Topic: Predict The Metacritic Scores (Launch Window)

To decide what games to buy on a system, I usually glance at Metacritic (accumulation of all review scores) and decide which games over 75/100 interest me. I thought it would be fun to predict the average review scores for the Launch window games, and then in retrospect be able to go back and see how close we were. For the launch window, I expect something like:

Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild - 89
Super Bomberman R - 77
1,2 Switch - 65
Fast RMX - 80
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove - 86
Mario Kart 8: Deluxe - 90
Splatoon 2 - 84
ARMS - 81
I am Setsuna - 73
Snipperclips - 75

Feel free to add/ take away games

Snipperclips - 100

Also, console Zelda games have never scored below 90, so it's guaranteed to score 90+, just because it's Zelda.

Oh dear... I think I'm going to bodge this quite badly, and it goes against my dislike of getting too obsessed with Metacritic, but here goes...

Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild - 93
Super Bomberman R - 72
1,2 Switch - 62
Fast RMX - 78
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove - 89
Mario Kart 8: Deluxe - 89
Splatoon 2 - 86
ARMS - 70
I am Setsuna - 72
Snipperclips - 85

That might be slightly wishful thinking in some cases, as I'm unsure some of my personal favourites (Splatoon and Snipperclips) will be universally loved across the board. However good Splatoon 2 is, I still imagine it'll lack some features that have become standards in other online shooters, and be marked down accordingly. Although maybe launching with a more complete package than the original will be able to boost it up from the 81 that scored.

Everything I've seen and played of Snipperclips is fantastic, and I think it'll contain a fair amount of content (it's been in development for years, I think, albeit before Nintendo got involved), so I hope it's charm isn't lost on the critics.

Mario Kart is Mario Kart. With Battle Mode. I think it'll do pretty well, although I wonder if being a Wii U port will cost it some points... for some reason.

I was quite cold on ARMS when I tried it. Maybe I just couldn't get the hang of it. I also find the art style really unattractive. I think it'll get quite mixed reviews, although we don't really have much to go on at this point.

Most of the others are guesstimates. Zelda will be interesting to see. It's now going up against other open world behemoths, whereas most of the other titles were almost in their own genre of 'Zelda games'.

Snipperclips only scoring a 75? Not a chance.

I wonder which click bait sites are going to give Zelda terrible reviews. There's always someone who gives out like a 30 or 50 just to be edgy.

Hoping for like a 95 but wouldn't be surprised to see around a 92.

Don't care about the rest of the launch titles.

That's why I guessed 89 - I can see some reviewers complaining about the DLC or "not living up to hype". I believe MOST scores will be between the 90-100% range (hopefully! It is needed)

And my reasoning for Snipperclips getting around a 75, is I think it is GREAT for co-op, but am unsure how fun it will be single player (if it can be played single player?) I am also unsure about the longevity of the game.

For Splatoon 2, I could see it going either way. If it launches with very few stages again, I can see it being even below 80, having not learned its lesson. I also could imagine reviewers giving it between 75-80 if it is too similar to the first game (even graphically, I originally thought it was just a port). However, even if it is similar to the first game, with more content, I believe it will do fairly well.

I think the OP has it spot-on, but I think Zelda will get/stay in the lower 90s. Tbh, I don't even know if deservedly. It's open world, heavily hyped Zelda, and while it PROBABLY will be an amazing game (I love all 5 major 3D Zelda games (and Hyrule Warriors too)), I think that's fairly irrelevant to what the actual scores will be.

@rk3388 I think I read Snipperclips does have a single player, which is a nice addition. Though inevitably, I can picture the stream of reviews concluding with.

(+) Charming visuals
(+) Good variety of puzzles
(-) Disappointing single player mode
(-) ...Probably something else.

I'm not sure if something can be disappointing if you have no conception of how it could work better, but I can see it being listed as a drawback.

Anyway, we'll see. I'm hoping it can find a home in many critics' hearts. It's certainly found a place in mine.

@Maxz Single player mode is the same levels as multi player mode. You probably just control both characters at once.

Zelda: 93-96, 3D Zeldas get around this range.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 90-92, the original got 88 and Deluxe is the same just with more content so it'll likely get a slightly better score.
Snipperclips: 75-90, of course I think a lot of Switch owners will adore the game and it might get a lot of praise but critics might be either critical or align with the fans. I can't say.
Bomberman: 70-78, it looks like fun but the story mode looks kinda cheesy and lame which leaves just the multiplayer which isn't as interactive as the other couch game Snipperclips.
1-2 Switch: maybe 60-high 70s, it'll be fun but is a very shallow multiplayer game. It'll pail compared to the other couch game Snipperclips which will draw more customers because of its cheaper price.
Arms: 78-85, critics will like its unique fighting but may have general criticisms that'll keep it from being perfect.

Can't say anything about the other games because I don't really know much about those series.

Having already played Arms, no way is it scoring 70. It is a solid, fun game.

Mario Kart 8 is for sure not hitting 90. Certain reviewers will knock it for not being different enough.

At 88 (previous score) its incredibly hard to go up much further and incredibly easy to go down. When a handful of people knock it for being a remake it'll drop closer to 86.

@Scal_Capone I just couldn't get to grips with it in my (admittedly very short) playthrough. Mind you, I was one of the people defending Star Fox Zero after a bunch of reviews never learnt to play it (which then led to a bunch of forum users parroting them despite never having touched it), so I shouldn't knock a game too harshly simply because I couldn't pick it up in 2 minutes at an event.

I'm usually over positive about these things - at least compared to a lot of mainstream opinion - so I'm having a go at being all doom and gloom for this title. Hopefully I'm massively wrong.

Yeah basically with the 3D games. I think individual reviewers might try to prove a point by giving it like 70 or something, but I don't know how many reviews that will be. But I think the game will actually deserve a high score this time, regardless of reviewers' opinions.

@Haru17 Don't underestimate the lower scores. I took Horizon Zero Dawn two 7s and a 5 to get knocked from 91 back to 88.

@Octane Yeah, I know how averages work. I just have no idea how many syndicated reviewers Nintendo has sent it out to (Easy Allies got one, so that strikes me as a wide net) or who among them has a grudge or will just not like the game.

This exactly. But I also worry about it being more widespread this time rather than just one or two reviewers. Lots of people just want to see the world burn, and its been like 5ish years now since the last console Zelda. Doesn't take a genius to realize that a low, ultra-critical score will get you TONS of views/clicks on such a huge game. I think reviewers are going to find any and all reasons to take away from the score.

@Haru17 Probably a lot (although EZA seems to receive most review copies these days, not sure if that's a good measure anymore). Most reviews don't end up on Metacritic though. Anyway, I wonder if Horizon Zero Dawn will affect the reviews in any way. Don't expect there to be many people that are able to review both, but still..

@Octane Do you think Horizon would hurt it? I've heard the robots being compared to dynamic open world Zelda boss fights, but that's the same thing Breath of the Wild is doing, except with an actual melee combat system as well as ranged weapons like the bow and fire rod.

And I don't think any major or many small time outlets will put one person on both reviews, even if they get them in advance.