memories forever.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    MotoGP 24
    The faces and animations after the fall are out of place, some bugs or inexplicable maneuvers still occur, however the tweaks and innovations give us yet another must have for MotoGP enthusiasts, a vigorous, dynamic world motorbike simulator with adrenaline-pumping gameplay, welcoming to novices yet challenging to veterans.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    Pikmin 1 + 2
    Pikmin 1+2 is a pleasant return to the past in 2023 necessary to further extend the lore around one of the most curious and interesting Nintendo franchises of recent years. Strong and powerful from a playful point of view, it is also satisfying from a technical point of view. Must have absolutely.
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