The Games Machine's Scores

  • Games
For 2,678 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:
2680 game reviews
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Despite some invedent microtransactions, Total War Arena is a huge surprise, where the mix between RTS and MOBA's dynamics works perfectly. Beware: you have to make a close-knit and coordinated group of friends to play with, if you don't want to loose too many matches.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Where the Water Tastes like Wine is an amazing piece of storytelling caged in an unwieldy game structure. The journey through the States is a charming trip about the importance of the stories we share everyday and a great portrait of America form many point of views. On the long run, unfortunately, the lacklustre gameplay simply fails to sustain the sense of wandering and discovery of such an amazing journey.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 58 Critic Score
    This The 25th Ward remake is something that "had to be done", even just to preserve the memory of an almost lost videogame. Despite a catching plot, the rest of the experience is unfortunately imbued with slow and boring mechanics. You should consider the purchase if you are a Suda 51 fan only.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Despite the slightly rushed ending, this Italian survival horror does not disappoint: the story is well-written and engaging, the environmental puzzles are good, and so is the non-scripted AI. The icing on the cake is the price, definitely right.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    Insidia is a bold title, with some neat ideas, a nice art direction and a great, deep gameplay. The only complaint, at the moment, is the shortage of content, but hopefully that will change in the future. A real free-to-play, without tricks, with a huge potential for growth.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Gravel is welcome a return to Milestone's roots: a fun, engaging and exhilarating racing arcade, along the lines of Dirt 2 and V-Rally. The driving model is accessible but not trivial, the gameplay is challenging without being frustrating, some locations are simply unforgettable and the multiplayer has a lot of potential. Green light.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Ea Sports UFC 3 is a pretty good mixed martial arts sim, deep and spectacular enough. The gameplay feels a little bit unbalanced, the Career has some unconvincing moments, and the multiplayer forces the Ultimate Team mode on the player. The game is intense and satisfying, but there's still room for improvement.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 67 Critic Score
    Let's put aside the controversies about the Metal Gear saga, and talk about the game, and what it can really offer. The idea of mixing the gameplay of Metal Gear Solid V with a survival setting could have really worked, but the truth is that the very foundation of the game is pretty weak and messy. There are some fun and challenging moments, but overall it feels like a wasted opportunity.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 71 Critic Score
    Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is not a bad game per se, there are no real flaws or problems, but the overall experience is a little bland and generic. Things get a little (but just a little) better if you play with some friends, even in PvP. It's your typical product that will only please the hardcore fans of the original material, nothing more.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Typoman Revised is a brainy and well-designed platformer, offering few hours of clever fun and some degree of replayability. The Switch version is by far the better one, more polished and with some new ingredients that will please the players. Unfortunately, the touch screen is noo longer supported (but it was on the Wii U version).
    • 80 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    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.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A remake only makes sense when it truly enhances the original game. Guess what? This is not the case. For lack of a better option, it's best played on a Super Nintendo Classic Mini. The best way to describe this remake is "unnecessary", and it could be worth your time only if you don't have any other way to play the original.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 62 Critic Score
    Fe
    Fe is a fascinating journey through an enchanted forest which turns into an empty guided tour with stunning visuals, compelling sounds, but very few emotions driven by gameplay. At its core there are brilliant and originals ideas, but they are suffocated by dull, derivative and cumbersome mechanics, as well as by a clumsy storytelling.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    A Case of Distrust is a charming and gripping noir interactive text adventure. Halfway between 80 Days and Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, Ben Wander’s game tells us about the roaring 20s in a very stylish way. If you can turn a blind eye to some cumbersome mechanics and a couple of trivial choices you’ll spend three lovely thrilling hours hanging around San Francisco.
    • 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.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    After hours spent in the world of Age of Empires - Definitive Edition, we still don't have the answer to the real question: why should we play this remake? Gameplay-wise, the genre has seen a lot of improvements over the years, and the developers weren't bold enough to give a fresh start to the original title. At the end of the day, this seems more and more like a wasted opportunity.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Monster Energy Supercross is a step ahead in mastering Unreal Engine by Milestone. It is overall a fun, spectacular and intense motocross game. The sense of speed is great and the action, although more arcade than MXGP, is always tense and gripping. Unfortunately, its great potential is undermined by the lack of polish, AI balance and some poor design choices, which limit its sense of progression.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Despite some camera issues and a low longevity, Wartile is an enjoyable game and a perfect mix between two worlds: RTS and board games. Even if you love just one of them, you should give it a chance.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 58 Critic Score
    Dynasty Warriors 9 is a game that can be recommended only to hardcore fans of the genre: the formula is absolutely the same, with its inherent boredom, further stressed by a subpar open-world experience. There are some new elements here and there, but the gameplay is basically the same.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The remastered version of Bayonetta 2 is a moral imperative for every owner of the Nintendo Switch who didn't play the most stylish and crazy action series of all time. There are some issues with the framerate here and there (especially in the exploration sequences), and the screen of the console has a better image quality than the TV. Nonetheless, a must-have for every action fan out there.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Eight years after its first appearance on PS3 and Xbox 360, the wild and exuberant Bayonetta lands on Nintendo Switch, and it hasn't lost a bit of its sexy charm. This new release can be appreciated wherever you want, with a solid and granitic 60 fps, and a better visual experience on the go.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Despite relying on the well-established and fashionable 80's pop culture, Crossing Souls is literally good for the soul, and there's much more beyond its simple nostalgic approach. Behind the levity of a by-the-book teen movie, there's a heartfelt and intimate game, extremely polished and deep, with a convincing art direction and a solid gameplay.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    It's almost impossible not to compare Kingdom Come: Deliverance with the Witcher series: there's absolutely no fantasy in the Warhorse production, but it boasts a strong character, an enormous quantity of content, choices that matter, and an adult and mature storyline. You can't expect the same visual quality or a comparable level of polish (pun intended), but the battles are like nothing you've ever seen, and the depth of the simulation really drags the player into a beautiful medieval novel.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] is a sublime fighting game, with a lot of content to enjoy, a varied gameplay and a generous roster. The graphics show their age, but the art direction is still pretty unique. Despite the fact that several fighting games were released in the past few weeks, this one should be on top of your list.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 55 Critic Score
    Short, dull, and technically weak, The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia is a mediocre game, that will probably be appreciated only by the younger and more hardcore fans of the saga created by Nakaba Suzuki.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    Dragon Quest Builders finds its way on Nintendo Switch, where the unique specificity of the console offers breeding ground for the endless possibilities of the game. Nonetheless, it's the same game as it was two years ago, with some fringe additions. An excellent opportunity, if you missed it when it was originally released.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    Rise and Fall is an excellent expansion for Civilization VI, broadening the offering and adding many more irons in the fire: nine new leaders, eight civilizations, a general improvement of the experience, and several new gameplay tweaks. The original game was a pretty good one, and with this new expansion it's just gotten better.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The combat system of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is the natural evolution of what we played on PSP: exhilarating, impressive to see and fun to play, and it reminds us of how good is Team Ninja in developing action games. All we miss out on is everything else: few interesting game modes, cosmetic-only customisation options, and a truly messy online framework. Our honest advice? Wait and see how things will evolve in the near future.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 95 Critic Score
    In terms of settings, gameplay dynamics and sheer fascination, Subnautica is the best single-player survival game out there. It's full of bright discoveries, a great sci-fi experience, and at the same time a cruel and unforgiving survival horror. James Cameron would absolutely love it.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 65 Critic Score
    Nine Parchments could be a fun game if you can wander in its levels with a couple of friends (in no more than a couple of evenings). After that, the experience gets boring and repetitive, and you'll probably search for something else to play.

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