Game reviews

Honest scores, written after we actually play.

Our reviews measure the things that matter for competitive gaming: depth, watchability and staying power. No title is reviewed from a trailer, and no score is for sale. Here is everything our desk has scored this season.

Tactical shooter · Reviewed by Priya Sharma

Counter-Strike 2

Developer: Valve
Launched: 2023 (successor to CS:GO)
Access: Free-to-play on Steam
Platforms: Windows, Linux
Format: 5v5, MR12

Counter-Strike 2 is a game where every round tells its own short story and then hands the next round a consequence. Two teams of five swap between attack and defence around a bomb objective, and the cash a side earns or loses decides what it can afford next time. A lost pistol round can still shape the score fifteen minutes later. Valve's 2023 rebuild kept that structure and moved competitive play to MR12, where the first side to thirteen rounds takes the map. Maps finish sooner as a result, and a best-of-three is much easier to sit through in one evening.

It works very well on a broadcast. Smoke grenades now fill the space realistically and can be pushed open by gunfire and explosions, which gives commentators plenty to explain. The observer camera makes even a scrappy retake readable. The learning curve is the real cost. Map layouts, recoil control and the grenade throws that teams rehearse take months to absorb, and a first-time viewer will lean heavily on the commentary to make sense of mid-round calls. Australian fans should also plan around time zones, because the two Valve-sponsored Majors each year are often hosted in Europe or the Americas. Even so, as something to study and to watch, it is still the benchmark.

Editorial score9.0 / 10

Skill ceiling: very highWatchability: excellentScene health: strongLearning curve: steep

Vehicle football · Reviewed by Jordan Lam

Rocket League

Developer: Psyonix (an Epic Games studio)
Launched: 2015 · free-to-play since 2020
Platforms: PC (Epic Games Store), PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Format: 3v3 (competitive standard)

Rocket League needs about five seconds of explanation: rocket-powered cars, an oversized ball and two goals. No other game on this page is easier to show to someone who has never watched esports, and that matters for growing a scene. Competitive play is three-a-side, and games are short and timed, so a broadcast keeps moving and a match usually comes down to a run of tight finishes rather than one long grind.

That simple premise hides an enormous skill ceiling. Top players chain aerial touches, wall plays and quick recoveries that look impossible until you see the replay, so the gap between a casual player and a pro is obvious on screen in a way that is hard to match. The learning curve is deceptive. Driving around and scoring the odd goal comes quickly, but consistent aerial control takes most players a very long time. For local fans, the official Rocket League Championship Series has its own Oceania region, with online Opens that give teams from this part of the world a defined path to the international LAN events. Our one caveat is speed. Play moves so fast that it can take a replay or two to understand the rotations, but this is the most welcoming competitive title we cover.

Editorial score8.6 / 10

Skill ceiling: very highWatchability: excellentScene health: solidLearning curve: gentle start, long climb

MOBA · Reviewed by Harper Reid

Dota 2

Developer: Valve
Launched: 2013
Access: Free-to-play on Steam
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Format: 5v5

Dota 2 has been free to play since it launched in 2013, and it still has one of the deepest competitive systems in gaming. Two teams of five pick from a hero pool of more than a hundred and fight across a three-lane map to destroy the opposing Ancient. The pick-and-ban draft is a strategy contest in its own right. Before anyone has left base, an experienced analyst can read a team's game plan from what it has banned and picked.

That depth is also the main barrier. Matches often run well past half an hour, item and ability interactions are dense, and a new viewer can watch a long stretch without noticing that a game-deciding play is being set up. With good casting, though, the payoff is huge. Late-game teamfights and genuine comebacks produce some of the best drama in esports, and the client lets anyone tune into live professional matches from inside the game. The calendar is anchored by Valve's annual championship, The International. For newcomers, we recommend watching alongside someone who already plays. As a game to learn from scratch by watching, it is the hardest on this page.

Editorial score8.3 / 10

Skill ceiling: extremeWatchability: high with good castingScene health: establishedLearning curve: very steep

How to read our scores

Scores are out of ten, and they judge each game as something to compete in and to watch. They are not a verdict on whether it makes a good casual night in. Three areas carry equal weight. Skill ceiling asks how much room there is to improve and how far the meta can keep shifting. Watchability asks how easily a viewer can follow and enjoy a match. Scene health looks at whether there is a stable circuit, a grassroots pathway and continued developer support. We also report the learning curve so newcomers know what they are taking on, but it does not count towards the score.

The editor who led testing signs off every review. When a major update changes how a game plays or how it is presented on a broadcast, we revisit the score and note the change. Facts such as developer, launch year and platforms come from the developer's own pages and Steam listings, and we correct them promptly if anything changes.

Game names are trademarks of their respective owners. Scrimfolio is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Valve, Psyonix or Epic Games.