Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
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 (OpenCritic) | – | 59 | 26 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 78% | 73 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 69% | 66 | 6 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 18 reviews sampled · 17 total reviews in window · weighted 4.6 up / 2 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (46)
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.
- 70
“The Complex is a cleverly made interactive movie with an intriguing sci fi plot that eerily parallels the real world.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The Complex is an interesting experiment that sometimes yields the fruits of its labor. More often, though, it reveals precisely why developers stopped using live-action video as a means to tell an interactive story. With a minuscule budget and equally small ambitions for its narrative and characters, The Complex just doesn’t replace the gaping whole that TellTale left behind.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Lacks anything that really makes it glitter and at the same time isn’t awful enough to have a certain level of camp to it either.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Having played “interactive movie” style games since way back when CD-ROMs first allowed them to exist with the likes of classics like The 7th Guest and Phantasmagoria (among others) it has been interesting to see the genre progress...”
read full review ↗ - 40
“The Complex is a decent story that feels bigger than it could be. While some choices feel very weighty, they are few and far between, leaving a lot of inconsequential decisions in between. Honestly, it may have worked if the experience was a bit shorter - sure, a common complaint has been it is too short, but maybe it would actually benefit from being trimmed a bit. As it stands, it feels like whatever ending you got the first time through, everything else is just "what if" scenarios that don't really matter.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The Complex's potential gets lost amid weird subplots, throwaway characters, and a ton of plot holes. With so few meaningful choices, it's not an experience worth repeating more than once.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“There's a place for FMV games like The Complex, but this effort is both poorly written and performed. You'll tire of the cast long before you reach the release's credits, and while the title does include various branches in its story, it generally feels like you're on autopilot for the most part. If you're desperate for a live action experience, the PS4 already has much better alternatives to this.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“The Complex is a high-production-value FMV (Full Motion Video) game that offers an interactive movie experience centered around a bioterrorism outbreak in London. Players guide scientist Amy Tennant through a tense narrative by making key decisions that affect relationships and lead to one of nine endings. The game's professional acting and polished visuals elevate it above many earlier FMV titles, though its B-movie plot with occasional logical leaps and clichéd characters (notably an irritating ex-boyfriend) hold it back. While replayability exists, the shallow narrative and limited gameplay innovations make it more of a curiosity than a must-play. For FMV fans, it's decent; for others, the €13 price tag may feel steep.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Is The Complex worth it? It's really hard to say. It's not exactly an expensive buy at £9.99, and the addition of choices make it more engaging than a television episode or movie. At the end of the day, it's basically a £10 movie rental with some button prompts added in. The best way to play it would be with a group of friends watching together, so you can argue over the choices and go for the path that feels best for you. Otherwise, there are better games and better movies available for the same cost.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Complex offers a fun and engaging personalised movie experience, and demands the attention and immersion of the player in its decision-making interactive elements. Its budget is small, so set your expectations accordingly, but if you’re in withdrawal after Bandersnatch and need another hit of choose-your-own-adventure, you can’t go too wrong with this, while we wait for the film and games industries to catch up.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Performances are mostly solid aside from the main protagonist, but the lacklustre script with a severe lack of character development aside from large amounts of exposition make it difficult to really care about any of them. Some of the endings are quite abrupt, leaving an unsatisfying finish. I find it unlikely that The Complex will win fans over to the genre, but those who do have a dedication may find something to enjoy.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Complex is a well crafted interactive movie with a story that will initially hook you. As you lead Amy's decision making through the story, some moments can feel a bit out there or character motivations unclear, but it's a satisfying experience overall and it will scratch that sci-fi thriller itch.”
read full review ↗
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TheSixthAxis…and 34 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- [Patched] Flickering ScreensMay 1, 2020
- Korean Subtitles RevisedApr 6, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Flickering Screen FixApr 2, 2020significant · resets scoring window