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 15 games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, this reviewer sided with players 10 times.
Computed 4m 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.
- -52PAYDAY™ The Heistoutlet 42 · players 94 · Nov 2011
- +13Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Editionoutlet 80 · players 67
- -48RAGEoutlet 33 · players 81 · Oct 2011
- +15From Dustoutlet 91 · players 76 · Jul 2011
- +16Split/Secondoutlet 91 · players 75
- -41Hidden & Dangerous 2: Courage Under Fireoutlet 50 · players 91
Recent reviews (104 tracked)
- 83Max Payne 3May 18, 2012
“Despite some minor issues (and a couple that aren't so minor), Max Payne 3 still manages to be a first-class third-person shooter and is thus one of the better games of the year. More importantly, it's a welcome return for one of the shooter genre's better series. The years may not have been kind of Max, but it seems he hasn't missed a beat.”
read full review ↗ - 75Warlock - Master of the ArcaneMay 16, 2012
“There's clearly room for improvement, including a more aggressive AI, but over 30 hours later and I'm still playing it. Not bad for a simple take on Civ with some dragons thrown in.”
read full review ↗ - 67Prototype 2May 1, 2012
“Moments of blissfully smooth combat are followed by awkward bouts of running away. Just when you start to get bored by doing the same "go slurp us that scientist" mission for the fifth time, it throws you a curve ball. Which means that anyone who thought the original fell short, or was dull, or got trumped by inFamous, Hulk, or any number of Spider-Man games, is not going to be swayed by this. But for those who enjoyed the original, this sequel does not disappoint.”
read full review ↗ - 58Binary DomainMar 23, 2012
“Binary Domain is a decent third person cover shooter with great set piece fights and a few fun boss battles trapped inside a gimmicky command structure and a story that disintegrates near the end and turns what should have been a surprisingly good shooter into one that is tough to fully recommend.”
read full review ↗ - 91Street Fighter X TekkenMar 8, 2012
“Fighting game fans have been blessed with an embarrassment of riches over the past few years, and SFxT is definitely a top shelf example of the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 91Crusader Kings IIFeb 29, 2012
“This is a brilliant game, a masterful work by the people at Paradox. Perhaps the biggest praise I can give it is that I plan on playing it on a regular basis far beyond the time it takes to review it. It's rare when a game captures my imagination to this degree, but Crusader Kings II still has its hooks in me.”
read full review ↗ - 91The Darkness IIFeb 7, 2012
“From the opening attack on the restaurant that evokes the car chase that opened the original, to the game's focus on storytelling as much as killing, it's clear that the developers knew not to mess with a working formula. Even if some of the narrative moments fall short of the original, the new content and new powers more than make up for it. The Darkness II didn't knock its predecessor from the top of my list of favorite narrative shooters, but it comes in as a very close second.”
read full review ↗ - 91Resident Evil RevelationsFeb 7, 2012
“It's also an important game for the 3DS in particular because it demonstrates the viability of a hardcore-oriented franchise as well as how powerful the 3D effect can be in creating a game environment.”
read full review ↗ - 75STAR WARS™: The Old Republic™Jan 16, 2012
“In creating such an enormous experience you'll need to devote a huge swath of your life to it, and yet it does remarkably little to make that moment to moment grind even moderately fresh. This is a must play for fans of Star Wars who want a traditional MMO experience with high production values and a lot of spoken dialogue. If you're looking for an innovative MMO set in the Star Wars universe, you will likely be disappointed.”
read full review ↗ - 58
“Overall, the entertainment is there, but usability is lacking.”
read full review ↗ - 83Assassin's Creed® RevelationsNov 28, 2011
“For the most part, those who've played either Assassin's Creed II or Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will know what they're getting. Revelations does very little to change Ubisoft's golden goose and in this case that's mostly a good thing. ”
read full review ↗ - 91Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 (2011)Nov 16, 2011
“The biggest problem with Modern Warfare 3 is that it doesn't surprise, aside from the fact that there's more for the solo player to do than you might expect. It feels very safe, which is understandable given the budget and its sales expectations-as well as the rabid fan base that doesn't necessarily want innovation. ”
read full review ↗ - 100Saints Row: The ThirdNov 11, 2011
“Volition has done an excellent job of giving you a place to play and toys to play with, so grab a partner, an SMG, and start making your own stories.”
read full review ↗ - 75Nuclear DawnNov 4, 2011
“It's far from the best-looking game on the market, but it's also far from the worst, and the gameplay makes up for it anyway.”
read full review ↗ - 42PAYDAY™ The HeistNov 4, 2011
“More specific classes, skills, and specializations would have been nice. Matchmaking is sporadic at best, which stinks because the game is almost useless as a single player exercise. The ally AI won't touch any of the mission-specific objectives, which means you've got to babysit that drill by yourself.”
read full review ↗