The Loadout's Scores

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For 99 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 47% higher than the average critic
  • 7% same as the average critic
  • 46% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 77
Highest review score: 100 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Lowest review score: 40 Redfall
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 99
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 99
  3. Negative: 2 out of 99
104 game reviews
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    • 96 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Elden Ring
    Elden Ring packs its intricately crafted world - a world which should be used as a reference point for open-world design moving forward - with more impressive boss fights and secrets than you can shake a giant greatsword at. Although its punishing combat system may not be to everyone’s taste, it is an essential experience both for FromSoftware newcomers and seasoned veterans alike.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Last of Us Part I
    The Last of Us Part 1 is a truly stunning remake that significantly heightens the immersion of one of the best games ever made with denser environments, more realistic gameplay, and beautiful remastered visuals.
    • 96 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
    The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is an outstanding achievement, masterfully evolving upon nearly all of the major strengths and weaknesses of its predecessor to create one of the most inventive and exciting open world adventures ever. Matched with deep world-building and characters, it’s an adventure you don’t want to miss.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Alan Wake II
    Alan Wake 2 packages captivating investigations and spine-tingling horrors into Remedy Entertainment’s most ambitious game so far. It’s visually astounding, thematically potent, and an absolute must for newcomers and fans alike.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Final Fantasy XVI
    Blending brutal and flashy combat, a visually-impressive lore-filled world, and a story that offers intrigue and character-driven moments, Final Fantasy 16 is a completely fresh take on the series, despite having the heart of previous entries. It deserves every ounce of praise it will surely get, and in my view is a GOTY contender.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Marvel's Spider-Man 2
    Spider-Man 2 is hands-down the best game of the PS5 era so far. It’s visually stunning, narratively brilliant, and somehow manages to improve Insomniac’s already stellar traversal and combat from previous Spidey games. It’s a masterpiece.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Pavlov
    The most realistic VR shooter on the market, Pavlov VR is a must-have for headset-toting Dust II veterans and a rewarding investment for curious newbies. It feels particularly elevated on the PSVR2 thanks to the clever implementation of headset rumble and adaptive trigger profiles.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
    With a total focus on fun, amazing visuals, and lots of welcome additions and improvements over its predecessor, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is one of the surprise packages of 2023. While the story mode lacks in some areas, and younger gamers are definitely the target audience, there’s still a lot to appreciate and enjoy regardless of your age.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    God of War: Ragnarok
    God of War Ragnarok is a clear GOTY contender, as the deserved sequel features an action-packed narrative, satisfying combat, a luscious Norse world, and some fantastic character development.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Street Fighter 6
    Street Fighter 6 is one of the most polished games in years, offering a diverse range of fighting modes that all complement each other and an engaging, deep World Tour mode that brings the series into a new era.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Deathloop
    Deathloop is Arkane at its best, combining its system-driven immersive-sim gameplay with a unique and fascinating story set-up. Excellent presentation and style, along with fantastic dialogue and character performances makes Deathloop one of the most innovative games in years and a valuable PS5 exclusive.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Life is Strange: True Colors
    Life is Strange: True Colors sets a new bar for the series. Deck Nine does a stellar job of exploring painful topics that evoke true emotion both in-game and out, using its cast of well-written characters and set pieces, all packaged within a gorgeous environment and a beautiful soundscape.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Psychonauts 2
    Psychonauts 2 is a superb sequel that appeals to both long-time fans and newcomers. With a engaging story full of twists and turns, excellent witty dialogue, and a gorgeous visual palette, exploring people's minds has never been so fun and thrilling.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Callisto Protocol
    While not perfect, The Callisto Protocol is one of the best in its class, with jaw-dropping jump scares that’ll keep you up well into the night. With satisfying combat, incredible audio design, and jaw-dropping visuals, Striking Distance Studios has made a short but superb horror game that leaves you wanting more.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
    Star Wars Jedi Survivor cements itself as an essential action-adventure game. Full of heart, humour, and blisteringly great combat, Respawn's latest Star Wars game is a treat for newcomers and long-time franchise fans alike thanks to its blockbuster-level story.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    F1 Manager 2023
    From the state of your team’s memorabilia room to how aggressive your drivers should defend in the final lap of a grand prix, F1 Manager 2023 is unique in giving you complete control of a Formula One team on and off the track. It’s a feature-rich, deep management sim with stunning race-day visuals that only improves on the incredible experience offered by its predecessor.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    F1 23
    With more content than ever before and news ways to engage, F1 23 is Codemasters’ best Formula One game to date – and maybe even the developer’s best racing game ever. New mechanics and car physics make this game a joy to play and F1 World is shaping up to be a fantastic addition to the series moving forward.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Dead Space
    The Dead Space remake delivers a truly exceptional horror game where Isaac Clarke is finally fully involved in his own adventure. This is a story-rich, gory, and more engaging experience than the original, and one you won’t want to miss.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Forza Horizon 5
    The Horizon formula has been perfected in Forza Horizon 5. Playground Games has retained what fans loved in previous games, but also offers fine-tuned gameplay and a more diverse open world to explore. This is one of the most fun and polished games of the year, and with continued support and regular content, it has the potential to thrive well into the future.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    As Dusk Falls
    As Dusk Falls is a captivating narrative-focused game that grounds itself in human experiences and captures the hallmarks of prestige TV with its acting, writing, and style. A true evolutionary experience in games.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Resident Evil 4
    Resident Evil 4 is a masterfully crafted action game that is a perfect coalescence of everything that is great about the series. It is perfectly paced and a truly gripping ride that will keep you glued to your seat at all times.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Marvel's Midnight Suns
    Marvel’s Midnight Suns exceeds expectations. It delivers a wonderfully rewarding, XCOM-topping combat system and a world full of larger-than-life characters you'll be eager to learn more about.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
    Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is everything you want it to be and more. Split-screen gameplay can be a bit troublesome at times, but these issues do little to sully one of the best Star Wars games available right now.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
    Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope takes the best bits of Kingdom Battle, distilling it into a winning strategy game recipe that’ll be played for years to come.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Hi-Fi Rush
    Hi-Fi Rush is a great little rock-and-roll game and one that deserves every ounce of praise it gets. From the lovable cast, to the incredible gameplay, Hi-Fi Rush is the ultimate hack-and-slash-rhythm game that every Xbox owner must play.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
    Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is one of the best uses of the spy thriller I’ve ever seen in video games, and the difference between this expansion and the base game circa 2020 is staggering. I certainly didn’t expect to be saying Cyberpunk 2077 is now one of the must-play experiences of 2023, a year already packed with dozens of incredible games.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Before Your Eyes
    Before you Eyes is a singular, immersive reminder that our memories are only half the truth. A meaningful message nestled in a thoughtful, engaging story, the tragic but beautiful world GoodbyeWorld Games has created feels fully realised and elevated on the PSVR2.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction
    Rainbow Six Extraction is a refreshing addition to the co-op shooter genre that ditches endless horde slaying for refined, tactical, and stealthy gameplay. With enough support and new content, Extraction could set a new benchmark for co-op games.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Assassin's Creed Mirage
    Ubisoft delivers a truly excellent experience with Assassin’s Creed Mirage, wonderfully blending this series’ past and present to provide players with a compact, engaging story driven by captivating characters and secrets worth seeking. It’s everything you could want from an Assassin’s Creed game and a welcome sign of things to come after a divisive few years.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Monster Hunter Rise
    Monster Hunter Rise’s fights are as enjoyable as ever with vastly expanded combat thanks to the new Wirebug. However, the removal of tutorials, and an overabundance of systems means the game isn’t as approachable as it could be.
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These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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    • 73 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Call of Duty: Vanguard
    Vanguard’s multiplayer offers only fleeting moments of fun right now, but its core issues can all be solved in time. Sledgehammer’s philosophy when it comes to maps and attachments means that, right now, you rarely get the optimum experience, but with dedicated spaces for competitive players it might well become the competitive Call of Duty game we’ve been waiting for. [Multiplayer Review Score = 70]
    • 89 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Xenoblade Chronicles 3
    From what I have played so far, it is clear that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has a pretty special narrative, which is why the series has captivated such a big audience over the years. The world-building, character-building, and the way the game follows through on its themes is mighty impressive so far and I am completely captivated by where the game is going. [Review in Progress]
    • 70 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Atomic Heart
    Outside of its interesting aesthetic, everything else about Atomic Heart feels very generic. While I may still find some redeeming features, as things stand, it's one of the biggest disappointments in recent memory.
    • 79 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    F1 22
    Codemasters has once again excelled with the on-track action in F1 22, and the series still manages to cater to everyone from casual F1 fans to hardcore sim racers. However, its major off-track addition, F1 Life, misses the mark and comes across as a hollow feature.
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Anacrusis
    The Anacrusis’ Game Preview launch is plagued with performance issues. In its current form, it also lacks any kind of identity, punch, or vigour. It is one of the most lacklustre games of its genre right now and Stray Bombay has a lot to do to make this the refreshing co-op experience many expected it to be. [Early Access Score = 50]

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