DrBloodmoney's Super Scientific Ranking of Games!

[DrBloodmoney]

 

😀 Welcome Friends! 😀

 

I've always toyed with the idea of starting a trophy checklist of some description, but I could never quite get one off the ground, and the longer I left it, the less relevant one seemed to become.

My choice of what game to start has always been spontaneous, and I didn't want to upset that rhythm, as it works for me.

 

However, an idea finally came to me for a checklist - of a sort - that I would enjoy doing!

One that would let me do whatever I want at my own pace, give me an excuse to look back on the games I've already completed, and most of all, to combine 3 of my favourite things:

 

• Playing Videogames
• Ranking Videogames
• People yelling at me

 

So, I give you :

DrBloodmoney's Super Scientific, 100% Accurate, and Not In Any Way Arbitrary and A Matter Of Subjective Opinion, Scientific Ranking of Videogames!TM

 

 

 

⚛️The Gist ⚛️

 

I am going to endeavour to rank, each and every game that I have S-Ranked, and have tracked on this site!

 

"How?" you ask, "by what metric?"

"Graphics? Gameplay? Length? Difficulty? Rarity? Soundtrack? Voicework? Technical Prowess? Art Direction?"

 

Well..... All these factors will be considered... but no. 

There will be no separate lists for best individual category, nor will one category matter the most, or the least.

There will be one true metric: Awesomeness!

All that matters is the most important question... how awesome is the game?

 

 

 

⚛️The Format ⚛️

 

After carefully exporting and reviewing my list of tracked games, I currently have 635 games at 100% that I believe qualify for the illustrious status of "Ready to Rank"!

 

"But DrBloodmoney," I hear you cry, "The site says you have more S-Ranks... Can you not count? Are you a moron?"

Well, yes, I am... 

...but that is besides the point, and a little rude.

 

I have removed 70-odd games from the list, for various reasons that would make them not much fun to rank -

Some were released as separate episodes, but I feel they should be considered as a single complete game.

Some are remakes/ remasters that are so similar that they would end up side by side anyways (though I have left a couple on the list separately, if I thought the remake was different enough)

...and some are just games with multiple console versions that were so good (or just too easy to pass up!) that I stacked.

 

 

"Why are you only doing games you have S-Ranked?" I hear you also ask.

Well, because once I have conquered the game, I feel I have earned the right to rank it ?

If game bests me in Game-to-Player Combat, it earned the right to abstain! ?

 

 

⚛️The Method ⚛️

 

I plan to approach this mammoth task, by invoking a highly scientific method, I like to call: "is this game more awesome than this other game?" ?

 

I will start with 10 randomly selected games, and rank them.

 

After that, I will add more games, give a little reasoning and thoughts about how I felt about them, and run each one up the list, asking  "is this game more awesome than this other game?" at every entry.

Once I get to one where the answer is 'No', each new entry will then have its spot on the list!

 

 

⚛️The Reason ⚛️

 

Do I need one?

Not really, but the answer is - It'll be fun! 

 

I get to have a nice walk down gaming-memory lane, I get to rank some games, and any of you nice folks who follow along get to yell at me about how wrong I am ?

Its a Win-Win ?

 

Plus, if and when this list is actually finished, I will have definitive, scientific proof of:

What is the best game I've played? 

What is the worst game I've played? 

 ...not to mention, the answer to that most elusive of questions:

What is the most in-the-middle game I've played? 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Hitman 3 (aka) Hitman: World of Assassination(25) + (Update)
2. Elden Ring(39)
3. Outer Wilds(35)
4. Invisible Inc(17)
5. The Witness(22)
6. Portal 2(41)
7. The Last of Us: Part II(60)
8. Prey(8)
9. Persona 5 Royal(24)
10. Hitman 2(25)
11. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin(10)
12. Mass Effect 2(9)
13. Final Fantasy VII(27)
14. Persona 4 Golden(23)
15. Dishonoured 2(11)
16. Dead Cells(9) + (Update) + (Update2)
17. Dark Souls(4)
18. Tetris Effect(57)
19. Immortality(71)
20. This War of Mine: Final Cut(14) + (Update)
21. Transistor(1)
22. Norco(56)
23. The Last of Us(4)
24. BioShock(5)
25. Shadow of the Colossus Remake(PS4)(10)
26. Red Dead Redemption(57)
27. Dishonoured(7)
28. Hitman(2016)(25)
29. Bloodborne(19)
30. LittleBigPlanet 2(30)
31. Inscryption(50)
32. Alan Wake II(67)
33. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice(3)
34. Mass Effect 3(15)
35. Dark Souls III(12)
36. Cities: Skylines(6) + (Update)
37. Demon's Souls (PS5 Remake)(20)
38. Tunic(52)
39. Burnout Paradise(21)
40. Mass Effect(13)
41. Life is Strange: Before the Storm(37)
42. Doki Doki Literature Club+(43)
43. Viewfinder(63)
44. Return of the Obra Dinn(16)
45. Hardspace: Shipbreaker(58)
46. Hotline Miami(5)
47. Deathloop(26) + (Update)
48. Pyre(31)
49. Curse of the Dead Gods(36)
50. Journey(35)
51. The Surge(18)
52. Returnal(23) + (update)
53. Fights in Tight Spaces(63)
54. Little Nightmares(13)
55. Demon's Souls (PS3)(8)
56. Mark of the Ninja: Remastered(40)
57. Bastion(31)
58. Life is Strange: True Colours(25) + (update)
59. Griftlands(51)
60. Hades(24)
61. God of War(2018)(28)
62. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard(45)
63. Psychonauts 2 (32)
64. Horizon Zero Dawn(2)
65. Batman: Arkham Asylum(24)
66. Life is Strange(25)
67. The Forgotten City(35)
68. Little Nightmares II(14)
69. Assassin's Creed Revelations(11)
70. Lumines Remastered(31)
71. Dandara(36)
72. Slay the Spire(42)
73. Cuphead(3) + (Update)
74. Control(38)
75. Chants of Sennaar(69)
76. Dishonoured: Death of the Outsider(52)
77. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor(19)
78. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX(3)
79. Resident Evil 2 Remake(6)
80. Sea of Stars(65)
81. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood(7)
82. Dead Nation(7)
83. The Outer Worlds(62)
84. Far Cry 4(50)
85. The Messenger(65)
86. Trine 2: The Complete Story(66)
87. Far Cry 3(20)
88. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons(12)
89. LittleBigPlanet(30)
90. Chicory(46)
91. Rayman Origins(9)
92. Rogue Legacy(28)
93. The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe(42)
94. Battlefield: Bad Company 2(13)
95. Nex Machina(11)
96. Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time(29)
97. Papers, Please(44)
98. Psychonauts (32)
99. Treasures of the Aegean(55)
100. Laika: Aged Through Blood(71)
101. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light(26)
102. Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando(18)
103. RAD(13)
104. Resident Evil 3 Remake(20)
105. Firewatch(15)
106. SOMA(7)
107. What Remains of Edith Finch (17)
108. Limbo(1)
109. 3D Dot Game Heroes(61)
110. Oxenfree(30)
111. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2(13)
112. Fallout 4(17)
113. Observation(12)
114. The Artful Escape(36)
115. Stray(47)
116. The Entropy Centre(55)
117. Telling Lies(46)
118. Goodbye Volcano High(67)
119. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition(5)
120. Singularity(*)
121. Assassin's Creed II(4)
122. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim18)
123. Fallout 3(13)
124. Beyond Good & Evil HD(20)
125. Superhot(24)
126. L.A. Noire(35)
127. The Swapper(40)
128. Darksiders II(38)
129. God of War II(26)
130. God of War: Ragnarok(53)
131. A Plague Tale: Requiem(63)
132. Cocoon(68)
133. Matterfall(47)
134. Darksiders(1)
135. Afterparty(30)
136. The Cave(64)
137. Super Time Force Ultra(36)
138. Void Bastards(7)
139. The Saboteur(21)
140. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number(12)
141. Shatter(9)
142. Hitman: Blood Money(3)
143. Alan Wake Remastered(61)
144. Alice: The Madness Returns(48)
145. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones(15)
146. Driver: San Francisco(4)
147. Prince of Persia(2008)(19)
148. God of War III(27)
149. Shadow of the Colossus(PS3)(10)
150. Tomb Raider: Legend(16)
151. Quantum Conundrum(29)
152. Kena: Bridge of Spirits(35)
153. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time(10)
154. Superliminal(18) + (Update)
155. Valiant Hearts: The Great War(66)
156. The Quarry(58)
157. inFamous(44)
158. Weird West(40)
159. Superhot: Mind Control Delete(57)
160. The Sexy Brutale(50)
161. Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal(22)
162. The Gardens Between(44)
163. Trine(4)
164. The Walking Dead(5)
165. Sayonara Wild Hearts(35)
166. God of War(PS3)(25)
167. Resident Evil VIII: Village(46) + (Update)
168. Final Fantasy XIII-2(36)
169. Costume Quest 2(66)
170. Bayonetta(43)
171. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus(21)
172. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within(14)
173. Final Fantasy XIII(9)
174. Metro 2033 Redux(10)
175. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare(2019)(58)
176. Tales of Arise(28)
177. Life is Strange 2(37)
178. Far Cry Primal(21)
179. Fallout: New Vegas(14)
180. Blacktail(70)
181. Mass Effect: Andromeda(18)
182. Alpha Protocol(*)
183. A Plague Tale: Innocence(5)
184. Headlander(6)
185. The Wolf Among Us(9)
186. Split/Second(6)
187. Grand Theft Auto IV(11)
188. Sackboy’s Big Adventure(30)
189. Sam & Max Save the World(67)
190. Dead Space Extraction(*)
191. Grim Fandango Remastered(1)
192. Statik(33)
193. Costume Quest(66)
194. Gris(30)
195. The Pedestrian(20)
196. Rollerdrome(51)
197. Manifold Garden(42)
198. Unpacking(43)
199. Humanity(61)
200. Detroit: Become Human(6)
201. Puyo Puyo Tetris(58)
202. Tinykin(70)
203. A Monster’s Expedition through Puzzling Exhibitions(60)
204. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing(7)
205. Chime Sharp(61)
206. Thirsty Suitors(71)
207. Ratchet & Clank(13)
208. The Last Campfire(16)
209. Critter Crunch(11)
210. Operation Tango(24) + (Update)
211. Flipping Death(34)
212. Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin(32)
213. Stories Untold(34)
214. Hitman GO(37)
215. Yoku's Island Express(51)
216. The Suicide of Rachel Foster(68)
217. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time(59)
218. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy(57)
219. The Solitaire Conspiracy(49)
220. My Friend Pedro(48)
221. Concrete Genie(9)
222. LittleBigPlanet 3(30)
223. Resident Evil 5(47)
224. Gods Will Fall(31)
225. Jak and Daxter(4)
226. Lost in Random(31)
227. Backbone (aka) Tales Noir(47)
228. Star Trek: Resurgence(64)
229. Killer Frequency(62)
230. Shady Part of Me(33)
231. Rain(1)
232. Persona 4: Dancing All Night(26)
233. Jazzpunk(45)
234. Toem(56)
235. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy(47)
236. Remember Me(65)
237. oOo: Ascension(71)
238. Mini Ninjas(*)
239. Mafia II(2)
240. Heavy Rain(9)
241. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom(3)
242. Hitman Absolution(*)
243. Arcade Game Series: Ms. Pac-Man(4)
244. Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man(4)
245. Castle Crashers(2)
246. The Spectrum Retreat(9)
247. Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden(57)
248. Hue(14)
249. Astro's Playroom16)
250. Sound Shapes(21)
251. Accounting+(34)
252. The Touryst(30)
253. Virginia(42)
254. Islanders(51)
255. Heavenly Bodies(55)
256. Echochrome(66)
257. Donut County(49)
258. Dicey Dungeons(68)
259. Airoheart(59)
260. Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space(67)
261. Death’s Door(38)
262. Déraciné(34)
263. Road 96(43)
264. Stick It To the Man(36)
265. Untitled Goose Game(48)
266. Tchia(70)
267. Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars(51)
268. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime(52)
269. Ghost Giant(45)
270. It Takes Two(31)
271. Arcade Archives: Gradius(22)
272. Maquette(18)
273. Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves(28)
274. Assassin's Creed III Liberation(14)
275. Trine 3: The Artefacts of Power(67)
276. Ratchet & Clank: Nexus(29)
277. Unravel(52)
278. Grow Home(62)
279. A Short Hike(69)
280. Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden(69)
281. To Hell with the Ugly(65)
282. Hoa(33)
283. The Longest Road on Earth(40)
284. Carto(69)
285. Apotheon(37)
286. Lost Words: Beyond the Page(32)
287. Two Point Campus(59)
288. Through the Darkest of Times(26)
289. Metrico+(56)
290. Type:Rider(8)
291. Lollipop Chainsaw(5)
292. LEGO The Lord of the Rings (PS3)(8)
293. Until Dawn(2)
294. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart(19)
295. JETT: The Far Shore(43)
296. Fruit Ninja(44)
297. Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut(2)
298. Arcade Game Series: Dig Dug(3)
299. System of Souls(55)
300. Golf Club Wasteland(58)
301. Metal: Hellsinger(61)
302. Inked: A Tale of Love(70)
303. Cuboid(8)
304. RiffTrax: The Game(48)
305. One Night Stand(14)
306. Twelve Minutes(56)
307. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow(37)
308. Plants vs Zombies(1)
309. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands(22)
310. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2(59)
311. Assassin's Creed III(12)
312. Arcade Archives: Tetris The Grand Master(64)
313. Jusant(70)
314. Twin Mirror(8)
315. Batman: The Telltale Series(41)
316. Bejeweled 2(27)
317. Rise of the Slime(68)
318. Arcade Archives: Tetris The Absolute The Grand Master 2 Plus(64)
319. Monster Slayers(53)
320. Carrion(33)
321. Knee Deep(23)
322. Dragon's Crown(2)
323. Metropolis: Lux Obscura(10)
324. A Way Out(13)
325. The Bunker(23)
326. Lords of the Fallen(3)
327. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days(12)
328. Freedom Wars(3)
329. Chasm(8)
330. The Playroom(*)
331. Tetris(2)
332. Beyond Eyes(8)
333. DeathSpank(11)
334. Proteus(15)
335. Season: A Letter to the Future(60)
336. Ether One(26)
337. Rainswept(24)
338. White Night(12)
339. Joe Danger(2)
340. Deer God(28)
341. Minit(65)
342. Invector(12)
343. Flower(19)
344. Rainbow Moon(40)
345. Chained Echoes(71)
346. Far Cry 6(64)
347. Unit 13(20)
348. Enigmatis 3: The Shadow of Karkhala(22)
349. Black & White Bushido(31)
350. Modern Tales: Age of Invention(38)
351. Midnight Deluxe(39)
352. Agent-A: A Puzzle in Disguise(45)
353. Etherborn(49)
354. Bentley's Hackpack(29)
355. Inksplosion(46)
356. Arcade Archives: Nova 2001(28)
357. Lost Ember(30)
358. Endling(63)
359. Uncanny Valley(29)
360. Virtue's Last Reward(46)
361. Arcade Archives: City Connection(39)
362. Neverending Nightmares(15)
363. Tetragon(44)
364. Arcade Archives: Crazy Climber(10)
365. Mortal Shell(14)
366. Claire(1)
367. The Order: 1886(3)
368. Enigmatis 2: The Mists of Ravenwood(11)
369. Kona(68)
370. Nightmares from the Deep 2: The Siren's Call(49)
371. Eventide 3: Legacy of Legends(36)
372. Far Cry 5(50)
373. Serial Cleaner(6)
374. Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart(24)
375. Queen's Quest 3: The End of Dawn(56)
376. Faraday Protocol(55)
377. Hidden Agenda(*)
378. Best Month Ever!(49)
379. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order(25)
380. Lost Grimoires: Stolen Kingdom(14)
381. Shape of the World(16)
382. Arcade Archives: A-Jax(7)
383. Last Stop(42)
384. Need for Speed: Rivals(1)
385. Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek(3)
386. WRC 4(54)
387. Colour Guardians(14)
388. LEGO Movie: The Videogame (PS4)(6)
389. Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan(23)
390. 36 Fragments of Midnight(38)
391. Peasant Knight(54)
392. Dokuro(8)
393. Raji: An Ancient Epic(27)
394. Queen's Quest 4: Sacred Truce(59)
395. LEGO Legends of Chima (Vita)(10)
396. Resident Evil 6(50)
397. Sly 2: Band of Thieves(27)
398. Knack(53)
399. The Bradwell Conspiracy(13)
400. Legends of War: Patton(54)
401. Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery(9)
402. Kingmaker: Rise to the Throne(5)
403. Late Shift(7)
404. Zero Zero Zero Zero(6)
405. Eventide 2: Sorcerer's Mirror(20)
406. Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride(13)
407. Morbid: The Seven Acolytes(34)
408. Adventures of Mana(*)
409. MotoGP 13(54)
410. Grim Legends 3: The Dark City(27)
411. Path of Sin: Greed(43)
412. Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden(17)
413. MotoGP 14 Compact(54)
414. MotoGP 13 Compact(10)
415. Chronovolt(5)
416. Arcade Archives: Moon Cresta(2)
417. Pic-a-Pix Classic(7)
418. Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink(10)
419. Linger in Shadows(62)
420. You Are Being Followed(32)
421. Pic-a-Pix Color(12)
422. Lost Grimoires 2: Shard of Mystery(26)
423. Queen's Quest 2: Stories of Forgotten Past(53)
424. Moons of Madness(36)
425. Dead Space Ignition(54)
426. Access Denied(33)
427. Persian Nights: Sands of Wonders(31)
428. Doodle God(41)
429. Doodle Devil(41)
430. BigFest(54) 
431. Gem Smashers(5)
432. Dark Arcana: The Carnival(7)
433. Zombie Apocalypse(8) 
434. SAW(4)
435. Kung Fu Rabbit(1)
436. Arcade Archives: Renegade(5)
437. Funk of Titans(11)
438. Tintin Reporter: Cigars of the Pharaoh(69)
439. Skeleton Rider(10)
440. Zombie Driver HD(9)
441. Final Horizon(54)
442. Fear Effect Sedna(52)
443. Dante’s Inferno(63)
444. Jak II(4)
445. Eventide: Slavic Fable(*)
446. Arcade Archives: Mat Mania Exciting Hour(18)
447. Cell Damage HD(*)
448. Shütshimi(45)
449. WRC 3(54)
450. Terminator Salvation(6)
451. Nubla(54)
452. Sniper Ghost Warrior(19)
453. Mahjong Royal Towers(8)
454. Mahjong World Contest(11) 
455. Paint Park Plus(2)
456. .detuned(13)
457. Albedo: Eyes from Outer Space(53)
458. A Winter's Daydream(54)
459. XBlaze Code: Embryo(54)
460. Lost at Sea(29)
461. The Mysteries of Little Riddle(1)
462. Welcome Park(12)
463. MLB 13 The Show: Home Run Derby Edition(54)
464. Aabs Animals(23)
465. Frogger Returns(38)
466. Watchmen: The End Is Nigh(6)
467. WWE Legends Of WrestleMania(16)
468. Kick-Ass The Game(11)
469. Space Overlords(17)
470. LA Cops(29)
471. htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diaries(62)

 

*latest entries in BLUE

*entries in GREY were S-Ranked at time of writing, but have had subsequent DLC 

 

 

(Number) refer to Scientific Update Batch in which review and ranking appears

(*) Refers to the 10 games added as baseline (no review)

 

 

⚛️Jump to the Review Posts ⚛️

Batch 1   Batch 2    Batch 3    Batch 4     Batch 5     Batch 6    Batch 7   Batch 8   Batch 9   Batch 10   Batch 11   Batch 12

 

Mid-Point Review & Analysis (25%)

 

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Mid-Point Review and Analysis (50%)

 

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Super Scientific Game Awards 2021

Super Scientific Game Awards 2022

Super Scientific Game Awards 2023

 

 

Stay tuned for further additions, Science-Chums! 

❤️⚛️☮️

 

Edited February 22 by DrBloodmoney
471 down, 204 to go!

[kingofbattle8174]

I really like you idea , and I am curious to see how things line up by your awsomeness metrics. 

[Copanele]

AWESOME! Finally you're doing one of these dumb threads too. Considering the way you're writing stuff...I feel that the good Lord Agent 47 Johnny Sins from that banner will bless us all!

Bottom line: Can't wait for them reads!

[Soraking1991]

I love your method, and I fully support your endeavour! ?

[DrBloodmoney]

 

⚛️!!SCIENCE UPDATE!!⚛️

 

The next 10 Randomly selected games to be added to the ranking next shall be:

 

Claire

Darksiders

Grim Fandango Remastered

Kung Fu Rabbit

Limbo

Need for Speed Rivals

Plants vs. Zombies

Rain

The Mysteries of Little Riddle

Transistor

 

 

Will one of these become the new, current, Most Awesome Game?

Will one become the Least Awesome Game?

Will DrBloodmoney's brain simply short out in the attempt to rank, suffer Ego-Death, and end up rendering him one with the chair in which he sits?

 

Stay tuned to find out!

Edited April 30, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Platinum_Vice]

On 25/04/2021 at 2:42 AM, DrBloodmoney said:

 

Anyways... no more foreplay!

 

 

but I am not ready

[DrBloodmoney]

1 hour ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

 

but I am not ready

 

Just lay back, strap in and think of England (or Aus) my friend, the Science train has left the station, and cannot be stopped!

[DrBloodmoney]

 

 ?? NEW SCIENTIFIC RESULTS ARE IN! ??

 

Well, here are the results, friends, after scrupulous scientific analysis ??

 

 

Claire

 

Summary:

The pixelated Horror game is a ripe genre, and one that can really deliver when applied well, but here, it's just a bit stale, and not offering much beyond the norm.

 

The Ranking:

Made it up past Hidden Agenda - despite that game's admirable party-co-op, and beat it out due to Hidden Agenda's lacklustre Single Player, but couldn't beat the innovative stuff in The Playroom in terms of awesomeness.

 

 

 

 

Darksiders

 

Summary:

A hell of a showing from the little Zelda-pretender that could, finds it's own niche in the Heavy Metal vibes, and pulls from a great source in it's shameless, loving Zelda tributes.

 

The Ranking:

Storms up the current rankings, beating out everything up to and including Mini Ninjas, manages to run past the (surprisingly awesome) Dead Space Extraction, and even manages to sneak past Alpha Protocol due to it's technical prowess and lack of glitches, in the face of Alpha Protocol's many issues that hamper it's excellent premise and story, but can't quite take the top spot, and falls before the feet of Singularity.

 

 

Grim Fandango Remastered

 

Summary:

A nice version of one of the great Tim Schaffer joints - could have done with perhaps more finessing on the graphical front, but still holds up well enough to see what all the fuss was about back in the day.

 

The Ranking:

Made a good showing, as one might expect for a classic, but the difficulty in appealing to non-veterans due to the still quite dated 3D visuals hurts it a little, and controller is not the way to play this one, so falters just above Mini Ninjas, but below Dead Space Extraction.

 

 

 

Kung Fu Rabbit

 

Summary:

A pretty throwaway game - charming visually, but not in a stand-out way, and uninspired gameplay does little to help.

 

The Ranking:

Can't compete with the big boys, and looses points for lack of any original hook or gameplay novelty. Stumbles and falls just past Eventide, and below Adventure of Mana.

 

 

 

Limbo

 

Summary:

A fantastic indie game, announcing Playdead as a serious player on the Indie scene, and delivering a creepy, fun, smart puzzle platformer with oodles of style and very few flaws.

 

The Ranking:

Handily sweeps past most of the list, and even manages to challenge the current top-dog....

 

...is Limbo more awesome than Singularity......

 

...YES!

 

A new No.1 is crowned!

 

 

 

 

 

Need for Speed Rivals

 

Summary:

A first outing on PS4 for the sometimes-good-sometimes-bad-but-never-great racing franchise, and while not their worst by a long stretch, also not even close to their best, and featuring a bizarrely large, yet barren world of boring looking streets on which to have boring looking races.

 

The Ranking:

 

Poor game never had much of a hope - makes it past Adventures of Mana's even more egregious dullness, but that's as far as it's little wheels can carry it's dull-as-ditchwater carriage.

 

 

 

 

 

Plants vs. Zombies

 

Summary:

A great tower defence game, and proof that iOS ports are only usually a bad idea - not always.

 

The Ranking:

 

Does well initially, beating out even The Playroom's innovations with it's brand of charming, extremely well crafted floral combat, but the repetitive nature comes out to hinder it in the end, rendering it unable to beat out Hitman Absolution.

 

 

 

 

 

Rain

 

Summary:

A really excellent 3D indie(?) puzzle game, making use of some very evocative and gloomy environments to tell it's simple yet effective tale.

 

The Ranking:

 

Can compete with the top end of the pack, but isn't in the same league as a heavy hitter like Grim Fandango, and falls before it, in a rainy puddle.

 

 

 

 

The Mysteries of Little Riddle

 

Summary:

trying to do educational and simple for the kids, with some 'humour' for the parents, and somehow misses both. Lacking in charm is forgivable, but lacking in charm when you seem to think you are charming as hell is something else. Not a good time for any age group!

 

The Ranking:

 

Falls at the very first hurdle - can't even beat out the rather un-fun Cel Damage. 

 

A new 'Least Awesome Game', I'm afraid!

 

 

 

Transistor

 

Summary:

Supergiant's second outing is a marvel - combining a beautiful art style, insanely great music (that works in the game and without, and has been on my iPod since it's release), a great story, brilliant sound design and a gameplay that is breathtaking in it's variability, approachability and scope for experimentation.

 

The Ranking:

 

Oh, Limbo, your time at the top spot was memorable, yet oh so fleeting!

 

There's nothing on the current list that can even lay a finger on this gem - it's Awesomeness is unparalleled on the list so far, and takes it's crown as the new No.1 with room to spare!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, that's it folks, all that remains is for me to update the Master List, which I will do now, and to celebrate our new current King of Awesome - Transistor!

 

What games will be coming along next time to challenge it for the crown?

Only the Gods of Scientific Chaos and Randomness can tell!

 

See y'all then!

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[DrBloodmoney]

 

⚛️!!SCIENCE UPDATE!!⚛️

The next 10 Randomly selected games to be added to the ranking next shall be:

 

Arcade Archives: Moon Cresta

Castle Crashers

Dragon's Crown

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Joe Danger

Mafia II

Paint Park Plus

Q.U.B.E Directors Cut

Tetris

Until Dawn

 

 

 

 

Will any of these be able to compete with Transistor for the glorious 'Current Most Awesome' spot?

 

Will any compete with The Mysteries of Little Riddle for the slightly less glorious 'Current Least Awesome' spot?

 

Only the science can say!

 

 

??SPECIAL NOTE??

 

If there are any specific games anyone wants to see get ranked sooner rather than later - drop a message, and I'll try to include them on the next list of test subjects! ?

 

The only stipulation is that they must be on my profile, at 100% (S-Rank), and aren't already on the Rankings! ☺️

Edited April 30, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Copanele]

5 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

If there are any specific games anyone wants to see get ranked sooner rather than later - drop a message, and I'll try to include them on the next list of test subjects! 

 

The only stipulation is that they must be on my profile, at 100% (S-Rank), and aren't already on the Rankings! 

Hello doctor, lately I feel the strange urge to see Cuphead, Lords of the Fallen and Sekiro. Is there a cure for that??

[DrBloodmoney]

1 minute ago, Copanele said:

Hello doctor, lately I feel the strange urge to see Cuphead, Lords of the Fallen and Sekiro. Is there a cure for that??

 

I have highlighted those 3 in the super-secret master list in the Vault of Scientific Mystery, for 'priority assignment'! ?

 

[Cleggworth]

Fun thread, I'll keep an eye on this

[DrBloodmoney]

 

 ?? NEW SCIENTIFIC RESULTS ARE IN! ??

 

Hello Chaps and Chapesses, as promised, here are the latest results of our great scientific endeavour!

 

 

Arcade Archives: Moon Cresta

 

Summary:

Galaga before Galaga was Galaga, Moon Cresta gets points for being first, but first isn't always best, and there is a reason that Galaga is the one everyone remembers. Docking those ships is way too much of a pain-in-the-ass to be fun, and the game is incredibly difficult if you miss a dock, rendering this a bit of a chore, and unlikely to engage for too long. Better in an arcade than in a home.

 

The Ranking:

Definitely a curiosity, but not one of the retro arcade games that will keep me coming back, especially since Galaga exists on Playstation as well, and perfected this rough formula. I'd still rather play this than Kung-Fu Rabbit though, so just above that is where it lands!

 

 

 

 

Castle Crashers

 

Summary:

Being a part of that first big wave of console indies during the Xbox 'Summer of Arcade' days helped this fun little brawler gain a massive audience, and it has charm all the way to the bank. It's a super fun co-op time, but a little too long and a little too brutal for sharing with non-gaming types. Competitive Multiplayer is not fun at all, and a souring addition to an otherwise fun game.

 

The Ranking:

Makes it above similarly charming Plants vs Zombies due to it's co-op fun, but can't quite beat out Hitman Absolution - Agent 47 should be glad that game had it's excellent 'Contracts' multiplayer mode to save it's bacon here, because that was the only thing that kept it from Castle Crashers eating it's lunch!

 

 

 

Dragon's Crown

 

Summary:

A fairly lavish art style can do a lot for a game, and it's working overtime to disguise some of the more boring elements of this better-than-average-but-not-quite-great fantasy brawler. Fun enough, but not quite variable or interesting enough to sustain itself for the length of its platinum journey. Gains some points for running well enough on vita, but then loses them almost immediately for the art-design on the Witch character, rendering this a little too pervvy to be seen playing out in public.

 

The Ranking:

Castle Crashers provides a 'ceiling' for this one - as that is a better brawler overall, but Dragon's Crown sits comfortable close - has enough going for it to be more fun than The Playroom, but Plants vs Zombies is still a little more awesome.

 

 

 

Horizon: Zero Dawn

 

Summary:

A fantastic example of open world gaming, with fun, engaging combat, good side quests that are plentiful, but not overwhelming or tedious, brilliant visuals, a great main story featuring a likeable and sympathetic protagonist, fun monster designs, and fantastic voice work. Proof that the 'Ubisoft' formula can be done - and improved upon - by non-Ubisoft studios without breaking it entirely, and also - proof that it works when done right!

 

The Ranking:

Good enough to compete with the top of the pack of the current list, Horizon's supreme polish (even in an open world) handily beats out Singularity's occasional jank in its more linear structure, and as great as Limbo is, it's shorter length and less repeatable gameplay submits to Horizon. Transistor manages to hold the top spot though - Horizon may be great, and it's story is long and winding and fun, but it cannot beat Supergiant's powerhouse on the combat, variability or music.

 

 

 

 

Joe Danger

 

Summary:

Long before Hello Games was crafting universes for No Man's Sky, they made this very fun Trials-like mobile game, that plays well, feels good, and can be surprisingly tricky at times (though not a patch on Trials in that regard)

 

The Ranking:

makes a decent showing, biking past the lower end of the ranking with ease, but the small nature of the game, and it's roots on mobile hurt it a little in terms of longevity, and there are quite a few games of this genre that do very similar stuff. Joe Danger is a good one, but doesn't have much beyond good craftsmanship to stand out in the pack, and The Playroom's innovations stop it in its tracks.

 

 

 

 

Mafia II

 

Summary:

A lavish (at the time) attempt at a Godfather-esque story does a pretty good job in terms of the main story - characters are stereotypes ands archetypes exclusively, but that is forgivable and befitting the game, and the story, while having some faults, is well done overall. Unfortunately, so much time was spent getting that right, that the dev forgot they were making an open world game, and stuck it out the door before realising they had forgotten to include anything but the main story path. There is very little reason for this to be open world at all, and the side missions are scarce, and uninteresting.

 

The Ranking:

Better than Hitman Absolution overall, so that was the starting point, but in terms of fun, I'd still rather play IO's fun little tongue-in-cheek action-adventure game Mini Ninja's than Mafia II's dour, sometimes great, but often not, self-seriousness, or drive around it's pretty, but empty, world so, there it stays!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paint Park Plus

 

Summary:

Not really a game per-se, more a testing ground to show off some of the neat features the Vita had to offer - but the inclusion of trophies renders it eligible for this ranking!

 

The Ranking:

As tech demo type stuff goes, The Playroom is an obvious comparison, but this falls way below that innovative and interesting product.

Starting at the very bottom of the list, I'd rather mess around with Paint Park Plus for an hour than play 5 minutes of The Mysteries of Little Riddle, so it avoids taking the 'Least Awesome Game' title, but only just, as even the decidedly dull Cel Damage can provide a bit more fun than this can for any stretch of time.

 

 

 

 

 

Q.U.B.E Director's Cut

 

Summary:

A fun, though never amazing, Portal-like 3D puzzler that is tricky, but not fiendish, in it's puzzles.  Has some good, well thought-out mechanics, though veers a a little too long to sustain them for its length.

 

The Ranking:

Beats out a good portion of the current list on smartness and cool-factor alone, but there are better 3D puzzlers out there, and this one can't quite compete with the bigger hitters here. Nestles comfortably between the thinking-man's chaos of Plant's vs Zombies, and the smashy-man's chaos of Castle Crashers, who's co-op saves it from being overtaken once again!

 

 

 

 

 

Tetris

 

Summary:

This is Tetris, and Tetris is inarguably awesome, though this particular version is awfully bare-bones.

Uses the 'modern' rule set, so T-Spinning galore, but really, in this day and age, putting out Tetris without any kind of additional hook just seems lazy.  As The Tetris Effect, Tetris Royale and Puyo Puyo Tetris have proven, the mechanics of Tetris might be evergreen, but nowadays, every man and his dog knows how to T-Spin and to hold a Long-Piece. You have to do more with your Tetriminos to stand out!

 

The Ranking:

A difficult one to rank, as Tetris as a fundamental game is so good, but I have to view this one in terms of what the game does with Tetris as well, and the answer here is: Nothing.

The base mechanics take it up the list to a point, but The Playroom did too many innovative things to allow such a lacklustre and uninspired version - even of a classic - to make it past it on nostalgia alone.

 

 

 

 

 

Until Dawn

 

Summary:

Supermassive did a great job capturing the inherent ridiculousness and fun of Teen Horror-lite romps, and the cast do a lot to help sell this a an A-Game of a B-Movie, rather than the other way around!

Quite a lot of variety to the branching story paths, some fun, gory kills, a cast of satisfyingly douchy characters, and a silly and fun plot overall.

Extra awesome-points for the line "YOU JUST GOT MONKED!" ?

 

The Ranking:

Starting point is, of course, Supermassive's other game on the current list - Hidden Agenda - and Until Dawn is lightyears better than that one, even factoring in Hidden Agenda's admirable, if a little flawed party-co-op experience. Imagine a game with Perter Stormare being so dull? How did they do that??

Beats out Dragon's Crown for sure, and manages to best Q.U.B.E. Director's Cut, but this is another game that I can't, in good conscience, say is more fun or awesome than Castle Crashers, and so is blocked just below it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there we have it folks!

Science is a harsh mistress, and these latest subjects make some admirable showings, but Transistor remains at the glorious top of the list, and The Mysteries of Little Riddle remains languishing at the turdly bottom!

 

What games will be coming along next time to challenge for the crown... or the wooden spoon?

 

That's up to randomness, me.... and YOU!

 

Remember:

 

 

 

 

SPECIAL NOTE

 

If there are any specific games anyone wants to see get ranked sooner rather than later - drop a message, and I'll mark them for 'Priority Ranking'! 

 

The only stipulation is that they must be on my profile, at 100% (S-Rank)....

 and aren't already on the Rankings! 

 

 

 

 

See y'all on the scientific flip-side! ☮️

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Cleggworth]

Your comments on Mafia II are interesting, I actually really liked Mafia II and its empty open world. Essentially linear but with a beautiful city to drive through between missions. I still enjoyed Mafia III but asides its many bugs and glitches at launch its main complaint across the board is its repetitive nature which isn't surprising because they dropped in a lot of content which was more akin to other open world games.

 

I enjoy the traditional open world games sure but I'm finding these days they are far too busy and repetitive. Spider-Man for instance whilst a wonderful game became a massive slog of the same activities that just didn't add anything to it in my opinion.

 

A good read again, nice work. Looking forward to more

[DrBloodmoney]

38 minutes ago, Cleggworth said:

Your comments on Mafia II are interesting, I actually really liked Mafia II and its empty open world. Essentially linear but with a beautiful city to drive through between missions. I still enjoyed Mafia III but asides its many bugs and glitches at launch its main complaint across the board is its repetitive nature which isn't surprising because they dropped in a lot of content which was more akin to other open world games.

 

I enjoy the traditional open world games sure but I'm finding these days they are far too busy and repetitive. Spider-Man for instance whilst a wonderful game became a massive slog of the same activities that just didn't add anything to it in my opinion.

 

A good read again, nice work. Looking forward to more

 

Oh, don't get me wrong - I liked Mafia II a fair bit (it is, after all, the 11th most awesome game so far ?) - and let's face it, these are all games I put in the time to S-Rank, so, aside from a few outlying anomalies, any game of Mafia's length that even falls within the 'eligible to rank' category was at least considered by me to be worthy of my time - but I must admit, I did feel a bit let down that a city as beautifully detailed as the one they made gave me so little real reason to explore it.

 

It was actually a game that probably could have sustained many more story DLCs that the two it got - I could easily see 3 or 4 more of similar length but with different characters being good fun, and if they all took place in different primary areas of the big city, could have each felt fresh - though back in that era, people probably would have baulked at the idea of too long a dlc tail on a game!

 

I haven't actually played Mafia 3 - it appealed to me at the time, so I can't quite think why, I guess just another in a long list of games I wanted to play but just never quite got around to! They do rather seem to pile up over the years!

Edited April 28, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[dalailama1989]

5 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

SPECIAL NOTE

 

If there are any specific games anyone wants to see get ranked sooner rather than later - drop a message, and I'll mark them for 'Priority Ranking'! 

 

 

Hitman: Blood Money ?

[DrBloodmoney]

5 minutes ago, dalailama1989 said:

 

Hitman: Blood Money

 

I knew someone would do it! ?

 

Marked as Priority ?

[Crispy_Oglop]

Great idea! Looking forward to reading this in my coffee breaks  

[Cleggworth]

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

Oh, don't get me wrong - I liked Mafia II a fair bit (it is, after all, the 11th most awesome game so far ) - and let's face it, these are all games I put in the time to S-Rank, so, aside from a few outlying anomalies, any game of Mafia's length that even falls within the 'eligible to rank' category was at least considered by me to be worthy of my time - but I must admit, I did feel a bit let down that a city as beautifully detailed as the one they made gave me so little real reason to explore it.

 

It was actually a game that probably could have sustained many more story DLCs that the two it got - I could easily see 3 or 4 more of similar length but with different characters being good fun, and if they all took place in different primary areas of the big city, could have each felt fresh - though back in that era, people probably would have baulked at the idea of too long a dlc tail on a game!

 

I haven't actually played Mafia 3 - it appealed to me at the time, so I can't quite think why, I guess just another in a long list of games I wanted to play but just never quite got around to! They do rather seem to pile up over the years!

 

Mafia II DLC had so much potential but in the end it was just a goddamn travesty. Most half arsed piece of crap I've ever played. I've never played a game that has had a bigger gulf in quality between its base game and DLC, I want to play the remaster as I loved it so much but that DLC, my god.... ?

 

Mafia III is definitely worth a play, it has that same authentic feel of the earlier games, the soundtrack in particular is perfect. The documentary style storytelling also worked really well in my opinion. Doesnt quite reach the heights of Mafia I and II though because the gameplay can get quite repetitive. 

[JoesusHCrust]

Am I being blind? Where are your reviews for the first ten? Also, I think your scienceometer might be miscalibrated. H:ZD was beautiful but profoundly derivative and unoriginal in its gameplay. When something looks that good, and is superficially that original, but is just another UBIsoft sandbox beneath the surface, science demands that its awesomenessnessability is reduced accordingly! 

[DrBloodmoney]

9 minutes ago, JoesusHCrust said:

Am I being blind? Where are your reviews for the first ten? Also, I think your scienceometer might be miscalibrated. H:ZD was beautiful but profoundly derivative and unoriginal in its gameplay. When something looks that good, and is superficially that original, but is just another UBIsoft sandbox beneath the surface, science demands that its awesomenessnessability is reduced accordingly! 

 

You're not blind - I didn't put up reviews for the first ten - I had to have some kind of baseline, so I deliberately picked 10 diverse games where I could be sure that I was happy with the ranking of those specific 10 -  where none were too close to each other, and none were serious contenders for the top (or bottom) spots overall - to work from.

 

Granted, it means that there aren't any specific reviews for them, but you can very easily tell what I think of them based on their use as comparisons in the first couple of sets of reviews ?

 

Also - what can I say - I like open-world sandbox games done well - and Horizon is an open world sandbox game done very well!

As I said in the Moon Cresta review (referencing Galaga) - you get points for originality, for sure, but it's not the be-all and end-all.

If someone else comes in after you and does it better, they might be derivative, but they are still better 

 

Horizon might not have many things that are truly original, but I'm hard pressed to think of any area it did less than well.

 

Who knows where the science will take us though?

 

Perhaps it will end up being the 29th least awesome game of them all? ?

 

You never know ?

Edited April 28, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Grotz99]

It's too bad The Last of Us 2 isn't at S rank, I would like to see you're ranking on that.

[DrBloodmoney]

 

⚛️!!SCIENCE UPDATE!!⚛️

 

 

The 10 (somewhat) randomly selected games to be added to the ranking next shall be:

 

 

Cuphead
Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek
Freedom Wars
Arcade Game Series: Dig Dug
Lords of the Fallen
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The Order: 1886
Hitman: Blood Money

 

 

Subjects in RED marked for ❎PRIORITY ASSIGNEMENT❎

[Care of @Copanele / @dalailama1989]

 

 

 

Will Transistor survive another round as the glorious 'Current Most Awesome' game?

Can anything sink lower than The Mysteries of Little Riddle?

 

Can my mind take any more of this nostalgia?

Edited April 28, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[DrBloodmoney]

11 minutes ago, Grotz99 said:

It's too bad The Last of Us 2 isn't at S rank, I would like to see you're ranking on that.

 

I'll tell you right now - even if it was an S-Rank, (and it will be at some point), I'd still  be putting that one off for a while - I don't want to see this thread turn into the kind of dumpster fire that all it's threads seem to ?

 

Trust me - there's a reason I've not selected Life is Strange 2 for ranking yet either... ?

[Grotz99]

5 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

I'll tell you right now - even if it was an S-Rank, (and it will be at some point), I'd still  be putting that one off for a while - I don't want to see this thread turn into the kind of dumpster fire that all it's threads seem to 

 

Trust me - there's a reason I've not selected Life is Strange 2 for ranking yet either... 

That is true unfortunately...maybe the first one? Happy to see Transistor holding the crown currently and seeing how Horizon ZD didn't dethrone it, I'm curious to see what will in your eyes.