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 12 games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, this reviewer sided with players 4 times.
Computed 6m 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.
- +23No Man's Skyoutlet 65 · players 42 · Aug 2016
- +47Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfareoutlet 90 · players 44 · Nov 2016
- +25DOOM Eternaloutlet 100 · players 76 · Apr 2020
- +19FOR HONOR™outlet 65 · players 46 · Feb 2017
- +22Gears 5outlet 90 · players 68 · Sep 2019
- -37Cat Quest IIoutlet 55 · players 92 · Sep 2019
- +15Dishonored 2outlet 90 · players 75 · Nov 2016
- -15My Time at Portiaoutlet 70 · players 86 · Apr 2019
- -16The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spiritoutlet 70 · players 86 · Jun 2018
- +19Virginiaoutlet 85 · players 66 · Sep 2016
Recent reviews (130 tracked)
- 85Rogue Heroes: Ruins of TasosFeb 21, 2021
“I enjoyed every minute I spent on this game. Completing it in just over 17 hours, my only complaint is I’m left wanting more. It was a nice, simple game that added a nice touch with roguelike dungeons. I didn’t run into any bugs or game crashes or anything like that as well, so that’s definitely a positive. Being a fan of the top-down style, this game was right in my wheelhouse. Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos checked every box I look for in these types of games and even added some elements that make this style better. If only for a brief time, it was nice to play a game that brought me back to my younger days, those much simpler times. The times where we just enjoyed things for what they were.”
read full review ↗ - 75Blue FireFeb 16, 2021
“I enjoyed my time with Blue Fire. After raging on some dungeon bosses and raising my blood pressure trying to navigate the way through crazy puzzles and platforming voids, I was able to beat this game right around the 20-hour mark. The game crashing bugs were annoying and will need to be addressed sooner rather than later. With all the Zelda and Hollow Knight influences, it was hard not to love this game. Blue Fire’s skills weren’t hard to learn, but mastering is a whole other topic that involves a ton of patience, a steady hand, a pillow to scream into, and taking a deep breath or two….or three…..or four.”
read full review ↗ - 65ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the KnightsJan 21, 2021 · Bryan Clutter
“I’d like to see Ender Lilies thrive during its Early Access period, and I hope that a lot of these problems and balance issues can be worked out quickly because I do think there’s a promising game to be had here. At this stage of Early Access though and with so many other options available on the market that feel almost identical to this game, it struggles a bit to keep its head above the water. The graphical style and unique presentation will certainly set it apart from the more realistic looking offerings out there, but for now, I think the early consensus can be to wait for some updated and additional content before jumping in.”
read full review ↗ - 65Super Meat Boy ForeverJan 1, 2021 · Kyle Vaughn
“Super Meat Boy Forever has for many years been one of my most anticipated indie releases, and to say I didn't enjoy it would be disingenuous. Nevertheless, I feel there's an expectation from Team Meat to make an impressively difficult and worthy sequel to their 2010 smash hit. The problems present aren't the type that can be patched out - they're fundamental to the design of the game and, unfortunately, we may be waiting another ten years should they ever decide to travel the road of Meat Boy ever again. If you like Super Meat Boy, then you'll probably enjoy much of what Forever offers, but a patient gamer will likely find this as a free offering from Epic Game Store before long.”
read full review ↗ - 70DIRT 5Dec 7, 2020
“Overall, the experience of playing Dirt 5 delivers on what racing fans might expect. The price point for the game is right where it should be at $59.99 even though it is a next-gen title. I recommend playing the game on the PlayStation 5 so you can experience the potential of the DualSense with haptic feedback and the HD rumble. I found myself enjoying Dirt 5 for short bursts of play before wishing I could go back to other blockbuster titles that satiated my hunger for story content and progression. I look forward to seeing how Codemasters improves upon this experience with their next installment in the Dirt franchise.”
read full review ↗ - 65Watch Dogs®: LegionNov 20, 2020 · Bryan Clutter
“Even though it may sound as if the game is avoidable after reading through this review, there’s still some fun to be had, especially for the hardcore Watch Dogs fans if that is such a thing. Going into this, I was craving another Ubisoft style, check-box frenzy of a game, and this just didn’t do it for me in the slightest. It didn’t help that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla released just a handful of days after this and is exactly the style of game we were looking for. So should you jump in? That largely depends on you. If you played the first two games, I can certainly recommend a go at this one just to stay fresh on story elements and be prepared for the hopeful revitalization of the franchise when we get Watch Dogs: Black Flag. For everyone else, you can probably look away this time, especially with so many things releasing right now in the new generation of console gaming.”
read full review ↗ - 70BugsnaxNov 20, 2020 · Kyle Vaughn
“Luckily for PS5 owners, Bugsnax was added as the first free game for PS+ users, so there was little risk in jumping in to it for any players that enjoy playing online. The end of Bugsnax hit around the 10-hour mark, and I enjoyed most of my time spent on Snaktooth Island. The actual decisions made in the plot, as well as the overall absurd premise, often left me scratching my head more than the mystery of Lizbert’s disappearance, but the bright oddities of this bizarre planet, with its hilariously-combined food creatures and its animated residents, were enough to keep me playing all the way through. My own children enjoyed the silly antics of the bugs as well, and though they didn’t catch to the more adult-themed nuances, were interested in Snaktooth’s tale. If you have a PS5, are subscribed to PS+, and aren’t expecting a masterpiece, then Bugsnax is worth your time as a silly, absurdist escape.”
read full review ↗ - 90The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IVNov 12, 2020 · Bryan Clutter
“The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV builds off of the previous three entries and finally brings a conclusion to the long-running Erebonian Arc.”
read full review ↗ - 100HadesNov 3, 2020 · Kyle Vaughn
“If you’re new to Level Down Games, you should know that we reserve perfect scores for the very rare event that a game should be considered a true masterpiece of its genre and that, for the life of the reviewer, we wouldn’t change a thing about the game. In 2019, we didn’t award a single perfect score to any game. I hope that our miserly use of tens leads you to take it very seriously when we finally hand one out. When I say that the music, story, combat, and flow of Hades is very near perfect, I don’t mean that I would change something, only that there is something that might have room for improvement that I have not been able to identify after many hours of playtime. Hades is priced at an affordable $24.99, and since its release has already had a few sales. It is worth much more than the asking price, and I genuinely can not recommend it enough.”
read full review ↗ - 80Pumpkin JackOct 29, 2020 · Kyle Vaughn
“Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and I’ve long adored games that embody the cheery hilarity of the season, including Costume Quest, themed events in Animal Crossing, and the costumes characters might acquire in World of Warcraft. Pumpkin Jack easily enters this pantheon of all-hallowed gaming for me, and I enjoyed nearly every moment I spent with it. Pumpkin Jack is a game that will have little difficulty being enjoyed by gamers of all ages, and I’m excited to get to share an updated version of one of my childhood favorite genres with my own children.”
read full review ↗ - 70Tell Me WhySep 14, 2020 · Bryan Clutter
“But let’s be honest. You aren’t going to decide to pick up and play Tell Me Why based off of how it performs, how it looks, or even how it sounds. You’re going to pick this up and play it because Dontnod Entertainment has shown that they know how to make an engaging choose-your-own-adventure style of game. As usual for anything published by Xbox Game Studios, the game is available through Xbox Game Pass, and for that reason alone, it’s worth a handful of hours of your time.”
read full review ↗ - 75WitcheyeSep 9, 2020
“While the game wasn’t too difficult at times, the chase of being a completionist will certainly have a ton of replay value. The level design is simple but brings a certain difficulty with trying to control a bouncing eye. With a price point of $4.99, you absolutely can’t go wrong with this purchase. For retro platformer fans, this is an absolute must buy. It’s a game you can play for a few hours, or just knock out a few levels. It’s a fun game that can be enjoyed by gamers of all ages. Who knows, maybe after reading this review, the game will really catch your ‘eye’.”
read full review ↗ - 40WindboundSep 2, 2020 · Kyle Vaughn
“Earlier in August, another boat-faring game by the name of Spiritfarer was also released, and which I also reviewed, and if you are going to get one game about boats and oceans this month, get Spiritfarer. In fact, I would have a difficult time recommending Windbound over almost any game, and for almost any reason. In most regards, Windbound struggles to feel like a game at all, instead playing like a demo for a far-from-release Kickstarter project, or the alpha build of a new engine, where game mechanics have only been implemented for testing purposes. This isn't an early access project, but is a full release with an audacious asking price of $29.99 for an adventure that, according to Steam metrics, took me all of 4.3 hours to breeze through. The best part is that it only took me less than five hours to see the ending credits. Oh well, at least Tony Hawk comes out this week. DON'T LET ME DOWN, TONY!”
read full review ↗ - 80BattletoadsAug 27, 2020 · Bryan Clutter
“Hopefully this won’t be the last time we see Battletoads again for another two decades. We as a generation of gamers continue to get older, especially those of us which love this style of game. With time having a finite number on all of us, it’s an amazing feeling when a franchise and game such as this that you have such fond memories of as a child is able to burst back onto the scene in a big way. Even with its slight pacing issues and relative simplistic difficulty, Battletoads is worth your time and attention, especially all of you out there with access to Xbox Game Pass.”
read full review ↗ - 85Neon AbyssJul 27, 2020 · Kyle Vaughn
“I won’t act like Neon Abyss is a game for everybody, or even for most people. The difficulty scale is much too high for younger gamers or those that get frustrated too easily. The repetitive gameplay loop won’t keep many people interested. Even those that love rogue-likes, especially The Binding of Isaac and Dead Cells, might be put off by the repetitive appearances of their least favorite minibosses. Indeed, I think Neon Abyss would benefit from some DLC that improves upon the variation one might experience from run to run. But, for what it’s worth, and for those that particularly enjoy this type of painful punishment, you’ll find an impressively compelling loop that will keep you returning again and again and again (I even bought a new controller for my PC to help me play a little better). This is a game that deserves to be discussed amongst the best indie games of 2020, and will rank amongst the greats of its genre.”
read full review ↗