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 6 games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, this reviewer sided with players 3 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 (57 tracked)
- 100Hitman: Absolution™Nov 19, 2012
“Hitman: Absolution is a triumph, top to bottom. Fans of the series can look forward to the best entry yet, without question.”
read full review ↗ - 90Call of Duty®: Black Ops IINov 13, 2012
“A ton of work has gone into this game from top to bottom, and it stands as a real testament to the developers who didn't want to just coattail this one into the books. Nearly every system and aspect of the game has been tweaked or overhauled, and it certainly shows in the final product.”
read full review ↗ - 90DishonoredOct 8, 2012
“While it has a few quirks here and there, Dishonored delivers on almost every admirably/crazily ambitious promise made by its creators. Its impeccably crafted gameplay and exquisitely haunting and detailed world stand in loving tribute to all of the iconic and acclaimed franchises that inspired it, and yet it still has a soul and style all its own.”
read full review ↗ - 90XCOM: Enemy UnknownOct 8, 2012
“Even if you never played the original, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is turn-based tactics and management at its finest, and a perfect introduction to the genre...It's an exceptionally solid return for the series, and one that every turn-based tactics fan should experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
- 100Borderlands 2Sep 17, 2012
“Borderlands 2 is a better game than Borderlands in every imaginable way. Scoff at anyone who calls it a v1.5 update; this is really what a sequel should be. At the most basic level, you've got the same great experience that the 2009 game offered, only with much more depth and variety.”
read full review ↗ - 100Guild Wars 2®Sep 6, 2012
“More than anything, however, I have to say that Guild Wars 2 is just fresh. It's new, it's innovative and more than anything, it's a welcome change for fans that may want something different. ”
read full review ↗ - 70Dust: An Elysian TailAug 16, 2012
“Inconsistent, though the good tends to outweigh the bad. Missteps aside, the game is genuinely fun, and at the very least worth a try via demo. If nothing else, Dust offers an intriguing promise of things to come: if Mr. Dodrill could craft a game like this on his own, what could he accomplish with more?”
read full review ↗ - 70Orcs Must Die! 2Aug 2, 2012
“With its fast-paced multiplayer, completely redesigned spellbook, and extensive replayability, I'd say if you enjoyed the original Orcs Must Die! then I'd highly recommend Orcs Must Die! 2. However, OMD2 is shorter than OMD in terms of the campaign and only seems to expand on the original rather than offer a new innovative experience for tower defense fans. ”
read full review ↗ - 70DeadlightAug 1, 2012
“Yes, Deadlight is a short game, one that feels especially brisk when the puzzles lack challenge.”
read full review ↗ - 70SpelunkyAug 1, 2012
“It isn't for everyone though, the difficulty can be infuriatingly hard and means that some players won't ever make it to the later levels. ”
read full review ↗ - 80Quantum ConundrumJun 25, 2012
“It'll surely be recognized as one of the better puzzle games of 2012, despite its liberal platforming demands in the first person.”
read full review ↗ - 80Sins of a Solar Empire®: RebellionJun 20, 2012
“A perfectly satisfying way to quell your hunger pains for a long-form, hardcore RTS.”
read full review ↗ - 100Max Payne 3May 14, 2012
“A technological tour de force that will have you screaming "Dear lord!" more times than midnight mass. The performances are top notch, the action plays out with unrivaled fluidity, and the multiplayer is deep and rewarding. Silly distractions aside, Max Payne 3 is an action lover's wet dream that also happens to employ some of the slickest direction and transitional trickery this side of a David Fincher box set.”
read full review ↗ - 80Prototype 2Apr 25, 2012
“The deeper toolbox and more varied rogue's gallery are welcome additions, but the stronger story and improved sense of character that New York Zero has been imbued with are the big saving graces in Prototype 2.”
read full review ↗