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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) | – | 96 | 23 |
| Creator reviews (4 tracked) | – | 90 | 5 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 92 | 750 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 92 | 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 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (144)
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.
- 100
“Breath of the Wild laid the groundwork for what is possible in a Zelda game, and then Tears of the Kingdom took all of that, broke the rules, and added more to that equation. It’s a game that can be experienced at any pace and is the magnum opus, if not the swan song, of an aging console that proves it can still make masterpieces.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is indeed a game with two faces - one welcoming and the other viciously hostile. While it features a wealth of content, brilliant innovation, and genuine incentives to play with its toys, the spectre of its predecessor’s pernicious encroachment on fun is dispiriting in its ubiquity. The neat new tricks this sequel pulls simply aren’t enough to make Hyrule’s realm of brittle weapons, slippery surfaces, and tedious chores any more welcoming. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I know I’ve spent a lot of time discussing my qualms with this new formula for Zelda games but I did still enjoy myself. Don’t get me wrong, everyone should play Tears of the Kingdom. The new outfits to find are fun and varied, the caves are really interesting and Ultrahand has some fun uses. It is an incredible achievement but it’s just not what I’m looking for in Zelda games. That’s a shame for those of us that want those classic elements back. I don’t think the Zelda ‘formulas’ are mutually exclusive. I think there’s a better balance they can strike but they’re not there yet. I can only hope Nintendo takes stock of the sincere critiques of these two Zelda games and find ways to accommodate all Zelda fans moving forward.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a title great enough to unite the whole industry. A game to celebrate the past and find the best in the most innovative future Nintendo can offer.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“While Tears of the Kingdom isn’t even close to being the most disappointing game that’s ever donned the Legend of Zelda namesake, it often feels like the safest and least adventurous.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“It’s impossible to talk about everything that makes The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom so incredible, and making many of those discoveries yourselves is part of the magic. It’s also impossible to overstate just how much there is to do in Hyrule this time around. Much like its predecessor, this is your playground for the next however many years to come, with a little sprinkling of that older Zelda fairy dust mixed into Breath of the Wild’s formula. It’s a glorious, triumphant sequel to one of the best video games of all time; absolute unfiltered bliss to lose yourself in for hundreds of hours. We can’t wait to see what the world will do with the game.”
read full review ↗ - 99
“Despite a few serious flaws that would be a huge drawback in most other scenarios, Tears of the Kingdom manages to throw so much at you that you can't help but grab the one thing you love the most. Whether you are into experimenting or defying ancient evil with little to no odds, this is a game that overshadows its predecessor so much that we'll hardly ever look back. Yet, hope for the future must come in the shape of something different since the potential of what we have here seems like it has reached the end of the cloud.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's truly open world, player’s freedom and openness to experiment make it a true showstopper. Since Breath of the Wild, there was no open world game that made me so happy. But if you don’t share my love for the previous game, you have nothing to look for here.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has immediately become one of the Switch’s standout titles. Creating something with a greater draw than the Breath of the Wild was always going to be a challenge, but Nintendo has taken lessons learned from and systems established in it to create a glorious follow-up that fully deserves the plaudits that have already come its way. Even for those who haven’t played many Zelda titles, Tears of the Kingdom is absolutely worth diving into and rewards every moment spent with it.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“A unique experience in video games and a colossal expansion of what we knew in Breath of the Wild, with some moments that will leave you speechless and make you lose yourself in its world without even realizing it.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom accomplishes that incredibly difficult task of following up a critically acclaimed game. It hooks, teases and surprises at every turn. Another essential game for the Nintendo Switch and chapter in the ever-expanding Hylian story.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“If you’ve yet to step foot into the open world of Hyrule, Tears of the Kingdom is the best way to experience it, with just enough new ground to keep things interesting. But if you didn’t gel with the 2017 release, the story alone might not be worth the second attempt. ”
read full review ↗
Gamepressure
The Jimquisition
Pure Nintendo
GameMAG
Slant Magazine
Nintendo Life
PLAY Zine
GRYOnline.pl
RPGamer
Cubed3
Gfinity…and 132 more tracked reviews.