VideoGamesCritic | The one source of truth for gamers

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.

Alignment (40%)

Decoded accuracy (30%)

Player-side (30%)

Controversy record: on 15 games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, this reviewer sided with players 5 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 (142 tracked)

60
Beast of ReincarnationAug 3, 2026
“In a different world, with a different script, and some different decisions, Beast of Reincarnation could have been something special, but it still might stand as one of those games that someone would consider one of their favorites even if everyone were against them. This odd little experiment, for whatever reason, made me think a lot about the Xbox 360 title Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom in that this is a game that maybe no one is going to remember ten years from now except for the exact few people it will truly appeal to.”
read full review ↗
100
Big WalkAug 3, 2026
“I think what Big Walk does that’s so compelling is that it grabs the little part of your brain that is begging to be enriched by curiosity and interaction and massages it ever so gently with your friends as the background. That is not something that you can simply drop people into and hope happens, it is meticulously crafted and planned by expert hands.”
read full review ↗
100
Big WalkAug 3, 2026 · Imran Khan
“It is a game about little victories and the calm, quiet space between them. Maybe you have to luck into that context a little bit, but I think that's true for any game when you really break it down. If you can put all the pieces in place for an ideal time with Big Walk, you are likely to find one of the best games of the year waiting inside.”
read full review ↗
70
Halo: Campaign EvolvedJul 30, 2026 · Henry Stenhouse
“The seminal 2001 sci-fi shooter returns in a solid remake that mostly succeeds in modernizing Master Chief's memorable first outing.”
read full review ↗
70
Halo: Campaign EvolvedJul 30, 2026
“Odd stumbles aside, Halo: Campaign Evolved is a decent nostalgia trip on which to hitch a ride.”
read full review ↗
80
Splatoon RaidersJul 30, 2026
“The latest Splatoon title eschews its multiplayer DNA for a single-player spinoff that is, in many ways, a more compelling package than the series that spawned it.”
read full review ↗
80
Rhythm Heaven GrooveJul 16, 2026
“When I think about Rhythm Heaven Groove a year from now, or even ten, I won't think about a list of what it does or does not include. I'll think about the hours it had me pacing around my kitchen. I'll think about the years it had me reflect on and the memories it reminded me of. I'll remember how I came to terms with one of my biggest fears in life, the years that go by and never come back. Through it all, I'll keep tapping my foot to the beat, hoping to anchor myself to the moment, and remember to breathe every once in a while.”
read full review ↗
90
Denshattack!Jul 15, 2026 · Imran Khan
“I expected to like the game, but I did not expect the extent to which it surprised me, and I am all the more glad for it. Denshattack isn’t just a great game, it’s guaranteed to be some people’s all-time favorite.”
read full review ↗
90
Denshattack!Jul 15, 2026
“I expected to like the game, but I did not expect the extent to which it surprised me, and I am all the more glad for it. Denshattack isn’t just a great game, it’s guaranteed to be some people’s all-time favorite.”
read full review ↗
80
EA SPORTS™ College Football 27Jul 9, 2026 · Kate Sanchez
“There are many elements of CFB 27 that are a giant step forward for the franchise as the game looks to meet the changing state of college football.”
read full review ↗
70
Moonlight PeaksJul 6, 2026
“Even with its issues, Moonlight Peaks still offers a really solid farming game experience, and once it gets going, it nails that “just one more night” stickiness that the genre is famous for. The only reason the game isn’t scored higher here in my review is because of its loading times, as they are that bad. If and when those are improved, I’ll have no problem bumping the score up to a 4/5. Hopefully that fix comes sooner, rather than later. In the meantime, be prepared to do a lot of waiting around if you want to give this one a shot on Switch 2.”
read full review ↗
70
Moonlight PeaksJul 6, 2026 · Brandy Berthelson
“Even with its issues, Moonlight Peaks still offers a really solid farming game experience, and once it gets going, it nails that “just one more night” stickiness that the genre is famous for. The only reason the game isn’t scored higher here in my review is because of its loading times, as they are that bad. If and when those are improved, I’ll have no problem bumping the score up to a 4/5. Hopefully that fix comes sooner, rather than later. In the meantime, be prepared to do a lot of waiting around if you want to give this one a shot on Switch 2.”
read full review ↗
80
Star FoxJun 29, 2026
“Star Fox 64 is not the best rail-shooter ever made (that distinction belongs to Sin & Punishment: Star Successor), but it is up there. I have no idea how well you personally will agree with that, but I do know that sitting here replaying it again, I remember how much fun that original game was. It kind of makes me happy that someone who had never even heard of the N64 original could feel like that today.”
read full review ↗
70
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium TalesJun 18, 2026 · Jesse Vitelli
“I would love to see a sequel to The Adventures of Elliot, because so much of the foundation that is here can work if refined. Similar to Octopath Traveler 1 to 2, Team Asano could make something special a second time around, but right now The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales leaves too much on the table. The promise of adventure that never reaches its full potential.”
read full review ↗
60
Yoshi and the Mysterious BookMay 29, 2026
“I have no qualm with the low-stakes nature of The Mysterious Book. In fact, some of my favorite games are cozy shop and farm sims. There’s a tremendous market for the genre, but I don’t think I want it in my 2D Nintendo platformers. Where Super Mario Wonder hooked me from the first level, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book told me to temper my expectations. This isn’t a fast-paced platformer, it’s a calm and deliberate exploration; a spotlight for creature design...And that’s fine if you go in with such expectations. Not every platformer needs to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants experience. But The Mysterious Book definitely could use a shot of adrenaline here and there.”
read full review ↗

Restart.run

How this trust score was computed

Outlet vs. players

Biggest disagreements with players

Recent reviews (142 tracked)