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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) | – | 83 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 83 | 30 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 79 | 102 |
| 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 11h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (23)
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
“What you've got here are two of the finest examples of the genre, accompanied by a third likeable entry which is also well worth a look. When you consider the many hours of top-notch entertainment on offer, the price is very nearly a steal.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Offering three of the best action RPGs of all time, in one complete package, Collection of Mana is a must play for fans of the series, the genre, and the medium. Final Fantasy Adventure's humble simplicity shines to this day, culminating in an unforgettable adventure; Secret of Mana fleshes out its predecessor's gameplay in all the right ways while establishing the Mana franchise's aesthetic; and Trials of Mana offers western games the opportunity to play one of the greatest sequels of all time with an official English translation. Collection of Mana has its quirks, but there's no good reason to skip out on this legendary compilation.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Trials of Mana is certainly a title worth your time, but newcomers to the series may want to hold off until the release of the modern remake next year. The Collection of Mana does a fine job of providing faithful recreations of 8 and 16-bit classics for a modern portable system, but make no mistake: all three games show their age. For those who had their formative years during the Super Nintendo era and those that simply prefer 2D sprite-based gaming, this package will serve you well. For everyone else, having the first three Seiken Densetsu entries in one package may not be enough incentive given that the flagship title’s re-invention is just around the corner.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Collection of Mana includes three must-play games for any JRPG fan. They have beautiful art design, incredible soundtracks, and Trials of Mana may arguably be the best game the SNES ever had. Unfortunately it’s a bit light on additional content beyond the games themselves.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It may seem a little pricey, but, considering that Trials of Mana has never been available outside of Japan before, Collection of Mana is a must-have for Switch owning JRPG fans. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Collection of Mana, heck even just Trials of Mana in the West, is a dream come true for me. If you decide to pick this up, you're getting three wonderful games that you can play anywhere. Some extra features, like a museum with the series' artwork, or a history lesson on the entire franchise, wouldn't have gone amiss, but we got something we never thought we'd get. If $40 for three excellent games isn't too much to ask, then do yourself a favour and pick this up if you're an RPG fan.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Collection of Mana will easily give you a hefty amount of gameplay for the asking price. ”
read full review ↗ - 75
“While most collections are products of profit and/or preservation, Collection of Mana advances the Western Mana canon with its surprise inclusion of Trials of Mana. This feels like a minor miracle and, despite the collection's austere packaging, sparks hope that Square-Enix may disentomb more of their perceived gems that never made the voyage westward.”
read full review ↗ - 91
“Every game has a quick save function in addition to the standard in-game save points, so you can essentially pick up, play, then put down at any point. So while I certainly would like to see more supplemental material in collections like this, I’d also argue that Collection of Mana is a selection of three great games, one of which was previously unreleased here, and still worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“If you want to play the first 3 Mana games in any place, this collection is for you, even if you only consider to play the fabulous Seiken Densetsu 3, as is the first time is available outside Japan (and translated). But it's far from perfect: only one game is in spanish, there are missing options, and it's very, very expensive.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The fact is that Secret of Mana is to me what Chrono Trigger is to most people who were into JRPGs on the SNES, and Collection of Mana has been a truly wonderful trip back through my very fond memories for this series.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Collection of Mana is the Holy Grail of the classic JRPG action signed Square: a gem, a cult and an absolute masterpiece officially arrived in the West 24 years after the original release.”
read full review ↗
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Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
Switch Player
GameSpew
RPG Fan
DualShockers
Digital Chumps
Gaming Age
Hobby Consolas
Digitally Downloaded
Everyeye.it…and 11 more tracked reviews.