The Games Machine's Scores

  • Games
For 2,655 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:
2657 game reviews
    • 97 Metascore
    • 97 Critic Score
    Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a sort of mythical experience, that kind of trip where you end up asking yourself if the God of videogames truly exists, and if it does, it may have the face of Shigeru Miyamoto. A huge open world that keeps enchanting the player every step of the way, well beyond the end of the game. Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda ever made, and one of the best videogames of all time.
    • 97 Metascore
    • 98 Critic Score
    Huge, technically incomparable and full of things to do: the Western epic from Rockstar Games manages to repeat the success of the first chapter, creating one of the most impressive video games of all time.
    • 97 Metascore
    • 97 Critic Score
    Super Mario Odyssey is a true expression of joy: a vibrant explosion of colours, surprises, wonderful design and excellent gameplay. It's a perfect match between the past and the future: it makes you feel immediately at home, yet at the same time it's a constant offering of something new and exciting. If you were looking for an excuse to buy a Nintendo Switch, well, look no further.
    • 96 Metascore
    • 97 Critic Score
    The Wii U version of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the same amazing, unforgettable experience you can enjoy on the new Nintendo Switch: the game runs pretty smoothly even on the old console, and despite being less powerful, the graphics are almost the same. If you're not buying Switch and already own a Wii U, this really is a no-brainer.
    • 96 Metascore
    • 99 Critic Score
    Baldur's Gate 3 is incredible, proof that in 2023 it is still possible to be amazed by a video game. It is deep, flexible, and engaging, but most importantly, it is able to tell an immersive story dictated by the player's smallest choices. Pioneers like Richard Garriott or Robert Woodhead can finally breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy a well-deserved retirement, because their legacy is safe in the hands of Larian Studios.
    • 96 Metascore
    • 97 Critic Score
    The PS5 version of Baldur's Gate 3 offers a gaming experience as excellent as the PC version in almost every respect, and while it lends itself to a few minor technical stumbles, it plays great thanks to a perfect adaptation of the control system on the DualSense controller. Even on consoles the Larian Studios title quietly establishes itself as a new benchmark for the RPG genre.
    • 96 Metascore
    • 98 Critic Score
    Tears of the Kingdom manages to surpass the perfection previously achieved by Breath of the Wild, an incredible achievement. I am very happy for the other software houses, who will now be able to spend a carefree summer, saving themselves endless work sessions in an attempt to create a contender for the game title of the year: right now, the current generation of game designers lacks unfortunately that spark with which to create a product capable of approaching the genius of Tears of the Kingdom.
    • 95 Metascore
    • 96 Critic Score
    Persona 5 Royal is not only a definitive version, but an even more refined and expanded game. One of the best JRPGs ever, alternative life and excellent gameplay, a game capable of marking an entire genre.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Team Asobi turns a convincing tech demo into a full-fledged game with top marks, again showing all developers out there the potential of haptic feedback. Entertaining, full of secrets and framed by an impressive audio-visual presentation, Astro Bot is a winner, partially limited by a moderate longevity and a series of facilitations that will not appeal to everyone. If you plan to explore its universe far and wide in search of secrets after watching the credits roll, make it yours immediately.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 97 Critic Score
    God of War is the best thing that has happened to PlayStation 4 since Bloodborne. Nothing is out of place, nothing is ordinary. The art direction is amazingly inspired, the combat system is really deep and engaging, and everything on screen is, hands down, unlike anything else you have ever seen on the PlayStation 4. Honestly, there's no reason not to play this new masterpiece from Santa Monica Studio.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    We're looking at a solid and engaging sequel that expands on the Hades universe without any major revolutions. A conservative second installment, therefore, that builds on the successful formula of its predecessor without overhauling it. Supergiant changes the protagonist, introduces new biomes, deities, and supporting mechanics, but remains faithful to the action roguelite gameplay that was already highly appreciated in 2020. Despite its lack of flaws, however, Hades II fails to shake off the feeling of being "just" a major expansion, rather than a truly new video game.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    95% is a bit of a miserly score for a game as outstanding as Metroid Prime Remastered, but those who have already played the original might consider themselves satiated and save money for a work that shows no particular additional content compared to the original. Everyone else should put it at the top of their shopping list, in no uncertain terms.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 97 Critic Score
    Elden Ring is the culmination of 15 years of work that have allowed From Software to improve, title after title, those consolidated foundations that have already given life to some of the most acclaimed games of all time, united by compelling stories and unparalleled gameplay.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Brutal, deep but above all fun: the combat system of God of War Ragnarök is worthy of the god of war himself! The exploration shows the side of a certain repetitiveness that in the long run tends to tire, but the epic nature of the plot and the sumptuous technical realization make the conclusion of the journey of Kratos and Atreus a show worth living to the full.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    The Last of Us – Part II delivers exactly what you've been expecting: adult storytelling and perfectly balanced gameplay. This game will give you shivers down your spine for nearly 30 hours and something to remember long after its end.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 98 Critic Score
    Valve selects the best features of VR action games and takes them to another level. Half-Life: Alyx is not innovative in choosing what is needed for the perfect virtual reality experience – between interactivity of the environment, gestural use of firearms or environmental puzzles – but it is in putting together everything in the style of Half-Life. The kind of first person game that made the series famous, and forever changed the action adventure into a "before and after Gordon Freeman", returns to linear origins without genres contamination, becoming an immersive sim only for what falls within our view, or what we can physically accomplish in a crazy City 17. Masterful.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    If you can look past some balancing issues in the combat system, or a storyline that is not too captivating, you'll find that Divinity: Original Sin 2 is an excellent RPG, that basically does everything right, and offers what a fan of the genre could expect.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 97 Critic Score
    With the exception of some moments in which textures and flickering betray that this is a last-gen game, the PC version of God of War runs with excellent fluidity. Whether you are a lover of the original series or a new god of war, it does not matter: give this game a chance and you will not regret it.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Hades on PlayStation 5 is the essential masterpiece we all know, embellished by the 4K resolution and a mild use of the DualSense features. A real must-have.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 92 Critic Score
    The last chapter of one of our favourite series improved over the previous chapters in every, possible way. The storyline is unique and much more consistent, and the production values (art direction, soundtrack, dubbing, graphics) are simply top-notch. The fact that the dungeons aren't randomly generated anymore is just the cherry on top.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 99 Critic Score
    Red Dead Redemption 2 was fantastic on PlayStation 4, and it remains fantastic even on PC, with the addition of some aspects that were missing in the original edition.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Hades is an exceptional game. It’s got a fun gameplay loop, incredible visual design, good animations and a ton of story and dialogue (and it’s all voice acted!). Definitely Supergiant’s best game to date, and a must-play both for roguelike fans and newcomers to the genre.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    Deadpool would call it "bigger, better and badass-ier"! The remake of Resident Evil 4 improves the original game in all respects by expanding its scope, modifying its times and increasing its power and smoothing out almost all its defects. Capcom once again proves to be the queen of action-packed remakes, explosions, parasites and deformed monsters.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Hands down, Uncharted 4 is the best title ever developed by Naughty Dog, and not just because of the stunning graphics. A wonderful balance between storytelling and gameplay, even better than the previous installments, pushing the boundaries of engagement and sheer fun. There’s no better way to say it: if you own a PlayStation 4, you must play this game.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 93 Critic Score
    Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the best games of the year, a digital paradise for the fans of the franchise.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Forza Horizon 4 is the best Xbox One exclusive to date: Playground managed to craft an exciting racing game set in a colourful open world full of things to do. That said, we can’t wait to see what this talented team can do outside the racing genre.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    It's a bit like being back in the company of old friends from a past that's impossible to forget: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth successfully continues the rewriting work begun four years ago, ferrying Cloud and his companions into an open world of rare beauty. A certain repetitiveness in the secondary activities and some minor flaws related to the combat system - exciting but still not perfect - are personally negligible trifles in the face of a reunion of such calibre. To recommend it is a trivial formality.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Nintendo reinvents the two-dimensional platform game through the sheer power of imagination, looking to the past and using it as a foundation to create something new. No one else has done it so brilliantly, but ultimately everything is easy when you are the king.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Forza Horizon 5 turns "more of the same" into a mark of true excellence, furtherly polishing and improving on a winning formula and making it exponentially more spectacular on a technical level and more enveloping on an environmental level, and mixing it all with its distinctive driving model, a unique mix of a simulative superstructure with an arcade heart beating beneath the hood.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Street Fighter 6 is Capcom who gets up after the half-slip of the previous chapter, taking note of what was wrong and finding the courage to further refine the combat system of its most famous series, imagining convincing mechanics and expressing the will to open the fights to the widest possible audience. The result is absolutely recommended.

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