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 2 games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, this reviewer sided with players 0 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 (40 tracked)
- 90Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 (2011)Nov 8, 2011
“In a single-player campaign that goes a bit over-the-top at times, it's a relief to see that the action is scaled-back with Soap and Price often enough to ensure that these characters receive the billing they deserve. Elsewhere in the multiplayer, Infinity Ward was always going to have a hard time replicating the impact of its package from two years ago but it's managed a rock-solid, if slightly conservative offering for this difficult third album in the Modern Warfare series.”
read full review ↗ - 80RAGENov 7, 2011
“The most compelling aspect of Rage is the combat, which is undoubtedly id's forte, but its partly open world, storyline and characters feel diluted and inferior when compared to the big hitters in the action RPG genre. Those hoping to see the developer finally break out of the corridor will have to wait a little longer.”
read full review ↗ - 90From DustAug 5, 2011
“Truly a must-have XBLA game, From Dust can hold its head up high amongst the likes of Limbo, Braid, and Super Meat Boy – much like those platformers, Eric Chahi's long-awaited return has brought back a sadly forgotten gaming genre and given it a fresh breath of life. It's been a long time coming, but with any luck a god gaming renaissance is upon us.”
read full review ↗ - 100L.A. NoireMay 16, 2011
“A defining moment in video games on this generation, and more than just because of its use of MotionScan technology. The free-roaming genre has become a little stale in recent years, yet LA Noire manages to inject a renewed sense of vigour to the scene and capably demonstrates that video games don't have to be just about your trigger skills.”
read full review ↗ - 100Portal 2Apr 21, 2011
“Genius is an often overused word but Valve's work on Portal 2 is genius in the truest sense. The studio has exhibited exceptional creativity in the game, even compared to some of its other masterpieces. If we could give it 11/10, we would.”
read full review ↗ - 50LEGO® Star Wars™ III - The Clone Wars™Apr 14, 2011
“It's exciting to see the Lego games attempt to innovate, and some of the battles can be truly epic, but all sense of awe and fun is destroyed by persistent issues across the board, leaving players confused and frustrated. The trademark Lego charm is still just about present but is quickly wearing thin.”
read full review ↗ - 80Shift 2 UnleashedApr 2, 2011
“Shift 2 is one of the very few driving games where we'd actually prefer to boot-up its predecessor rather than this new iteration. It's still a thoroughly decent and innovative racer but fans of the original may be justifiably disappointed by the many missed opportunities here. ”
read full review ↗ - 90Total War: SHOGUN 2Mar 11, 2011
“A homecoming for The Creative Assembly; an opportunity to show how far the series has come in the ten years since its inception and, as far as we're concerned, it's a homecoming of ticker-tape parade proportions. This latest Total War marks a peak in the series not so much for its landmark features but for the amount of love and sheer dedication that's been applied to the setting. Truly, it's a beautiful recreation of Feudal Japan with gameplay to fit that billing.”
read full review ↗ - 90Dead Space™ 2Feb 1, 2011
“If Dead Space 2 were a sci-fi character, it would be the cigarette smoking man from The X-Files: dark, mysterious, sinister, and intense. If you're a survival horror fan then look no further - Dead Space 2 provides the genre master-class on current-gen systems. The one major detraction is a disappointingly shallow multiplayer experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90Call of Duty®: Black OpsDec 16, 2010
“As if you ever doubted it, Call of Duty is still the best military shooter out there and by quite some margin. It seems its competitors can only watch from a distance and take notes as this juggernaut of FPS gaming ploughs a wide path towards the genre's future.”
read full review ↗ - 80Dead Rising® 2Oct 21, 2010
“It's testimony to Inafune-san and Blue Castle that they weren't tempted to pander to a wider audience and continued with a setup that while frustrating is at least rewarding and satisfying in its difference.”
read full review ↗ - 70VanquishOct 20, 2010
“Despite its Master Chief and Marcus Fenix guises, Vanquish is ultimately much more Japanese in its orientation than it is Westernised. Unlike MadWorld and Bayonetta though, it just lacks the poised gameplay balancing that could've made it a much more addictive experience.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“It's a perfect cocktail of action, suspense, logic, style and substance; you simply couldn't ask for anything more.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Overall Quake 3 Arena is just as fun as it was on PC and with the addition of the split screen modes and its support for the upcoming broadband adapter it sets the bare for console deathmatch games. ”
- 80
“It's quite honestly an astounding achievement in terms of the implementation of the physics, which should garner the franchise (and BugBear) further success. It's giant step forward from the original title of 2004.”
read full review ↗