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 3 games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, this reviewer sided with players 2 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.
Recent reviews (60 tracked)
- 80Metro ExodusApr 30, 2019 · Chris Davis
“Moving to small open world settings was a huge risk on behalf of 4A Games and the outcome is mixed. The open world areas slow the pace down a little too much for my tastes and ultimately the best levels are the ones that most closely resemble the feel of the previous games. However, everything else I love about this series is still present, such as the unrivaled sense of immersion, the incredible weapons, and the story that focuses on people more than big twists and turns. Exodus isn’t quite the all-conquering sequel to the excellent Last Light that I’d been hoping for, but it’s another solid entry in a series that is unlike anything else on the market and I highly recommend you play it.”
read full review ↗ - 60Weedcraft IncApr 11, 2019 · Chris Davis
“It’s always a shame when a game with great features doesn’t quite come together. Weedcraft's problems are fixable. The interesting features can be refined and improved upon over time and, at only $20, Weedcraft Inc doesn’t require a huge financial outlay. However, it does require a lot of your time and too much of that time is holding down the mouse button and navigating through tedious chat menus. There’s a fun ten hours in Weedcraft Inc; it’s just a shame it took me over twenty hours to experience it.”
read full review ↗ - 80Baba Is YouApr 4, 2019 · Chris Davis
“I struggled with Baba Is You, but not until I’d played for at least ten thoroughly enjoyable, stimulating, and baffling hours. A smoother difficulty curve and a few more tutorial missions would have been appreciated, but if you’re at all curious, or appreciate a thoroughly different type of puzzle game, I highly recommend you give it a go.”
read full review ↗ - 80Hypnospace OutlawApr 1, 2019 · Chris Davis
“Detective games of this quality are rare and Hypnospace Outlaw sits nicely alongside Her Story and Return of the Obra Dinn as games I wish I could wipe from my memory and play again. I’ve referenced my own nostalgia a lot during this review, however, I firmly believe you don’t need to have been online during the nineties to appreciate Hypnospace Outlaw. A passing interest in the early internet should be more than enough to appreciate this excellent detective game. The nostalgia isn’t necessary, but it doesn’t hurt.”
read full review ↗ - 60ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove!Mar 29, 2019 · Chris Davis
“Ultimately, I enjoyed playing through the tutorial and completing one playthrough to the end, but that only took ninety minutes and if I wasn’t reviewing the game I wouldn’t have felt the need to play it again. As it was, I played a few more times and didn’t get much from it on those repeated playthroughs. Back in the Groove is fun while it lasts but there isn’t enough here to make it an essential purchase.”
read full review ↗ - 20Xenon RacerMar 28, 2019 · Chris Davis
“Maybe there’s a fun game in here somewhere, however, Xenon Racer is simply not ready for release on Switch and certainly shouldn’t be $50. Fast RMX is available for $20. Buy that instead. It looks a hell of a lot better, both in docked and handheld, and runs at 60 frames per second. Plus it doesn’t make me ill.”
read full review ↗ - 80APE OUTMar 1, 2019 · Chris Davis
“I rarely place graphics and sound on par with core gameplay when valuing the overall experience a game offers, however, Ape Out’s visuals and sound elevate it above what is an otherwise simple, but fun, action game.”
read full review ↗ - 80CrossCodeFeb 25, 2019 · Chris Davis
“A few problems with grinding and overly-long dungeons take the edge off of what is an otherwise superb game. CrossCode has a special story that kept me going even in moments where I was tempted to stop playing, a combat system that remains challenging and fun throughout due to the slow drip feed of the elemental abilities, and puzzles that get incredibly complicated later on.”
read full review ↗ - 100Resident Evil 2Feb 18, 2019 · Chris Davis
“I’m always reluctant to throw around high praise and label games as the best the genre has to offer. Games tend to be overhyped on release and then the love dies down over a few months and you end up looking a little stupid. Here’s the thing though, Resident Evil 2 really is that good. It actually is genre-defining. It is one of the best triple-A experiences I’ve had in years and it will be in contention for my game of the year. You can believe the hype this time. Resident Evil 2 is phenomenal.”
read full review ↗ - 60Mutant Year Zero: Road to EdenDec 20, 2018 · Chris Davis
“Combat is challenging and enjoyable enough that I briefly started a second playthrough on hard. I wanted to master the combat challenge and solve the puzzles properly instead of brute forcing my way through them. I got through a few encounters and then it hit me just how similar the experience would be the second time around. There weren't any cool new mutations to play with or better weapons to acquire. So I stopped playing. My first playthrough lasted fifteen hours and it was decent. I'll keep an eye out for a sequel or an expansion, but at the moment, Mutant Year Zero doesn't have enough worldbuilding or interesting variety in its upgrades for my tastes. I doubt I'll ever finish that second playthrough.”
read full review ↗ - 60TimespinnerDec 17, 2018 · Chris Davis
“Timespinner has a great art style and the music is excellent, but a five-hour crawl through relatively bland maps isn't enough in a year with incredible games such as Guacamelee 2, Dead Cells, and Celeste. I spent another hour with Timespinner after finishing the story but didn't quite get 100% and felt no desire to finish it off. Timespinner is decent, but when compared to other titles that came out this year it comes up lacking. It needed more abilities and more interesting ways to use them in puzzles. Doubling the length would have also helped because it felt over way too soon.”
read full review ↗ - 80GRISDec 13, 2018 · Chris Davis
“GRIS is relaxing and visually stunning. It's like a watercolor painting come to life. Much like any piece of art, what you make of it is going to be intensely personal, however if you enjoyed the experience of games like Flower and Journey, you should probably play GRIS. My three hours with the game flew by and I felt reinvigorated at the end, as if I'd just awoken from a good night's sleep (or so I imagine).”
read full review ↗ - 100Guacamelee! 2Dec 10, 2018 · Chris Davis
“Guacamelee 2 is a game I didn’t know I wanted until a year ago when I saw the reveal trailer and it’s a game I didn’t know I needed until I played it. Guacamelee 2 doubles down on everything that made the first game great and improves on a few of the weaker areas as well. I don’t know where Drinkbox Studios can go with a potential Guacamelee 3 but I thought much the same thing after the first game and here we are five years later with a sequel that is a huge leap forward for the excellent original. There’s a lot of competition in the 2D platformer space this year, but you absolutely must find the time for Guacamelee 2.”
read full review ↗ - 80The MessengerDec 3, 2018 · Chris Davis
“The Messenger has a unique spin that sets it apart from other games and yet, ironically, it lacks an identity of its own. As a modern Ninja Gaiden game it’s excellent, but it only maintains that for half the game. The other half is a faint-hearted attempted at a Metroidvania that never quite works. I thoroughly enjoyed eight to nine hours of my twelve-hour playthrough. The other three or four were a little more tedious than I would have liked but that shouldn’t entirely negate a brilliant platformer with plenty to offer even in a year that’s been chock full of throwback retro platformers.”
read full review ↗ - 60Battlefield™ VNov 12, 2018 · Chris Davis
“Battlefield V‘s war stories have tedious mission design and are a step back from those of Battlefield 1. The multiplayer is only a slight iteration on its predecessor and, while the online experience is stronger overall, the lack of content on release means it feels like DLC for Battlefield 1 instead of the new game I waited two years for. I will consider increasing the score when Battlefield V is complete in March, however as of November 2018, I don’t recommend you buy in at full price. Wait for a sale, by which time Battlefield V might actually be finished.”
read full review ↗