The Games Machine's Scores

  • Games
For 2,650 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:
2652 game reviews
    • 63 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    Saints Row proved to be a worthy reboot of the saga, capable of looking back to draw heavily on the soul of the franchise, but also of looking forward to the future of the series, creating a perfect starting point for everything that, potentially, will come. Volition has given its best both on the content and on the technical front, and the result is an open world that has nothing, or almost nothing, to envy to the competition.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Endling - Extinction is Forever is, first of all, a survival adventure for everyone since the difficulty setting is deliberately easy, so everybody will be able to enjoy the game at its fullest. The story is compelling and it deals with a pressing issue, exasperating the drama, but never declining into the banality of the so-called “educational games” thanks to the excellent storytelling. The artistic side is also awesome, and we can say that if extinction is forever, a diamond is forever too, so the game can be considered a small diamond that is worth playing.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Soul Hackers 2 delivers a dry and essential experience for Megami Tensei fans in an old-fashioned dungeon crawler that doesn't dare to risk something new. In its caution it proves to be a good game for those who can't sleep waiting for the next Persona, but those who know Atlus' demons inside out won't find anything truly innovative.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Behind its souls-like mask, Thymesia hides a gameplay surprisingly dynamic, engaging and full of fun challenges. Even if it cannot really punch above its weight and reach the high levels of some of the greatest (due in large part to a story that doesn’t really shine), this OverBorder Studio game shouldn’t be overlooked, especially by the fans of the genre.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Rollerdrome is a catchy title. Roll7 wins with this successful sport-shooter formula.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered on PC is an excellent way to live or relive one of the best console classics of last years, a real "definitive version" that can push the game to unprecedented graphical heights.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Cult of the Lamb looks like a roguelike in The Binding of Isaac way, but in reality, it is also a deep god game. The message behind the title is: you have to be afraid of losing those who the day before you treated as pawns. You feel omnipotent and invincible, but the truth is that you are a slave to others like anyone else.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 71 Critic Score
    First time in Europe for the Chinese-folklore inspired ARPG series, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever has a charming personality and world-building, but it fails in delivering a strong experience due to balance and optimization issues.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 92 Critic Score
    Let the fun begin! What, did you think the campus was meant for study? In Two Point Campus there is very little difference and the joyful tone will make you happier and happier as you spend hours between gourmet cuisine competitions and a doomed magic university that looks suspiciously like Hogwarts.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Hard West 2 is a definite step forward in the right direction for the series.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    South of the Circle is a weird and fascinating experience, that mixes poor gameplay with a great script. It's essentially an interactive film, where all we're asked to do is look at the screen.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    In Hell Pie there was the risk that all efforts made in the creation of a crazy and irreverent storytelling could detract energies and resources from the actual gameplay development. Luckily, devs did not get lost along the way and what we have here is an excellent 3D action platformer, which also entertains us with its demential humor without falling into the trap of being little more than a collection of crass jokes. There are some minor flaws, but nothing major.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 94 Critic Score
    Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a masterpiece, and I'm not used to using the term too lightly. It has a magnetic plot, is supported by a successful cast and the audiovisual presentation literally sparkles, enhancing Switch as rarely before. If you love Japanese RPGs, you have to have far more serious problems than those that plague Aionios to get rid of it.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Despite being a jack of all trade (and master of none), Bright Memory: Infinite is still a game both frantic and visually impressive, but it’s also very short. Maybe too short.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Live A Live tries to do many things, but not all of them live up to the same standard. The overall narrative is satisfying, but the stylistic discrepancy between its various adventures, combined with a certain underlying simplicity, makes the game a short adventure lacking depth, but admittedly exciting when it gets into the right gear.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Another nostalgic compilation from Capcom with a robust miscellaneous of arcade games, glued together by a shiny old-school interface and a wide range of visual options. Some of the titles are already available in other collections, but this time each one can be purchased separately.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Stray is an average game, a fairy tale about a missing kitten who wants to return to the surface. The scripted parts are also its strongest and most effective narratively, while the open areas feel much less focused. All in all, Stray is a simple, enjoyable game. Great for those looking for a nice adventure and a bit of social criticism.
    • 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.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 57 Critic Score
    Matchpoint: Tennis Championships shows all its limits after just a few matches. There are some interesting ideas but, considering the poor A.I and the lack of game modes, there is no reason to play this game for more than a few hours.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Wear the headset and start shooting. And dodging. And creating absurd weapons. MOTHERGUNSHIP: FORGE is a pretty straight-forward roguelite shooter that delivers on its premise. It won’t do much more than that, but that’s fine, believe me.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    Playing Neon White is like being John Romero in 1993 in front of a machine running the original DOOM. The same need for speed, the same surgical precision, the same satisfaction in beating a level and getting the maximum score. Arcade at its finest, at its essence, at its core. One of the fastest-paced experiences on the market and definitely this summer’s gaming obsession.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    After nearly 25 years Bandai Namco gives us the opportunity to (re)discover two great classic platform games. A quite good remaster that could have been far better with some extra material, and the addition of the chapters released on portable consoles.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Arcadegeddin is a fun and engaging roguelite/shooter. Be aware that there are still a bunch of minor bugs and glitches despite a long Early Access period, but hopefully the devs will fix them soon.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is like one of those delicious cream puffs, a single explosive mouthful with which you risk getting lost in a blissful glycemic trance.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is a game of ups and downs. It’s a good visual novel with an interesting story and an intriguing cast, but misses the mark in the puzzle/shoot’em up sections. The end result is a game with no balance, interesting for those looking for a visual novel with an intriguing story, to be avoided by those who want to enjoy an exciting gameplay experience.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 45 Critic Score
    Honestly, I feel like I can’t do anything but completely pan Nightdive’s efforts on Blade Runner Enhanced Edition: from a technical standpoint, the game is indefensible, with plenty of bugs, and certainly doesn’t feel “Enhanced” compared to the original (luckily still available on GOG). Undoubtedly the lack of chunks of the source code and the format of the original assets did Nightdive no favors, but this is still a poor tribute to Westwood’s legacy.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Perfection is not stationed in Tahnra yet, but despite this, Symphony of War is still a strong and compelling turn-based strategy thanks to the amazing mix of simplicity and depth of its mechanics.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Thanks to a constant hint system always suggesting what our next step should be, Keplerth guarantees a casual approach to the usually hardcore survival genre, as long as you select a low difficulty level. Just like in other sandboxes, you decide how to play, choosing whether to run along the main quest or dedicate to hunting, fishing, breeding, farming, expanding and improving our base. By activating permadeath the gameplay gets as tough as the meanest roguelike and it's worth a try.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    There will always be a place for games like Freud’s Bones, which have some imperfections, yes, but are also daring and willing to explore new themes. Fortuna Imperatore’s debut game takes some considerable risks, such as having to explain psychotherapy to the player in order for him to untangle the main mechanics, but it hits the mark and churns out one of the most interesting systems of recent times. Not everything else is at the same level, but there is always a clear sense of the desire not to go down paths already taken by others: from a forerunner like Freud, one could not expect anything else.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    F1 22 manages to improve on last year’s game by evolving its driving model based on the new Formula 1 regulations. Unfortunately this happened to the detriment of the amount of content present in this iteration. Right now we have a foot in the new era, but the other is still in the past.

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