The scores
| Where | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCritic (critic average) | 86/100, "Mighty", 96% recommend | 85 |
| Metacritic — Xbox Series X/S | 88 | 6 |
| Metacritic — PS5 | 84 | 57 |
| Metacritic — PC | 82 | 29 |
| Metacritic — Switch | 78 | 5 |
| Steam (players) | "Mixed", 67% positive | 2,617 |
As of October 16, 2026. A day earlier Steam had 1,805 reviews and 63% positive, so the share is slowly rising.
Selected critic scores (via OpenCritic): GameSpot 10/10, Shacknews 10/10, PlayStation Universe 10/10, COGconnected 90/100, The Games Machine 8.5/10, IGN 8/10, TheSixthAxis 8/10, Push Square 7/10. Eurogamer gave it 60/100. It praises the game's ambition but criticizes technical problems and awkward controls. Famitsu gave it 32/40.
Why Steam says "Mixed"
We read several dozen negative and positive player reviews from October 15–16. The negative ones fall into two groups.
1. PC bugs (the biggest share)
- Black screen at launch, often after turning V-Sync off in the demo. Some players refunded the game after 5–10 minutes.
- Ghost inputs: menus and the map scroll on their own. The bug was already in the demo.
- Steam Deck: a cut-off interface and frame drops.
- Isolated complaints about stutters, freezes and a frame limiter that does not work.
Many reviewers say outright that they will change their rating after a patch. How to fix these bugs right now: black screen and other bugs.
2. "This is not Castlevania"
- Combat and movement are closer to Dead Cells, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and soulslikes than to Symphony of the Night. There is a lot of precision platforming and rooms with waves of enemies.
- There is no classic loot from enemies, and sub-weapons are not picked up from candles. Tarot cards (Arcana) take their place.
- Some players criticize the music as repetitive and forgettable, and the art style for looking like the Netflix series.
- Save points can be far from bosses, so after dying you have a long way back.
What people praise
- The whip, used for combat and, as the Arcane Whip, for swinging over chasms. It is the most praised element among both critics and players.
- Fast, fluid combat, seven weapon types and relics that change your playstyle.
- The art and level design. The game "opens up" after the first three bosses. Several players with longer playtimes point out that early reviews after 1–2 hours only judge the prologue.
- Size: RPG Site needed about 16 hours for 100%, TheGamer mentions over 20 hours.
Siliconera calls the game "an uneven return". It praises the combat but mentions performance problems on some platforms.
Who the game is for
| If you… | Our advice |
|---|---|
| like Dead Cells, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Hollow Knight, Blasphemous | go ahead and buy it |
| want another Symphony of the Night or Aria of Sorrow with loot and grinding | play the free demo first |
| play on PC with a monitor above 120 Hz | prepare the black screen workaround or wait for the patch |
| play on Steam Deck or the original Switch | wait for a patch or pick another platform (Switch and Switch 2) |
| are unsure about the languages | text is in 11 languages, voices in English and Japanese (languages and price) |
The demo is free on all platforms and covers the opening with the first boss. Progress carries over to the full game. It is the easiest way to check whether this combat style suits you.
