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
    • 70 Metascore
    • 73 Critic Score
    Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a good title, albeit some shortcomings. Unfortunately, its bigger flaw is that it falls between two very different genres, resulting in something that's neither fish or fowl. Probably Prideful Sloth could have made bolder choices for its debut title, which at the end of the day remains a decent game.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 73 Critic Score
    A dungeon crawler that delves a little deeper into the "ruolistic" elements of the first Hammerwatch while still remaining too much on the surface and offering no particular creative flourishes. If you plan to play it alone be prepared for a fair amount of repetitiveness, but if you have a few friends on hand the fun rate is bound to go up quite a bit.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 73 Critic Score
    The Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack collects three chapters of the Atelier series released between 2016 and 2018. It also includes all DLCs and some additional content, making it a good choice for people who would like an introduction to the series – but if you come from the recent Ryza games, keep in mind that the Mysterious Trilogy is not as detailed or refined. Finally, the price point seems pretty steep, especially on PC.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Pure Farming 2018 is still a pretty sour plant (pun intended): technically modest, with a narrow roster of farming vehicles, and limited possibilities for the players. Despite the name, it's not a "pure" simulator, and the arcade approach may turn away the fans of the genre. The seeds have been planted; we'll wait and see if they will bear fruit.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    20XX is a roguelite shamelessly inspired by Mega Man, with a strong RPG component that makes it enjoyable and cleverly challenging. Unfortunately, the game also shows strong weaknesses, including predictable bosses and a technically unstable multiplayer.
    • 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.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Idle Evolution is a nice, successful experiment: an incremental game with a lot of challenges and minigames, and an unusual way to give you a grounding in chemistry.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    On one hand, Call of Cthulhu is able to drag the player into an adventure with a dark and oppressive atmosphere, in which nobody really seems to be on our side, and curiosity can turn out to be our worst enemy. On the other hand, the little care given to some aspects of the game and the implementation of certain mechanics transform this game into a missed opportunity to celebrate the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
    • 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.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Dicefolk is a valid alternative in the search for a good roguelike with mechanics linked to dice management that are interesting, but very unbalanced and managed by luck.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Brilliant idea that is not developed to its fullest potential. Still, if you are not necessarily looking for the next Portal, it will be good fun for some hours.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Dragon is Dead is a solid, challenging, and technically well-crafted action roguelite. The combat system is responsive and rewarding, with wide room for customization thanks to an articulate skill tree and elemental builds that reward experimentation. Persistent progression between runs encourages you to improve, while well-characterized bosses offer intense challenges. However, those hoping for complex levels or deep exploration may be disappointed: maps are simple, repetitive, and structured as arenas, more functional interludes than true worlds to discover.
    • 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.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Paper Beast is a fascinating migratory tale that highlights the power of collaboration and mutual help. Too bad its distinctive graphic style is brought down by terrible textures and the Sandbox mode is only the shadow of what it could have been.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Shadowkeep is an extremely lazy expansion that offers nothing more than the bare minimum of content. Some new sets of armor, a few additional weapons, several exotic and a pleasant additional endgame activity are of little use when everything else is in fact recycled from the past incarnations of the franchise. Let’s hope Bungie will somehow counterbalance the scarcity of present contents in the next season.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Saints Row IV Re-Elected comes to the Nintendo Switch many years after the launch of the original version, but it certainly is a valid option for anyone looking for an excessively exaggerated and over the top open world action game. Unfortunately the conversion proves to be anything but flawless, even if the many technical issues don’t undermine the overall gaming experience.
    • 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.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    A cozy and mildly paced RPG. Bandle Tale enters the world of League of Legends from the farthest corner of Runeterra and offers "Stardew Valley-style" gameplay based on the use of bizarre machines, sewing skills, gardening and cooking talents. A simple but charming adventure, suitable for all ages and featuring delightful pixel-art.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    A solid dungeon crawler, affected by some technical issues and a tasteless plot.
    • 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.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Deliver Us Mars is a sequel that follows in the wake of the previous title. Excellent narrative and environmental puzzles functional to the story, but it is a game without novelties and with absolutely mediocre cutscenes, animations and polygonal models.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    This new installment of the Skylanders franchise relies upon a solid and deep collectible card game. There are some interesting ideas here and there, unfortunately ruined by some over-simplifications in the design, that ultimately make the game a little boring.
    • 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.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    void tRrLM();++ //Void Terrarium++ features everything we are used to see in modern Roguelike games: dungeon crawling, crafting with materials and blueprints, turn-based combat, character skill tree and a story which takes shape one run after another. It's also easy to pick up and it takes quite a while to be completed. The issue is that Void Terrarium doesn't shine in any particular aspect, and given the recent flooding of roguelikes, it doesn’t stand out from the crowd. Only recommended if you desperately need to play another roguelike.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is particularly impressive when it comes to gameplay: the combat system is varied and creative, the exoskeleton customization is extensive, and the boss fights, when they work, offer spectacular moments. Multiplayer is also solid, thanks to cross-play that expands the possibilities for cooperation. The rest, however, isn't quite as impressive: the plot is weak, the cast forgettable, the filler missions slow down the pace, and the game world, while vast, feels empty and repetitive. Last but not least, on a technical level, the Switch 2 version reviewed here shows clear limitations, with slow loading times and an unstable frame rate. This is a game that will entertain fans of mechs and gear optimization who are willing to overlook the objective problems, but it's unlikely to satisfy those looking for an engaging story or a world to enjoy exploring.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Hoverboards and rock music made the fortune of Back to the Future and the formula works quite well also in Star Overdrive. The game developed by the Italian team Caracal presents an aesthetically pleasing sci-fi adventure, with a setting that is not particularly original but fascinating and full of activities. Some ‘stiffness’ problems in the walking phases, small technical stumbles and a bit of repetitiveness in situations, however, prevent it from taking off.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Relicta is an intriguing puzzle-game, full of puzzles ready to squeeze our meninges without the slightest regret. The level design proves to be up to a production on the genre, although some bugs and inaccuracies end up not making it shine as it should.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Blair Witch tries to do its job but can’t keep the player's attention highly enough throughout the entire experience. Despite that, Bloober Team put some interesting new mechanics on the plate, but the inspiration seems to get lost at the same rhythm with which Ellis's past tries to emerge.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    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.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a successful and must-have Japanese RPG for Adol fans, but it's not the decisive step forward that a legendary series like Ys deserves. The Switch version is plagued by too many technical uncertainties.

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