Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 75 | 20 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 77 | 26 |
| Xbox store ratings | – | 67 | 448 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 6h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (29)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
“The Council has impressive ambitions, even if its execution is not up to scratch. You’ll already know whether its alternate history backdrop appeals to you, but it’s the RPG elements that threaten to disrupt the narrative genre. We already like what this series is doing, but the writing and voice acting leaves a little to be desired. That said, this is a solid start, even if it is a bit too early to come to any conclusions about the overall story just yet. ”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The first episode of The Council sets the basis for an interesting adventure game, which cleverly uses some of the classic gameplay elements of RPGs. If in the next few episodes the narrative structure becomes more malleable, we will have to deal with a small masterpiece of the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Aside from the stilted voice acting and ugly visuals, The Council gets off to an excellent start with The Mad Ones. The over-arching plot is sufficiently intriguing, while the light RPG mechanics gives the narrative adventure genre the kick in the pants it has needed.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Council is a good attempt to refresh the narrative adventure genre, that starts to feel a little bit too repetitive these days. Although it's not based on a popular intellectual property, it does offer a story full of mystery and some interesting characters. ”
read full review ↗ - 75
- 75
“It's tough to provide a definitive review on a chapter-based game, but The Council is off to a good start with its gameplay based on social interactions and a very nice artistic touch. A good spin on the Telltale recipe.”
read full review ↗ - 81
“While missing some of the polish other games might have, The Council feels like it could be the next step in the genre thanks to branching narratives that feel much weightier than before and a mystery you can't help but be drawn into.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The first episode of The Council gives hope for the rest of the series: an intriguing mystery with superb RPG elements in a new episodic jacket. Let's hope Big Bad Wolf fixes some of the animations.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The skill system, leveling up, confrontations and the immunity/weakness system are all fantastic game design choices that really get you invested in the game. Pair those with superb writing and a beautiful location to explore, and this is one fantastic start to this episodic series. If you're a mystery hound like me that can appreciate these twists to the genre, I think you'll agree that Episode 2 can't come fast enough...”
read full review ↗ - 75
“If you can get past the slow start and some of the glaring technical problems of The Mad Ones, then you will find the most innovative episodic adventure game to come from a studio other than Telltale.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A promising start. The Mad Ones builds the framework for what can be a wild narrative ride, but it’s not clear yet how far this game will go in terms of its branching paths, or if the narrative will remain interesting throughout. I’m excited to learn more about the deceptive world of The Council and what Louis will uncover in upcoming episodes.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The Council Episode One is a thunderously promising start for this fresh, sophisticated and intelligent take on the narrative adventure. ”
read full review ↗
Push Square
Eurogamer
We Got This Covered
Atomix
ACG
Wccftech
Darkstation
DualShockers
PlayStation LifeStyle
PlayStation Universe…and 17 more tracked reviews.