How this trust score was computed
Trust blends alignment (40%): does the outlet rank games the way players do; decoded accuracy (30%): after translating the outlet's own scale habits (a '7/10 means mediocre' scale is decoded, not punished), how well its reviews predict player sentiment; and player-side (30%): on games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, whose side it took. Recent reviews weigh more (2-year half-life), and the blend is shrunk toward a neutral prior (60) so small samples can't peg the scale. Player quality is launch-window Steam sentiment, so outlets aren't punished for reviewing a launch build that later got patched.
Controversy record: on 36 games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, this reviewer sided with players 6 times.
Computed 26m ago · full methodology →
Outlet vs. players
Each dot is a game both this outlet and players scored. The dashed line is perfect agreement: dots above it mean the outlet was more generous than players, below it more harsh.
Biggest disagreements with players
The receipts: games where this outlet's verdict landed furthest from player sentiment.
- +31Halo 5: Guardiansoutlet 90 · players 59 · Oct 2015
- -30Terrariaoutlet 65 · players 95 · Apr 2013
- +41Call of Duty: Black Ops 4outlet 85 · players 44 · Oct 2018
- -28Cyberpunk 2077outlet 40 · players 68 · Dec 2020
- -33Dying Lightoutlet 55 · players 88 · Feb 2015
- +38No Man's Skyoutlet 80 · players 42 · Aug 2016
- +29Destinyoutlet 95 · players 66 · Sep 2014
- +39FOR HONOR™outlet 85 · players 46 · Feb 2017
- -22Xenoblade Chronicles 3outlet 70 · players 92 · Jul 2022
- +27Evolveoutlet 75 · players 48 · Feb 2015
Recent reviews (421 tracked)
- 65Star Wars OutlawsAug 30, 2024 · Chad Sapieha
“Ubisoft's new sandbox game clearly gets Star Wars, but it somehow forgets to give us a charming scoundrel to cheer for”
read full review ↗ - 75Senua's Saga: Hellblade IIMay 22, 2024
“Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is an emotionally gruelling game, an unrelenting assault on the senses filled with brutal depictions of psychological and physical suffering. It makes for gripping storytelling, but it also left me drained.”
read full review ↗ - 70Rise of the RoninMar 21, 2024 · Chad Sapieha
“Team Ninja's historical samurai epic lacks visual dazzle and a compelling protagonist, but it's also pretty darned playable. Keep reading.”
read full review ↗ - 70Rise of the RoninMar 21, 2024
“Thanks to this brisk pace of play, a constant stream of skill points used to unlock new abilities, and a steady deluge of new equipment and armour that you can use, sell, or disassemble for crafting resources, the sense of progression is both real and satisfying. Once I was on the train, I didn’t want to get off. Still, it does feel like a game with unrealized potential. Players have been spoiled for choice over the last year when it comes to visually breathtaking, narratively rich games with huge and interesting open worlds. Rise of the Ronin is on the outskirts of that conversation rather than in the middle of it. Worth considering, especially for fans of historical epics and solid action, but the competition is stiff.”
read full review ↗ - 85FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTHFeb 22, 2024 · Chad Sapieha
“The second instalment in Square Enix's epic three-part retelling of its most famous game opens up the world for players to explore. Read on.”
read full review ↗ - 85FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTHFeb 22, 2024
“This web of interconnected systems is, in truth, a tad bewildering. But everything just seemed to keep developing and refining itself regardless of whether I knew how or why, so I never felt overwhelmed. I was just sort of along for the ride sometimes, and I didn’t really mind. Because, in the end, I just wanted to spend time with some familiar faces, listen to a new generation of artists cover some of my favourite game music, and see how a world I haven’t visited in decades had changed while I was away. I’m happy to say I had a great time catching up. And I got to stay at some lovely little B&Bs along the way.”
read full review ↗ - 60Mario vs. Donkey KongFeb 14, 2024
“Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a fun game skillfully made. But families on a budget (just about all of us these days) would be better served spending their gaming dollars on something a little more substantial.”
read full review ↗ - 85Super Mario Bros. WonderOct 18, 2023
“Thing is, it injects so much dopamine into my little monkey brain that any intellectual qualms I may have are effectively quashed as long as a controller is in my hands. Put more plainly, Nintendo really knows how to make a fabulously fun run-to-the-right game.”
read full review ↗ - 90Marvel's Spider-Man 2Oct 16, 2023 · Chad Sapieha
“Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is an ode to diversity, positivity, optimism, and progressive thought. Find out more.”
read full review ↗ - 90Marvel's Spider-Man 2Oct 16, 2023
“Granted, sometimes it feels like Insomniac, in its push to give us more than we could have imagined, almost goes a bit too far. Like the addition of a wingsuit so that Spider-Man can glide through Manhattan’s glass and steel canyons a little more quickly. It’s an innovation likely born from the sheer size of the city, which can take long minutes to traverse by web-slinging alone. It can be useful, but it doesn’t feel very Spidey-ish. I generally preferred swooping up and down, even if it took a little longer. But if that’s the worst complaint one can level at Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac must be doing something right. And it does nothing to diminish the game’s absolutely lovely energy. Every play session left me feeling upbeat and like all was right with the world. Or at least the world within the game.”
read full review ↗ - 80Forza MotorsportOct 10, 2023
“Turn 10’s 8th kick at the Forza Motorsport can should have plenty of appeal to gearheads looking for a photorealistic, physically accurate simulation of high speed racing. And since it’s included with Xbox Game Pass, there’s no reason for subscribers not to take it for a test spin.”
read full review ↗ - 80Forza MotorsportOct 7, 2023 · Chad Sapieha
“Still, Turn 10’s 8th kick at the Forza Motorsport can should have plenty of appeal to gearheads looking for a photorealistic, physically accurate simulation of high speed racing. And since it’s included with Xbox Game Pass, there’s no reason for subscribers not to take it for a test spin.”
read full review ↗ - 85Assassin's Creed MirageOct 4, 2023 · Chad Sapieha
“Ubisoft takes a less-is-more approach in its latest historical adventure, and it helps the game's educational elements shine. Read more.”
read full review ↗ - 85Assassin's Creed MirageOct 4, 2023
“I suspect the next time we see a $90 Assassin’s Creed it will be something significantly larger in breadth of world and play. Until then, Assassin’s Creed Mirage serves as an excellent stopgap, a historical adventure that proves entertaining and edifying in equal measure while leaving time to enjoy some of the other great games releasing this fall.”
read full review ↗ - 85StarfieldSep 1, 2023 · Chad Sapieha
“Bethesda's new space opera Starfield isn't perfect, but its accessible approach to open galaxy gaming should find a wide audience. Read on.”
read full review ↗