REVIEW
HOW WE REVIEW
We review each game on its own merits, and try to match it
to a reviewer who’s a passionate expert in the field. The main
aim of reviews is to help you make buying decisions. To this
end, we’re selective about what we review, and try to focus
on the notable, interesting, exciting or surprising.
DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
DLC might be new missions for a game, or it might be a single
new item. If we think you want to know about it, we’ll review it.
EARLY ACCESS
Any released alpha, beta, or otherwise unfinished game that
you can currently pay for. For these games, we won’t assign a
score, but we will tell you whether they’re worth your time.
THEY’RE BACK
Whenever there’s a bargain or re-release of a significant game,
our expert will revisit it and tell you whether it holds up today.
Withjokes.
TheEditor’sChoiceawardis
grantedinadditiontothescore,
atthediscretionofthePCGamer
staff.It representsexceptional
qualityorinnovation.
Findoutmore
http://www.bit.ly/pcgreviewsOUR SCORING
SYSTEM EXPLAINED
00%-09% Broken or offensively bad; absolutely no value.
Example Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
10%-19% We might be able to find one nice thing to say about
it, but still not worth anyone’s time or money.
Example Gettysburg: Armored Warfare
20%-29% Completely falls short of its goals. Very few
redeeming qualities.
Examples Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse
30%-39% An entirely clumsy or derivative effort. There’s
little reason to play this game over a similar, better one.
Examples Trials of the Blood Dragon
40%-49% Flawed and disappointing.
Examples Aliens: Colonial Marines
50%-59% Mediocre. Other games probably do it better, or its
unique qualities aren’t executed well.
Examples Primordia, Homefront: The Revolution
60%-69% There’s something to like here, but it can only be
recommended with major caveats.
Examples No Man’s Sky, Ghost Recon: Wildlands
70%-79% A good game that’s worth playing. We like it.
Examples Prey, NieR: Automata
80%-89% A great game with exceptional moments or
features, and touches of brilliance. We love it.
Examples Overwatch, Night in the Woods
90%-94% A compelling recommendation for most PC
gamers. Important to PC gaming, and likely ahead of its time.
Examples Bayonetta, Dishonored 2
95%-96% Far and away one of the best games we’ve ever
played. We recommend it to the entire world.
Examples Half-Life 2, Kerbal Space Program
97%-100%Advancesthehumanspecies.Booststhe
immunesystemsofnearbychildrenandsmallanimals.
Choose
your own
If I was hip to the current cultural
zeitgeist, I could spin an insightful
introduction from something
relevant like Game of Thrones or
Avengers: Endgame. Unfortunately,
I’ve seen neither. I do have some
inflammatory opinions about Mr.
Tonegawa: Middle Management
Blues – a spin-off of legendary
gambling anime Kaiji: Ultimate
Survivor – and how the modern
setting undermines the period
drama of the original series. But it’s
probably too niche to be relevant.
How about this: what I love about
the current era of PC gaming is
how easy it is to find your niche.
Maybe you want to dissect the
latest big release, and argue over its
merits and failures. But just as valid
is walking the quieter path, perhaps
by playing a uncompromising
fantasy RPG about backpacks.PHIL SAVAGE
EDITOR
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