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
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Vessel of Hatred is the expansion that was needed to give a new touch to Diablo IV, let's say exotic and wild. I had doubts about the Spiritist and his ability to fit into the context of Diablo, Sanctuary is not an easy place, but I was pleasantly surprised by his flexibility on the battlefield. OK also the new region and the Campaign, as well as the numerous more or less flashy new features that, in different measures, contribute to enriching and modernizing the overall offer of Diablo IV, a macabre action MMORPG, abundant and versatile to the right point. Despite the Rising Hatred, the creeping corruption and the guts everywhere, mama Blizzard's boy is coming along well.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Horizon Zero Dawn is an instant classic: tough, challenging, huge, incredibly fun to play. It's the new definition of the videogame in the most classical way, where the center of the experience is the genuine entertainment of the player. There are some minor flaws here and there, and the narrative isn't as strong as it could've been, but nonetheless, it's the best action game of this generation.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Cuzzillo, Foddy and Boch have torn the cage of the creative processes by creating a model of their own. Ape Out is pure jazz: overwhelming, defiant and free. The monkey has escaped, infuriated, and wants to sow panic on the gaming industry.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    WipEout is a religion, the air brakes are its ministers, and speed is its only temple. Omega Collection is the celebration of its creed, the three chapters of the saga gathered in one, thrilling experience. If you love speed, you can't possibly want to miss it.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is not only one of the best exclusives for Nintendo Switch, it is a game capable of evolving significantly compared to the previous chapter, reaching an absolute playful level. A hilarious, light-hearted, creative but also pixelated work, with an artisanal and constantly growing level design for the duration of the adventure, exactly like a combat system that is pure joy, tactically deep and at the same time hyper-dynamic , comic and totally available to the player's creativity. The exploratory phase also exponentially improves, very pleasant and full of secrets and secondary activities, immersed in colorful worlds, cared for with love, perhaps not very "galactic" but adorable and embellished with an exceptional soundtrack by the author (indeed, by authors). Sparks of Hope is proof that love for one's work always makes a difference beyond commercial ambitions (Kingdom Battle has sold 10 million copies and expectations go in that direction anyway); the result is a game that takes a lot, a lot, a lot of effort to put down to do something else.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Booknound Brigade, just like the books from which it draws inspiration, can become an excellent travel companion: a challenging metroidvania with clear mechanics, amusing and intelligent in its many ideas.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    An action-platformer packed with destruction and fun. Donkey Kong Bananza manages to make us forget the longing for a true 3D Mario. In fact, it can easily be considered one of the best examples of the genre since Mario Odyssey, sitting proudly alongside Galaxy in terms of variety, eccentricity, originality, and fun.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Gambit Shifter is a nearly-perfect experience: the puzzles are great, the UX is smooth and there aren’t relevant faults in this Italian indie instant classic.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Blasphemous 2 is the maximum evolution of a video game that, in the past, mildly surprised the critics but entered the hearts of the players. If with the first chapter there was a lot, perhaps too much uncertainty, the second iteration of the franchise has instead totally evolved the entire play system, proposing a poignant story. With a pixel art that fills the screen, coloring it with vivacity, Blasphemous 2 is also a beautiful sight from an artistic point of view. What else to say about game design? Evolved, mature and concrete. In a hot, very hot summer in which video games are demonstrating ever higher standards, the second iteration of the most blasphemous franchise ever could not be missing from the appeal. Sin awaits you.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is a great porting, respectful of the original production. A game that any J-RPG lover should not miss for any reasons.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Deathloop is an unusual but fascinating game to be experienced in one breath as a superb noir thriller in which, however, we are the killer. The AI is out of place compared to the rest of the game and it's not a perfect game, but it's not afraid to dare, it has style in spades, shows the creative team’s burning passion in every corner and when finally get that perfect loop, the satisfaction is immeasurable.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    A Space for the Unbound is a narrative adventure about issues as important as they are difficult to deal with, but it does so with extreme tact and elegance through a particularly apt allegory. Despite some flaws in the gameplay mechanics, rather repetitive towards the end of the game, the story of Atma and Raya is one worth experiencing.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    DiRT Rally is probably the best rally simulation ever made, and its debut on console strengthens the good driving model developed by Codemasters. The gameplay is incredibly deep, challenging and realistic, the controls are precise and smooth (even with a gamepad), and the game never goes below the 60 frames per second. A truly unique driving experience.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Mortal Kombat 1 is a triumph in every way. Aesthetically clean, carefully crafted, with a revised and optimized combat approach for each character. The introduction of the Kameo characters amplifies the need to find ever new and lethal combinations.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Lies of P: Overture is a valid addition to the base game, in particular because it doesn’t just add new gameplay (enemies, bosses, weapons, Legion arms) but also some very powerful story moments. Wholeheartedly recommended.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order hits the target by offering the right mix of adrenaline-pumping action and thoughtful exploration. The metroidvania mechanics are grafted to perfection within the game formula, and the same can be said for those borrowed from the latest productions of From Software. Without introducing anything really new, Respawn Entertainment manages to merge all these elements and give birth to a fascinating and satisfying experience, as well as being consistent with the Star Wars ecosystem (much more so than the latest movies).
    • 87 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Dragon Ball FighterZ manages to make every player happy: it's the kind of experience that's deep and challenging, yet at the same time affordable for newcomers. The combat system is a little too focused on the attack, and it's not possible to break combos, but Arc System Works made a remarkable work here, the perfect entry point for everyone who considered Street Fighter V or Guilty Gear too technical and complex.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    This remastered version preserves all the magic of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and delivers it to all PC and PS4 owners. A highly recommended experience.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Silver Case and The 25th Ward are both testament to the talent of one of the most picturesque, brilliant and punk directors of the videogame scene, capable of amalgamating, no one knows how, a series of themes, influences, styles and characters that in the hands of others would have turned into a disaster.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Engaging and exciting, Core Keeper is a perfect example of development and creativity. In addition to keeping you completely glued to the screen, with 1.0 it dramatically increases the hours that someone could spend inside it, thus allowing the player passionate about video games of this caliber to lose track of time. The game design of the production is certainly the most alive and irrepressible part, as well as the world around the main character. In addition, I have given names to some animals within the production, which could please the colleagues of TGM.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Mario Tennis's debut on Switch 2 is solid and uneventful, despite its sumptuous visuals and beautiful animations. The game needs some adjustments to its difficulty balance—too easy in the first three levels and damnably tough in the last—and to the techniques used with certain Frenzy Rackets, which are far too lethal and can mitigate the delightful unpredictability of matches.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Dreams is a revolutionary experience, well-developed and capable of being as accessible as it is deep. The dream has just begun, but already, with all these incredible tools, seems like something wonderful.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The overall experience is one of the most impressive I've ever seen, even in terms of its robustness. The version we played on had some inevitable bugs and glitches, but nothing that had a severe impact on the gaming experience. The most significant technical limitation concerns the loading times , which are quite long even with high-end configurations, but are ultimately justifiable given the amount of data to load, especially since once in the game, noticeable loading times are practically non-existent. Then, looking closely, there are a few flaws: detail pop-up (well masked by the overabundance of stimuli) is noticeable while moving, the acting is a bit stiff, there are sporadic issues with lighting and reflections, and above all, a strange night whose darkness doesn't encompass the farthest visible portion of the world, while we are immersed in darkness. But, guys, it really does happen quite often that you're left speechless.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The fantasy setting of Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew plays a decisive role in giving new life to the Commandos-like genre, providing a series of new skills that will surprise newbies and fascinate veterans. The complete freedom of approach to the missions and the possibility of deciding almost immediately which character to face them with makes this game unique, certainly the best of its kind and among the most interesting real-time strategy video games to appear lately. Charismatic protagonists and a superb level design complete the offer making it a must for those who want to be quick with the mouse and quick with the mind.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    We had high expectations for this new instalment in the Konami series, and for once we can say that they were not disappointed. Silent Hill f is one of the best “classic” horror titles ever made. It manages to revamp the original formula by enriching gameplay that has very few flaws and delivering a deep, multifaceted, painful, unfiltered story that is worth experiencing more than once.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    It's easy to say "boomer shooter," but how many exponents of the genre, with bare-bones gameplay and linear levels, would be able to entertain like King DOOM? Very few, and from time to time id Software likes to remind us. DOOM + DOOM II is the front row seat to watch this show, as well as a game that should be in every respectable collection. Online multiplayer will not rewrite the rules of competitive gaming, but Legacy of Rust could open the doors to new mods bringing new episodes into a great virtuous loop. And just to clarify, the vote is not at all political. It remains to date an awesome game.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Syberia: The World Before gave me back the sense of wonder I felt, twenty years ago, with the first two episodes and, for this alone, for me it is a big "yes". There are some rather glaring flaws such as the fluctuating quality of 3D models, in particular the characters and some mechanisms when they are shot in the foreground, but nothing that detracts from the impressive narrative work and the extraordinary emotional impact of this adventure, which brings a dramatic story to the stage with great delicacy. There is also a lot of art, both figurative and musical, with a pinch of humor that never hurts. Someone will find it too easy, too guided, but I certainly liked it.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    While it isn’t perfect, with optimization especially leaving something to be desired, Borderlands 4 is a very clear improvement over its predecessor, with a far better paced story, a convincing set of characters, and a gameplay that benefited greatly from the newly added movement mechanics.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Battlefield 1 aims at a very large audience of players, through strategic but always accessible approaches. Forget in a hurry the short campaign and join the spectacular multiplayer battles as soon as possible.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Katana ZERO is a stylish action platformer with a deep and engaging story.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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    • 75 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    There’s no doubt Arboria is an interesting rogue lite, but perhaps it was been published at the wrong time, in a market really overcrowded by games of the same type. The game offers captivating graphics, the original setting and the robust combat system, as well as the interesting character skill tree have but also lacks variety, which combined with the absence of side quests tends to make every run look the same. I still enjoyed, although the long waiting times between one run and the next are a poor fit for the genre.
    • 72 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Another generation of the Nintendo Sports series, that once again delivers a truly enjoyable and entertaining experience. Still, the singleplayer experience could use some love.

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