USgamer's Scores

  • Games
For 899 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 44% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 51% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.9 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 76
Highest review score: 100 Dota 2
Lowest review score: 10 AR-K Episode 1: Gone With The Sphere
Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 31 out of 899
924 game reviews
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    If you're a fan of Dragon Quest VIII, you'll find a lot to love about Dragon Quest XI. Its character-driven plot and skill system recall the series' breakout PlayStation 2 installment, though Dragon Quest XI''s lively world and expressive monsters lend it a unique feeling and flavor. Some fans might feel let-down about Dragon Quest XI's lack of job system or other options that let you fine-tune every aspect of your party ... but if you're in the market for a turn-based RPG that feels nostalgic but doesn't force you to deal with old genre mechanics, you won't find a better quest.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    For Atelier veterans, Rorona Plus deftly addresses pretty much every criticism that could be levelled at the original Rorona while providing plenty of new content to enjoy. For Atelier newcomers, this is a solid, enjoyable and charming game that marks an ideal entry point into the broader series as a whole.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Pretty much everything about this game feels fresh and exciting: the class-based combat, the art style, the roster, the modes. It's equal parts strategic and twitchy, encouraging you to think while also rewarding skill, and its roster is a delight. Overwatch may well be the best new multiplayer shooter to come along since Modern Warfare and Team Fortress 2 took 2007 by storm. I can't wait to play more.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Even if you know the Kingdom of Drangleic like the back of your hand, you're in for many new surprises. And if you've never played Dark Souls II before, your patience has paid off: This is simply the best version of it you'll ever play.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    NBA 2K17 addresses most of my biggest issues from last year in cutting out canned animations and going back to basics with MyCareer, and it's still as polished as ever. It's easy to take its excellence for granted, but Visual Concepts' ambition and willingness to take risks keeps it from ever becoming stale. NBA 2K17 is the champion, and it's tough to see it losing that title anytime soon.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Perhaps the definitive version of Diablo 3, Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition is streamlined, buttoned-down and an absolute joy to play - especially so when you start adding friends.
    • 97 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Super Mario Odyssey honors much of what makes other 3D Mario games great, plus it adds plenty of its own flavor to the Mario stew thanks to its capture mechanic. Mario Odyssey can keep you busy for hours and hours if you want it to, and you probably will. Outside of a few instances where the camera took on a mind of its own, I can't think of a moment when I wasn't enjoying myself while journeying with Mario and Cappy.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    It's a return to Final Fantasy's roots, and it's beautiful.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    By turns hilarious, disturbing, witty and poignant, The Stanley Parable is a successful experiment in the video game medium's inherent interactivity and how this can affect an author's story -- for good and for ill.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Banner Saga is blindingly lovely and arguably just as intriguing to play. Built atop a world that all but demands the attention of travel documentaries, it's epic in the literal sense of the word.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Hearthstone is easy to play, yet it delivers an astonishing breadth and depth of strategy. If you're looking for a fascinating, involving and highly addictive cerebral gaming experience, there are few finer than this.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    A great PvP game that offers some of the most intriguing and nuanced team combat around.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    What more can I say? I loved SteamWorld Heist and I think everyone should play it. Even if you don't normally like tactics games, Heist might be able to change your mind. It might not make a lot of Game of the Year lists, but I can assure you that it is one of 2015's best.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    As technically polished and fully-featured as any racing game out there, Forza Motorsport 6 transports you to an incredibly realistic racing world where there's a huge breadth of choice in terms of cars, tracks and types of driving experience. Pretty much whatever you're in the mood for, Forza Motorsport 6 has you covered.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Melancholic, all too real, but in the end, hopeful, Kentucky Route Zero is a reflection of what it's like to survive as an everyday American. It's an adventure concerned not just with our country's endemic issues, but with the people at the center and their undying perseverance in the face of economic cruelty. As an adventure game, it is perhaps one of the finest games ever written, ebbing and flowing between the perspectives of not just other characters, but the lens we see it through. All considered as the sum of its many, equally magnificent parts, Kentucky Route Zero is a game I won't forget for a long, long time.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Messenger is the real deal. It's the most polished, thoughtful, and accurate tribute to retro gaming that I've seen in a very long time. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Its unconventional, non-violent subject matter and gameplay also skilfully and confidently prove that not all games need an "attack" button to be enjoyable and interesting -- and given the growing sense of weariness a lot of us have been feeling with super-violent experiences, that's something that should be celebrated.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    From Software's amazing streak continues with Dark Souls III, which amounts to the finest game in the series. Returning players will find everything they've grown to love in a much better form, while newbies will be treated to the most accessible Souls to date.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Milla Maxwell is not only a great female protagonist that other developers would do well to learn from, she's simply a great character, period, and one who deserves to stand alongside the genre's longstanding stars. Her game's no slouch, either.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Divinity: Original Sin 2 is simply the pinnacle of the CRPG genre. It offers a campaign with memorable characters, interesting role-playing options, and excellent systemic combat. The environments are beautiful and the soundtrack is solid. That alone would put it at the top of the heap, but then Larian added offline and online coop, a PVP arena mode, and Game Master mode, the greatest throwback to the Dungeons & Dragons pen-and-paper games that underpin the entire genre. I might have small issues here and there, but Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the best in a strong year for gaming.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    I was delighted by Metroid: Samus Returns. It hits pretty much every note you hope to see in a Metroid game, and MercurySteam's console background is evident in their flair for the dramatic — whether in their introductory cutscenes or their boss battles. Their dramatic reinvention reinvigorates the source material and strengthens the story's bridge to Super Metroid. In short: They nailed it.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Card Hunter gets it right in every which way that matters, and even in some of the ways that don't. It's geeky, goofy tabletop fun remade for the modern web browser: brilliantly designed, highly appealing and top-notch fun.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    It also has charm, cleverness and enough heart to make up for five Call of Duty iterations. Tearaway is a 3D platformer mashed together with a creative craft class for adult kids, an adventure that is as close to sandbox-y as a non-sandbox game can get.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Freedom Cry adds a new new wrinkles to AC4's gameplay, but the real strength is the focus on slavery and the return of some nuance to the world of Assassin's Creed.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    A tricky and challenging single-player game, joyously mad multiplayer action, and an incredibly in-depth creator mode combine to deliver what is without doubt, the best LittleBigPlanet game yet. Wonderful stuff.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Don't let Rainbow Curse's relatively small length put you off; it's a sublime experience that completely washes its hands of the padding most games employ to justify a retail release.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Making excellent use of the visual novel medium to tell its story, Steins;Gate is a beautifully crafted piece of interactive fiction that blends character drama, sci-fi and critique of popular culture into a compelling and memorable whole.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Dark Souls II provides the best of both worlds: an admirable sequel for series veterans, and a perfect jumping-on point for gamers who've shied away from From Software's RPG brand until now. And if you're afraid of the series' tough-as-nails reputation, From has made sinking into Souls addiction a much more effortless process. You just have to let Dark Souls II break you first.
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Monster Hunter has been in need of a big change for years, and this reboot-of-sorts could have easily gone wrong. Instead, Capcom took a careful look at Monster Hunter's design and cut all the fat while leaving the series trademark dense gameplay completely intact. All the changes, from the broad, sweeping ones to the granular alterations, only serve to improve an already winning formula. The next generation of Monster Hunter has finally begun, and, with Monster Hunter World, it's off to an incredibly good start.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Shovel Knight is a loving homage to an era we left behind long ago. The graphics, gameplay, and soundtrack are all pitch-perfect for an NES game... all you're missing is the original cartridge. Yacht Club Games has crafted an amazing experience from beginning to end.
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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    • 80 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Life Is Strange 2's debut episode, despite its faults and its slow-moving pace, starts the series off compellingly, setting off on a road trip adventure that I'm sure will bear more hardship for the two brothers than unlikely friendships.
    • 72 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Hours of Darkness is a snack, not a meal.
    • 78 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Currently, it's not my favorite tactical strategy experience, but I admit I enjoy seeing my Battlemechs tromping across the landscape to stomp out a fallen foe. Unfortunately, I need to finally finish the game's story campaign and drop bit more time in the additional multiplayer mode, which I haven't touched at all. Once I get those under my belt, I'll be back with a final score.
    • 78 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    What's odd is they aren't really a collection in the traditional sense; even in physical release, they're seperate games. Revelations 1 looks great and is only held back by the underlying game itself. Revelations 2 is a better game, but there are cuts to make it run on the portable platform. In the end though, those cuts are much shallower than some other recent Switch ports, meaning it's more than worth it if you absolutely have to have Resident Evil on the go.
    • 82 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    If you missed out on Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker the first time it was around, then there's no better time to dive in. If you've played it before though, the new offerings of Super Mario Odyssey-themed levels won't be that enticing, unless you have a kid to bring into the fun for co-op.
    • 77 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    World of Final Fantasy is great. It's a bit on the linear side so far, and I haven't encountered too many situations that will tax a veteran of the series. But approach it as an all-ages take on the franchise, a Final Fantasy that works for both newcomers and old-timers alike (albeit on different levels), and it's surprisingly great.
    • 83 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Frozen Wilds stands next to the base game, it doesn't surpass it. If that sounds like something you want, I'd recommend it. If not, this won't make the game any better for you. For me, I enjoy Horizon: Zero Dawn, so a little bit more is right up my alley.
    • 84 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Hyper Light Drifter is very much worth the time, effort, and aggravation it costs you (and inflicts upon you). Its blistering speed takes some getting used to if your experience with action RPGs leans towards the likes of Zelda and Secret of Mana, but once you warm up to the icy slickness of Hyper Light Drifter, it quickly commits itself to your muscle memory. Within a few hours, you wonder how those punk werewolf enemies ever gave you such a hard time, especially since their attack cues are so slow and obvious.
    • 78 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    It's the weakest episode yet, even with its cliffhanger ending.
    • 72 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Soulcalibur 6 comes as a strong package simply by offering the modes we've come to expect from the series. The Character Creator, Libra of Soul, and Chronicle of Souls add up to a great package for single-player fighting action, while still retaining all of the offline and online options, like Versus, Training, and Ranked Match.
    • 64 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Federation Force has proven to be a pleasant surprise, and my feelings on playing the game quickly went from "reluctant dread" to "respectful delight."
    • 87 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Dragon Ball FighterZ is a class act of a fighter and I'm looking forward to more additions to the game from Arc System Works. (Videl, Broly, Master Roshi, and Mr. Satan are begging to be added to the roster as are alternate costumes for existing fighters.) What's here is a complete package, with a fighting game that's fun for fans, but still has depth for masters.
    • 77 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    The Foundation wins in filling out the world of Control. The additional lore and answers about various facets of the Oldest House like Control Points and Power Boxes is exactly what I want from Control. That was what pushed me forward, deeper and deeper into the DLC. Of the two major new powers, Shape makes you feel like the superhero you are, while Fracture is a pretty boring addition. I just wish those powers could be brought back into the base game, for further new combat or exploration opportunities within the Oldest House. If the world of Control is your thing, the Foundation delivers.
    • 82 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    I hope Octo Expansion is at least indicative of the future of the series. One not laser-focused on just multiplayer, one that goes further in enriching its delightfully weird world, one that experiments with Splatoon's unique ink-shooting and platforming quirks. In the meantime, at least we have the doubly charming and frustrating Octo Expansion.
    • 85 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    There's a lot to love about Yakuza 0, but it's going to take me a while to work my way to the story's finale. The endless brawling turns the whole thing into a real chore, I'm afraid. But I will say that as tired as I've already become of the constant beatdowns, the story and general self-confidence of the game makes me want to power through. And for anyone who doesn't share my disinterest in punch-ups — well, there's literally no reason for you not to give Yakuza 0 a try. It really is like no other game I've ever played. Because it's the Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto, and that means something weird, wonderful, and decidedly not at all like Grand Theft Auto.
    • 87 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Sure, there's fetch quests, kill quests, dungeons, and raids, but what makes Final Fantasy XIV beloved by its players is that story. This grand tale of the Warriors of Light and Warriors of Darkness. Of the Eorzea Alliance, the Garlean Empire, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and the Crystal Braves. Of all the characters you meet, whether in glorious combat, or in a quiet dinner.
    • 80 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    From what I've played so far though, The Evil Within 2 is everything I wanted from the first game. Every major complaint I had about the first game is at least addressed in some manner, though the tweaks aren't always perfect. It's a unique psychological horror title with Resident Evil 4's action combat. Tentatively, for those folks who weren't a fan of Capcom's reboot with Resident Evil 7, The Evil Within offers something that you might like, while blazing its own trail.
    • 70 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Like The Heist, Turf War is an okay addition to the overall package.
    • 78 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Master Mode is simply vicious, offering a punishing adventure for even the most hardened of Legend of Zelda players. I honestly don't think I'm up to the task. I look forward to seeing those who are though.
    • 72 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    What's there is fun, but it just left me wanting more.
    • 73 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    I think the hardest part of playing Iron Man VR, impressive as it was, was the stifling nature of donning the PSVR for a long period of time. That's not the fault of the designers necessarily, but it does beg the question of just how far you want to go in creating this extremely dense interactive experience, with multi-part missions that can take more than 30 minutes to complete. Iron Man VR feels like an amazing amusement park ride that just keeps going, leaving you feeling dazed and a little ill when it finally comes to an end.
    • 82 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    So far, Life Is Strange 2 has been quietly very good, even with its missteps. With a believable sibling relationship anchoring the series, it's a very different game from the original Life Is Strange, and I think it's all the better for it. Episode 4 in particular is the second best episode in the series so far, resting next to its excellent introductory episode. I'm looking forward to seeing the conclusion of these brothers' heart wrenching tale. Hopefully they finally get their happy ending, or something close to it, but something tells me they maybe won't.
    • 84 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    When I ask myself what I'm willing give up to play this on a portable, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim on Nintendo Switch allows me to answer "I don't have to give up much of anything." That's pretty solid in my book and I'd say if you're a fan of Skyrim, this version is probably worth your time.
    • 76 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    As a continuation of Marvel's Spider-Man for PlayStation 4, The Heist is okay. The Black Cat is the focus, as the rest is remixed mission and challenge types, and three new costumes...If you're in too deep with Spider-Man, it's worth picking up, but I do wish The Heist was a bit meatier overall. If my speculation is right, the later DLC releases will build upon what's found here, offering a satisfying expansion once all three updates are out.
    • 79 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Episode 2 may not be an attention-arresting adventure like the first episode was, but it takes risks in slowing down its pace and throwing more plot intrigue into the mix. I'm still invested in Sean and Daniel's journey, especially now that Daniel's supernatural powers are more of a focus. Even if Episode 2 isn't as endearing and exciting as Episode 1, it still has me looking forward to whatever the Diaz brothers get into next.

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