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) | – | 83 | 20 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 80 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 78 | 67 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 72 | 750 |
| Xbox store ratings | – | 65 | 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 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (37)
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
“Skylanders Swap Force is fun from start to finish, and outclasses its predecessors in depth and breadth of content.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Skylanders SWAP Force is at the cusp of feeling like series fatigue, but is also the best in the series to date. Even if you might be feeling a little burnt out on the genre, it only took one level before I was sucked back in. Once again I am lost in the world of Skylanders, and it remains the toy-to-game series to beat.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“You can still technically play through the entire adventure with just one Skylander, but to scratch that completist itch you’ll need both a fat wallet and the willingness to hunt down specific physical character figures.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Most importantly, the game never takes the devotion of these young players for granted, and seeks to reward and challenge them at every turn.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The fact may dismay parents but this is an excellent sequel that goes to considerable effort to inject new ideas and fix earlier problems, making it one of the best kids games available today.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Skylanders: Swap Force is a game packed with a variety of content for people of all ages.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“New approach to the figures allowed the game to open up and bring larger and more complex areas to the game. The selling point remains with the new figures themselves, though, and won’t let you sleep until you’ve got as many of them as your budget allows. [Issue#237]”
- 100
“What most surprises me about Skylanders is the effectiveness of these little toys. I mean, dolls. I mean, uh, action figures. Whatever you call them, I can’t deny that picking up pieces and moving them onto the base is a surprisingly effective hook.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“I particularly like the way the writers build on the epilogue of the previous game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Albeit expensive, Skylanders Swap Force is a good game for kids, building well on its predecessor. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Therein lies the beauty of the game, it’s offers players a wealth of choice, from the many variations of Skylander they want to play with to the upgrades they want to add to the secret areas they want to unlock. Most of the toys are, for lack of a better description, really cool looking, which got me thinking very much like a kid: I want them all. You’d almost think Activision planned it this way.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“If you were thinking that this was going to be an Activision cash grab, think again. So much heart and soul is consistently poured into the Skylanders franchise time and time again, and Swap Force is no exception. In fact, it's the best one yet.”
read full review ↗
ZTGD
Eurogamer
Metro GameCentral
DarkZero
IGN
Destructoid…and 25 more tracked reviews.