TheGamer's Scores

  • Games
For 1,257 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 44% higher than the average critic
  • 7% same as the average critic
  • 49% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.5 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 73
Highest review score: 100 Nuclear Throne
Lowest review score: 0 Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise
Score distribution:
1276 game reviews
    • 75 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The balance of needing to manage your lair and check your world map is particularly well done. As your network grows it can get harder to avoid lockdowns, but upgrades bring it back in line. My only minor gripe is that you can’t properly micromanage minions. They have auto-assigned tasks and if you need things prioritizing - for instance, the removal of dead agents blocking the corridor - you need to get your Genius to step in, which can be dangerous. If you love building games, creating elaborate strings of traps, playing the bad guy, and generally living your best island life scamming tourists, Evil Genius 2 is for you.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    You don’t need to be a fan of text-based adventures to enjoy Cyberpunkdreams. For fans of the cyberpunk genre, this is a game that you absolutely need to play. While chance and luck play a large part, the experience is exactly what you make of it. You’re more or less in charge of what happens to your character based on the decisions that you make. Even in my weeks-worth of playtime, I’ve barely even scratched the surface. There’s so much lore in this game. There’s even an e-book for those interested in diving into the Cyberpunkdreams world even more. More content is planned post-release, and with a dedicated community of players, Cyberpunkdreams is one game that you need to check out.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Deathloop feels like your first bite of a cheesecake after being stranded on a desert island and living off seaweed for six months. In a sea of shotgun-spread triple-A games that are all too familiar, Deathloop is a precision 50. cal bullet of originality right through your eye socket.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Session is the skating game I've always dreamed someone would make, where performing even a 'simple' trick is significant and challenging. There are no mile-long grinds or 900-degree kickflips here: just real skating in its rawest form. It doesn't just simulate the sport, but the art of skating too. You need to get creative, looking at the everyday clutter of a city and dreaming up ways to make something rad out of it. That's what street skating is all about, and why Session is the best virtual expression of the artform yet.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Players who are unfamiliar with the sub-genre of Cosmic Horror may be dissuaded from trying the game out, while hardcore fans might expect too much. The term "Lovecraftian" at its core demands that a player be weak and insignificant in the big picture of the world, and Door in the Woods executes this perfectly.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    this DLC is a must-buy for any fans of the original trilogy. It's packed full of flashback features that add a new dimension to every aspect of the game, alongside the new campaign. Just don't install it until you have plenty of time to recreate that classic park while humming the Jurassic Park theme song. Trust me, you'll need it.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    As a fighting game, Street Fighter 6 is pretty much flawless, but it’s the little details across the board that make it clear that this is a fighter for everyone and not just fans of the genre. A wild statement for a series that’s always felt more hardcore and impenetrable than the rest. Whether you’re a newcomer playing with Modern controls or a veteran with a fight stick and a vendetta, Street Fighter 6 feels like the most approachable and welcoming fighter I’ve ever played without ever once sacrificing its potential complexity and fighting spirit.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Ultimately, Persona 5 Royal brought me back to the Phantom Thieves, and made me realize how much I missed them and their antics, and the beautiful world where their story occurs. Being able to play this journey on the go only sweetens the deal, and the experience is as immaculate as it was years ago—a masterful port of a masterpiece.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Jurassic Park Evolution 2 delivers improvements across the board. It takes the best parts of the original game, adds new ways to play, and changes up mechanics to make them feel more realistic and interesting - making everything more engaging and immersive. Building straight paths and fences is easier, keeping dinosaurs fed is a breeze, and even speeding up time is now possible, yet managing those raptors is still a welcome challenge. While I may not actually be the best dinosaur supervisor yet, I can’t see myself putting this game down for a long time.
    • 96 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece. Games like this don’t come along often, experiences that capture the zeitgeist so profoundly as to provoke scurrilous rumours that Larian Studios would come under legal action for making a game considered too good. From narrative to level design, combat to quests, character creation to romance, everything is fine-tuned to provide a gripping experience that provokes wonder and joy.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The new Double Trouble update makes it an even more compelling offer. Easily a fifteen dollar value released entirely free of charge, there’s no reason for those who already own the game to not give this one a shot.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    You should just play Lorelei and the Laser Eyes instead of reading about it. I’ve never seen a game quite like it, and I can’t imagine I’ll see anything like it again anytime soon. It ticks all the boxes for a puzzle game that is just as intelligently and thoughtfully designed as it is atmospheric and fascinating, and I can’t recommend it enough.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    It’s a game with a goofy premise told with the utmost sincerity and conviction, buoyed by its believable cast and comforting aesthetic. If you’ve ever loved a video game – like, truly loved one – this is the game for you.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    I’m V and the game is Silverhand - I can’t get Cyberpunk 2077 out of my head. I’ve had it a week and played 70 hours, which is probably about as healthy as scooping out my face and replacing it with electronics, but it didn’t feel like work. Like a digital personality loaded onto a biochip, it felt like stepping into another life for a while. It’s a life I can’t wait to relive.
    • 92 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Metaphor: ReFantazio is a new peak for Atlus. It takes so much of what was great about Persona, refines it, and throws that powder into an exciting fantasy setting with incredible lore, well-developed characters, and a fresh new battle system.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Without a doubt, Warlords of New York looks to be a great step of what lies ahead for The Division 2 and should not be missed.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    It's very rewarding.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    What I can say, is that Kentucky Route Zero is a beautiful game. It is also a tragic game, a boring game, and perhaps not even a game at all.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    If you've played the first Life Is Strange, or its prequel, then you'll already be aware that developers Don't Nod are fans of making onion chopping ninjas appear while you're gaming. You'll happily be making (what you thought were) smart choices, when suddenly, that smart choice doesn't look so hot anymore. I knew going in that this was going to be a rough journey. What I didn't know was how incredibly sensitively handled and well-told this traumatizing tale would be. Life Is Strange 2 tackles a number of issues, with racism being the most prominent, and Episode Five continues in the same vein as the earlier ones. It skillfully weaves choices that really matter into a heartbreaking, but incredibly moving finale for two brothers who have finally come to the end of the road. Continue scrolling to keep reading Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Start now The Story So Far While this review won't include spoilers for Episode Five, it's assumed that you've played the first four chapters. If you haven't, why are you reading this review instead of catching up? After the traumatic aftermath of their father's death, Sean and Daniel went on the run. Right from the start, the choices you made mattered, and Episode Five really shows this. You can even choose if you saved Arcadia Bay in the first game, which is reflected in the later narrative of Episode 5, especially in this final part. RELATED: Arise: A Simple Story Review: Here Come The Waterworks After numerous nasty incidents, mostly involving racists taking against the boys for being Mexican, and a close call with the police, we left the boys in the aftermath of a dramatic escape. After Daniel was brainwashed by a cult while Sean was in the hospital, Sean and the boys' mother, Karen, mounted a rescue. As Episode Four concluded, the brothers finally looked at peace as they drove off with Karen. The Wolf Brothers The episode begins with some bonding between the brothers. Enjoy this peace, as things are about to get very rough. Predictably, the calm doesn't last and the brothers are on the road once more, still hoping to reach the Mexican border and finally, Puerto Lobos. In some ways, this episode is less traumatic than others. Episode Four was a rollercoaster from start to finish, but this finale slows the pace, at least in the beginning. It's a welcome relief and gives players a chance to catch their breath a little as they meet some interesting characters, including someone who will be very familiar to fans of the first game. RELATED: Choose Your Own Adventure: 10 Games Where Your Decisions Really Matter We also find out more about the brothers' history, their mother, and some other interesting details that fill in their background. There are also some intriguing interactions that will vary, depending on if Arcadia Bay is still around. While we enjoyed the lighter story, it only made us love the boys even more, which, in turn, makes the ending even more difficult to cope with. When things predictably begin to fall apart, the boys flee and, as we saw in the trailer, finally reach that border. What happens next depends on you. Every Choice Counts In the first game, the player was offered a choice which led to two different endings, both equally traumatic. This follow-up is not quite so clear cut. While players only have a choice of two alternatives for the final decision, the outcomes for each depend on previous choices. There are actually four distinctly different endings, each with a mix of happiness and tragedy. There is also a slight variant to one ending and three slightly different alternatives to another. As you can imagine, with this many endings, every single choice counts, even down to the little things that slowly impacted your relationships. Tackling Important Issues All throughout the episodes, the issue of racism has been tackled, while homophobia was touched upon. This final episode continues in that vein, with both issues once again explored. These are sensitive topics that have been handled incredibly well. The narrative in this last episode is just as engaging, sensitive, and well-written as those which came before it. There's no jarring difference and no huge letdown. RELATED: Pine Switch Review: Beauty That Is Only Skin Deep This time around, while the drama is not on a "destroying an entire town" scale, it's actually more traumatizing, as so much of it is rooted in the consequences of racism. I've never felt my white privilege more than I did playing this. So many of these incidents sadly do happen, and that realism is what makes this harder to stomach. Watching Sean explain racism to Daniel still breaks my heart, almost as much as the loss of Mushroom did. A Satisfying Finale As expected, the graphics, narrative, and soundtrack are absolutely stunning throughout. This series is known for its attention to detail, and this is never more apparent than in some of the tiny details you'll notice in Wolves. The pace can feel slightly slow at times, and there are a couple of moments that made me want to scream at the boys to hurry up, but it's all part of the story. Ultimately, they are very minor annoyances due to my impatience, and the pace is generally well thought out, building up the finale well. While not all the endings are happy, with one, in particular, being especially traumatizing, they all feel realistic and in line with the choices you need to make to get to each one. Each has elements of joy and sadness, and this feels right for the script. After all, they left a large amount of chaos behind them which can't fail to have an effect on them, or anyone playing this beautiful game.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    In the Service of Mrs. Claus is impressive, making for an extensive narrative experience. With a broad range of themes to choose from, there is something for everyone.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Dirt 5 is similar to Project CARS 3 with its arcade racing style - just with a larger focus on rally racing. The style absolutely works in Dirt 5, offering up accessible rally racing to anyone interested in getting behind the wheel. Of course, the drive is what you make it. So should you want to become a master racer to take on other skilled players online, that option is also easily available to you so long as you're willing to put in the time.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Without a doubt, the best thing about the PS5 version of the game is that it allows for cross-gen progression. The process is fairly straightforward - you essentially save and upload your PS4 version, and then download the file onto your PS5 - but it made me incredibly happy that I was able to bring over my custom character and his stats to the PS5 without hassle.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    If you want to train your brain in more ways than one, enjoy a murder mystery that'll keep you on your toes until the very end, and view some pretty wild 90s fashion designs, Murder By Numbers is the game for you.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    As somebody who grapples with my mortality every day, Necrobarista helped me want to live each day to the fullest - lest my time be stolen away in the blink of an eye. And for a game to have that impact on a person, for a work of art to rattle the soul that thoroughly, is perhaps one of the highest forms of art that I can think of.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Remedy has always been seen to push boundaries, or experiment with different ideas using its own kooky melting pot of creative innovation, but never has it felt as accomplished as it is with Alan Wake 2. This feels like the game this developer has wanted to make for years, unrestrained in the best possible way as it goes hard on layered storytelling, flawed yet fascinating heroes and a series which for over a decade now has been harbouring untold potential. To see that ambition finally realised is a delight, and the end result is one of the best survival horror games I’ve ever played. It’s Remedy let loose, debuting a shared universe that is bound to continue changing the game for years to come.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Despite its ambitious scope, Hardspace never bites off more than it can chew. It is unapologetically pro-union and anti-corporate, and it shows a remarkable deftness in handling the social complexities of those positions. It distinguishes the personal value of labor from the material value - two products our corporate overlords are eager to conflate - and offers a perspective of hope in an otherwise hopeless world. I consider Hardspace: Shipbreaker essential media for anyone that is employed - blue-collar or otherwise. If nothing else it will provoke you to think about your relationship with work in a new way. Considering we spend one-third of our lives doing it, it’s a worthwhile experience.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Roguelites usually frustrate me, but I’ve never once wanted to rage quit Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop. Whether it’s the fact that I’m armed with new knowledge, I’ve got new perks to push me further, or it’s just that Droose has gently encouraged me to keep going, I can’t stop playing Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop. I want to find all its secrets and once, just once, manage a perfect run. I’ll probably have to finally figure out what to do about exploding nuclear reactors first, though.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale brings the stress and chaos of being a cook into the comfort of your own home, and that is absolutely a wonderful thing. Playing online with friends is the best way to experience the game, which offers plenty of fun mechanics and challenging levels to play over and over again (including an endless mode). In fact, at only $20, Cook-Out provides a surprisingly large amount of content. Resolution Games’ has cooked up something special with its latest immersive VR title, which is fun and inviting for any wannabe chef.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    You don't have to love Gwent to enjoy Thronebreaker. In fact, you don't need to even know anything about Gwent, or The Witcher for that matter. Thronebreaker is a story about an army general with her back against the ropes trying to make the best choices in impossible situations. There is plenty of Witcher lore to consume, but for a game spin-off of a card game based on a mini-game in a fantasy game, Thronebreaker is shockingly accessible. If you're a fan of puzzle games and fantasy stories, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales will not disappoint.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Like the video game equivalent of an orchestra, Florence is comprised of so many different elements that all work seamlessly together to create an emotional masterpiece. Video games exploring romance is nothing new - but this short and sweet game is probably the best and most realistic title that portrays what the realities of falling in love is actually like.
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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    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Right now, New Arc Line isn’t showing the coherence I had hoped for, but it makes up for that ambition. It’s a game I’ll be sticking with throughout its Early Access, and as long as you’re prepared for the fact that this might not be a smooth ride for a while, I can recommend that others do too. I just hope that the team realises that it needs to focus on improving the writing as much as the technical issues. [Early Access Review]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    InZoi is undeniably impressive both in its visuals and gameplay, with more than enough to get stuck into even in this early access version. Players will spend endless hours customising characters, buildings, and furniture, and that’s before they even start living their digital lives. Life sim fans are certain to lap it up with gusto, providing they can overcome the graphical barrier. The real test of whether InZoi will reign as the life sim king will come with time, as long as regular updates happen and Krafton delivers on the promise of all it has in development. [Early Access Score = 80]
    • 67 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Every looter struggles in the early days, and it would be naive think a studio that's never made a game of this type before would nail it right out of the gate. That being said, it's already in way better shape than I ever expected it to be at launch, and, most critically, the combat — particularly in multiplayer — is an absolute blast. I'm hopeful, and I'll be sticking around to see where things go from here.
    • 72 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    There’s a real promise in what stands to be a modern successor to one of the all-time greats of the genre, NCSoft’s Lineage 2. [Review in Progress]
    • 83 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    There's still a long way to go of course. I'm about halfway through the campaign, I've only unlocked three dungeons. I don't know what the end-game grind will be like and the rogue-like activity Torghast is still unknown to me. But I'm enjoying the process more than I ever have before, and more than anything, I just want to rescue the heroes of Azeroth and stop Sylvanas and the Jailer from doing... whatever it is they're doing.
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    From building your base to fighting off an endless horde of ladybird larvae, Grounded 2 is very much more Grounded, and some will likely question why this is a sequel and not an expansion to the original. But if you look beyond the superficial similarities, you’ll see a sequel that’s far more confident in itself. This isn’t an experiment for Obsidian anymore, it’s a full-blown project that’s getting the care and attention it deserves, with a bigger story, bigger enemies, and a bigger world to explore. We may be small, but I have very big expectations for Grounded 2. [Early Access Review]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    All things considered, Subnautica 2 has managed to mirror some of what made the first game so incredible, but it's a bit lackluster the second time around since it hasn’t changed or meaningfully built on much of it. Its greatest shot at doing so lies in its potential for an intriguing story, which the Early Access launch puts down roots (eh?) for. As long as future updates continue to evolve both the gameplay and the story to cement its own identity, I have no doubt it will be every bit as beloved. [Early Access Review]
    • 75 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    There is value to Modern Warfare 2’s campaign. It is art. It’s also just intense fun throughout, because it is ultimately a video game. To say anything else is to take away from the years of hard work that has gone into producing this spectacle. But we can’t forget about the context: millions of people, a lot of them very young and impressionable, will play this campaign. This is why it’s important to have these sorts of conversations. The campaign constantly dances a wobbling tightrope between being too fantastical and exposing the realities of modern war. Sometimes it slips too far into the realistic horrors, and it’s unable to commit, so it has to pull you back with just one more big budget explosion. [Campaign impressions]
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Schedule 1 is the chillest game about running a drug empire I’ve ever played. My little dude, whom I’ve nicknamed The Eggman because all drug lords need a cool moniker, spends his time skating around town, laundering money at the laundromat, and peacefully snipping away at his plants in a dinky little room above a Chinese restaurant. When I invited my friend to play this new early access title, it wasn’t thirty minutes before three police officers were dead and half our supply was sinking to the bottom of the river. [Early Access Impressions]
    • 61 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    As is always the case with these types of things, install and play Delta Force at your own discretion. For a free-to-play shooter, it’s a solid game, but nothing too special. Worth trying out for the sake of a new shooter, but it probably won't tempt you away if you're happy with your current multiplayer game or if you object to kernel-level anti-cheats. [Review in Progress]
    • tbd Metascore
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    Masters of Albion’s little quirks and British humour make it endearing and funny, adding some much-appreciated details to what makes it stand out, like its crafting and odd building mechanics. The humour is a throwback to old-school Fable, so it can be shockingly explicit, but in the best ways. However, overall, if Masters of Albion wants to keep players enthralled, the nightlife needs to calm down a little so I can go back to enjoying making rat pies. [Early Access Review]
    • 57 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    After the failure of Babylon’s Fall, Foamstars feels like yet another attempt from Square Enix to nestle in on the live-service market, and one I wouldn’t be surprised to see fail. It’s a shame, because on a foundational level, there is an aura of Jet Set Radio or Ghost Trick in its cool aesthetic and obscene lore, which in a better world could have been turned into something far less cynical. This is a game where foam has developed into a secretion from individuals who are basically soap-based mutants, and this is the most creative thing you’d have them do? If you get foam-o from this one, I promise you aren’t missing out on much. [Review-in-Progress]
    • 85 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    That really should be a given for a game with the phrase "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" in its name. Unlike other games to have worn that badge so far, though, I’m thoroughly convinced that there’s enough here to justify the price of its upgrade. What I’m still unconvinced of is whether this expansion is so good that the whole Wonder package is now an $80 game. Not because I don’t love Wonder and everything it brings to the table, both in the base game and its Bellabel Park upgrade, but because I’m yet to be convinced that any game is worth $80.
    • 87 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Roads To Power is more than just the next in a long line of DLC. It’s a true expansion, one that promises all-nighters to die-hard fans, and could be the missing something that brings hesitant newcomers to finally try on the crown.
    • tbd Metascore
    • Critic Score
    There is a bit of a grind to get the materials you need, but it doesn’t feel like it. You can freely explore all areas right away, though accessing the resources involves restoring the land and solving the mystery of the ancient civilization. It’s a great way to unwind at the end of a stressful day, and with the multiplayer function, you can bring friends along on the journey as well. [Early Access Score = 80]
    • tbd Metascore
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    But as it stands now, Dead as Disco is not only my favourite game I’ve played so far in 2026, but one that I can see being a true all-timer as more content is added and it’s polished up even more. Charlie Disco's comeback performance is already something truly special, but it can only get better from here. [Early Access Review]
    • tbd Metascore
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    Zoning new buildings is a pleasure in Manor Lords - significantly better than Cities Skylines 2, somehow - and watching your citizens drag the logs over, build the foundations, and set up the support beams, is completely immersive. You can wander around your town in third-person, your great red cloak billowing behind you, and exploring the streets at a walking pace brings the whole package together. “I built this,” you think. [Early Access Review]
    • tbd Metascore
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    After spending a few hours with 007: First Light, I’m more confident it can and hopeful it has everything it takes to become an action blockbuster with nuance, spectacle, and flair that we just don’t get anymore. [Hands-On Impressions]

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