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 5 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.
- -16Hotline Miamioutlet 80 · players 96 · Oct 2012
- -14Serious Sam 3: BFEoutlet 80 · players 95 · Dec 2011
- -4Call of Duty®: Black Opsoutlet 80 · players 84 · Dec 2010
- -16Orcs Must Die!outlet 80 · players 96 · Oct 2011
- -5Fallout: New Vegasoutlet 90 · players 95 · Oct 2010
- +30Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Editionoutlet 97 · players 67
- -6Castle Crashers®outlet 90 · players 96
- -5Far Cry 3outlet 90 · players 95 · Dec 2012
- -6FTL: Faster Than Lightoutlet 90 · players 96 · Sep 2012
- -4Outlastoutlet 90 · players 94 · Sep 2013
Recent reviews (69 tracked)
- 80Forza Motorsport 5Jan 7, 2014
“Beyond that, this serves as a solid, fun-feeling sim-ish racing game with hundreds of well-modeled cars, innovative AI, and some great tracks.”
read full review ↗ - 90The Stanley ParableOct 28, 2013
“We also enjoy The Stanley Parable, but this isn't just a game meant to be enjoyed. I refuse to believe something like this is just meant to be something we goof around with for a couple of evenings and dumped into our hundreds-strong Steam libraries, never to be thought of again.”
read full review ↗ - 90Skylanders Swap ForceOct 13, 2013
“Skylanders: Swap Force is a somewhat-fresh take on the franchise with a really satisfying new element of mixing and matching character halves, but let's not pretend that it's going to take the series' fans by surprise. ”
read full review ↗ - 90OutlastSep 4, 2013
“Outlast offers a lot for the $20 that the developers are asking: great visuals, a decent story, some solid scares, plenty of checkpoints, and a little bit of openness in both exploration and in dealing with the enemies that can't be fought back against. ”
read full review ↗ - 90Gone HomeAug 22, 2013
“If you're interested in a more grounded story and don't mind calling a game without violence, well, an actual game, then you should definitely consider Gone Home. For everyone else the best I can recommend is to keep an open mind in the future and maybe catch the next one.”
read full review ↗ - 100BioShock InfiniteMar 27, 2013
“On PC, BioShock Infinite absolutely shines. The use of the venerable Unreal Engine might surprise you, considering just how stunning this game looks, especially with the high-res textures exclusive to the PC version that balloon the game to about 15GB in size.”
read full review ↗ - 90AntichamberFeb 2, 2013
“Alexander Bruce's biggest achievement with Antichamber is that he created a game that's brilliant and inviting, something that can rarely be said for a game made entirely of difficult puzzles where what you see isn't always what you get and where the room you're standing in can change at any moment.”
read full review ↗ - 90Far Cry 3Dec 5, 2012
“Far Cry 3 gets so many things right about why we play first person shooters, that I really am having a hard time knocking it too much for the few things it gets wrong. ”
read full review ↗ - 70Baldur's Gate: Enhanced EditionDec 5, 2012
“All of the Infinity Engine games are brilliant pieces of work that still stand out from the RPG pack more than a decade after their release dates, and here Overhaul Games made a perfectly competent "port" of the game that started it all. But it costs twenty bucks, and that's too much when you can get the original version with the same Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack over at GOG for half the price - even less when it goes on sale - and a few minutes of installing mods gets you to nearly the same point. ”
read full review ↗ - 90PlanetSide 2Nov 30, 2012
“It still needs some work, but I'm very impressed with the end result. If you've got a powerful PC and a desire to bring some real tactics and organization to your team-based FPS fighting, then this game is a must-try. And with no material cost to get started, all you have to lose is the time it takes to download, patch, and give it a shot.”
read full review ↗ - 80Hotline MiamiOct 25, 2012
“Hotline Miami is difficult and violent, but it's not aggravating when you lose, and it's very rewarding when you win. ”
read full review ↗ - 90XCOM: Enemy UnknownOct 11, 2012
“Does Firaxis' re-imagined XCOM perfectly bring back the tactics and excitement of the MicroProse original? Not exactly, but they've still made an excellent tactical game that works just as well on all three platforms. ”
read full review ↗ - 90FTL: Faster Than LightSep 26, 2012
“The ten bucks it costs to get into Faster Than Light won't be money well spent for every gamer out there, but if you are looking for a challenging roguelike strategy game with some intriguing ship management and light RPG systems built into it, then you owe it to yourself to check out this game.”
read full review ↗ - 100Guild Wars 2®Sep 7, 2012
“There are still many annoying or silly things we've seen in the last decade-plus worth of MMOs that Guild Wars 2 didn't fix, but ArenaNet's efforts so far have delivered a huge range of disruptive changes that should pique the interest of any dedicated player.”
read full review ↗ - 90Orcs Must Die! 2Jul 27, 2012
“Orcs Must Die! 2 is a wonderful combination of action and strategy, all wrapped up nicely with a whimsical art style and slightly silly attitude.”
read full review ↗