The A.V. Club's Scores

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For 880 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 47% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 50% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.6 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 71
Highest review score: 100 You Don't Know Jack
Lowest review score: 0 Torino 2006 - the Official Video Game of the XX Olympic Winter Games
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 543 out of 880
  2. Mixed: 211 out of 880
  3. Negative: 126 out of 880
1030 game reviews
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    • 87 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    Little King's Story
    A fantastically detailed, funny, twisted adventure that will help banish any Wii-related buyers’ remorse.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Rayman Origins
    Playing this game is like blowing bubbles: fun with something delicate and ephemeral that seems strange and strong at first glance. The characters veer between sweet and mad, the music between interactive afrobeat and big-band bluegrass. This game reeks of love. It's Michel Ancel's crowning achievement.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
    The game isn't beautiful, but its otherworldly aesthetic is wonderful because it's so muted. Still, the tale and the graphics aren't a reason to play this game. It's worth playing because it's good.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Resistance 2
    You can't argue with Resistance 2's robust feature set. But the once-relatable, ragtag protagonist Nathan Hale has been transformed into a generic square-jawed action hero, the kind who's been the subject of satire since 1991's Duke Nukem. Clearly Nathan isn't just battling the Chimeran virus; he's also suffering from a severe case of John McClane-itis.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    flower
    Visually potent and occasionally beautiful, Flower fulfills its premise with enviable grace.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    PixelJunk Shooter
    Just when you think you know exactly how to solve a certain puzzle, Shooter gets the last laugh by springing an unexpected surprise on you, making for that rarest of shooters: One where you must be paying attention and thinking at all times.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias
    The only weakness is the imprecision implicit to the Wii Remote. The action is forgiving, but after a while having to repeatedly gesture to summon the proper wind power sorta blows.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Kirby's Epic Yarn
    Drawbacks aside, adults should consult their doctors about a prescription of Epic Yarn instead of Prozac.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles
    More of the same, but weird, wicked—and psychotically pretty.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Game Dev Story
    Game Dev Story almost plays like an eye-opening cautionary tale intended for oblivious or callous game critics.
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Cuphead
    Cuphead plays like something old and looks like something even older, but it’s more stylish than any shoot-’em-up or moralizing cartoon. Unfortunately, while the game looks phenomenal and is overflowing with personality, it doesn’t quite make up for one excessively frustrating mechanic and an unflinching level of difficulty.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Boom Blox Bash Party
    More of the same, but in the best way possible.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Guitar Hero: Metallica
    Guitar Hero has reached its apex. It may be downhill from here.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
    More videogame art installation than it is fun. It's enjoyable, but it compels you to win not by skillfully overcoming obstacles, but by simply spending lots of time in its world, which is as lush an ambiance as pixels allow.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    The Sims 3
    Even more addictive than the last two.
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Gears of War 4
    “Satisfying” is a good word for Gears Of War 4 in general. Outside of the later stages of the campaign—where, once you’ve chainsawed your 500th drone soldier or robot commando in half, you’ve pretty much seen all that you’re going to see—the game feels overwhelmingly solid. Multiplayer is thoughtful, without losing its vital speed. And Horde is as well executed as it’s ever been, keeping the bar to entry low while rewarding players who want to dive in deep.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 67 Critic Score
    God of War: Ghost of Sparta
    Sparta also unfortunately arrives in the same year as the PlayStation 3's God Of War III. No one expects as much bang-for-your-buck from a portable game as they would a console game, but for players who rode atop high-definition Titans only a few months ago, Sparta inevitably feels small and miserly.
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Her Story
    It gives us an act and a person and challenges us to understand them even as it suggests that our understanding will never be complete.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Punch-Out!!
    Punch-Out!! is happily a student of the old school. Overcomplicating it with newfangled controls is distracting.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
    It certainly isn't gaming's greatest challenge, but it's absolutely fun. If you've seen the original trilogy, don't resist! Join the LEGOside.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Puzzlejuice
    Puzzlejuice asks a lot, but it also gives a lot back: Each achievement feels like it was earned, and like a cause for celebration.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    Mortal Kombat
    A tirelessly crafted make-good well worth experiencing.
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Dragon Ball FighterZ
    Easily the best Dragon Ball game made in the series’ 32 years of existence and a great fighting game that’s as thrilling to watch as it is to play.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
    This third episode doesn't require knowledge of the previous games, but still builds the trilogy to an appropriately grand conclusion.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Fight Night Round 3
    When your opponent leans into that haymaker, it's a bone-crunching delight: Sweat sprays from his head, bloody spittle shoots from his mouthpiece, and his legs turn to Jell-O. Now that's the sweet science.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Corpse Craft
    Two years after Corpse Craft debuted for browsers, the folks behind Puzzle Pirates have re-animated their Edward Gorey-inspired strategy game for the iPad. Though a little long in the tooth, the game feels no less fresh, thanks to a novel blending of match-three puzzle-solving with real-time strategy.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Bastion
    The game is fun and colorful throughout, yet within that spirit of fun, the level design evokes a remarkable range of emotion.
    • 86 Metascore
    • Critic Score
    Sonic Mania
    All of this is just a fancy way of saying Sonic Mania is probably the best Sonic ever made.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    Joe Danger
    Hello Games' debut is a fine stunt in its own right, a game bursting at the seams with play that is never anything less than perfectly focused.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 91 Critic Score
    Fight Night Champion
    All this doesn't just add up to one hell of a robust videogame package; Fight Night Champion is also the best thing to happen to boxing since 1997.
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