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) | – | 84 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 82 | 60 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 87 | 750 |
| 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 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (22)
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.
- 90
“Central Fiction adds enough characters, mechanics and fine tunes its already nearly flawless gameplay into something that feels as amazing to play as it looks. It’s currently my favorite fighting game on the market, and I have no doubt that I will be throwing dozens of more hours into it in the months to come.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“BlazBlue Central Fiction is the perfect epilogue of an amazing series. 35 characters, amazing animations, a deep and refined combat system and a smooth online experience are BlazBlue’s best features. The game is fun, but it’s really hard to master. Remember that, when you’ll face the online monsters who are fighting each other on the EU servers, on a daily basis.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Where the story falls short, the gameplay rises up. The fighting is fun to pick up and play, but hard to master. There’s no shortage of combos and character specific special moves, making finding your character of choice and fun and personal experience. For those that are fans of the series, Central Fiction is an absolute must have. For fighting game fans that want a fighting game to keep them busy until Tekken 7 comes out, Central Fiction is definitely worth a try, just be prepared to do a lot of reading if you want to understand the lore.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Central Fiction has the most gameplay content and the best gameplay of any title in the series. Longtime fans will be satisfied, and newcomers have more reason to jump in now than ever before.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“BlazBlue goes out in a blaze of glory, and although it lacks new ideas it certainly isn’t short of characters, game modes, or thrilling action.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Blazblue: Central Fiction features masterfully complex battle systems, and although it requires a fair amount of patience, once you’ve grasped the basics you’ll be landing punches, specials in combos that feel all the more satisfying not only to achieve, but look at too! Even with an overblown story mode that sees the action take a back seat, Blazblue: Central Fiction is a solid entry in the eccentric franchise and a remarkably decent fighting game.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Subtle improvements and a batch of new features keep Blazblue on track, though its graphics are in dire need of an upgrade. ”
read full review ↗ - 85
“It packs in pretty much everything past games have offered, and then brings in several great new characters and one of the biggest stories in fighting game history.”
read full review ↗ - 86
“BlazBlue saga continues with Central Fiction: new characters, new moves, great story mode and the same ultra-complex gameplay mechanics. Plenty of modes and possibilities but you'll end up having fun only if you're a fighting games master. We missed the new Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator 3D engine on this new BlazBlue, that shows 2D characters.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“BlazBlue: Central Fiction is a strong note for the series to go out on, if it really does end here. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A solid installment within the BlazBlue series that will appeal to fans and casual players alike, so long as you already enjoy playing fighting games.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“BlazBlue really is gorgeous. Every character is animated in such a way that every movement they make reinforces their personalities. Every environment is a living, breathing thing that sets a meaningful scene and helps build the world around the characters. Because everything is 2D and quite flat, it’s easy to wish that all that storytelling and character building was funnelled into a more natural fit, but then again, with BlazBlue being such a successful franchise for so long now, it’s hard to argue that the developers and producers are making a mistake.”
read full review ↗
ZTGD
Eurogamer
GameGrin
TheSixthAxis
Metro GameCentral
GameSpew
Destructoid
Hobby Consolas
PlayStation LifeStyle
CGMagazine
Digitally Downloaded…and 10 more tracked reviews.