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) | – | 81 | 10 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 77% | 72 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 5 reviews sampled · 3 total reviews in window · weighted 3.1 up / 0.9 down · computed 10h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (12)
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
“Archvale is a triumphant bullet-hell/RPG genre mashup. Although you could argue its similarity to one or two recent releases, it trumps the competition with incredibly slick combat, simple and satisfying progression, and varied environments and enemies. The difficulty ramps up heavily as you progress to the later levels, so the inability to change difficulty on-the-fly may prove a bit of an issue for some players. Push through, however, and you'll find Archvale to be one of the most satisfying twin-stick games available right now.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“This is just one of those titles that’s hard to describe in a way that gives it justice, a sort of retro-looking twin-stick slasher/shooter adventure that has some RPG elements, and will involve you needing to periodically do some intense dodging...”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Archvale is a fun, charming bullet hell with some incredibly enjoyable combat. It's also a satisfying role-playing game on its own, with tons of satisfying progression.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Archvale is just plain fun. It does what it does well, and as a bullet hell provides a serious challenge without feeling unfair. I cannot recommend this game enough.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Archvale does succeed in its unique genre mashup, but not overwhelmingly so.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The tight controls and frantic gameplay were what continued to draw me back time and time again.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“There’s some merit in spending an hour or so dodging projectiles and dinging away at a half-dozen moving health bars, but Archvale would be immeasurably improved with more depth of content and character customization. A pure shoot ‘em up may not necessarily require those ingredients to flourish, but an action-heavy RPG definitely does, even one with such a pint-sized cute presentation. As it stands, Archvale poses some entertaining distractions for compulsive bullet-dodgers, but it could have been so much more.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“It’s well designed, it’s approachable, it’s clearly explained both in plot and gameplay and it’s quite open while still being directed in where the game is going. To be honest, I might pick this up on the Switch at some point in the future. I don’t think sitting down and playing Archvale for long stretches of time is the best way to enjoy all of the havoc the game brings, but having bursts of dungeon action in between other activities and then focusing when you’re in the overworld for longer, more relaxing explorations is the key recipe to success.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Probably only best for those seeking a cooperative experience or competent bullet hell.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“In the list of games that marked my 2021, Archvale has certainly secured its place by delivering a breathtaking bullet hell experience. Even with some problems, the title is a delight to venture, especially considering its intense combat, extensive explorations, tactical variety and wide freedom. Given all this, there is no way not to be enchanted by the glories of this experience, which may seem small at first, but which in a few moments already proves to be beyond epic.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Archvale is a fantastic genre hybrid, easily merging the shooter and RPG elements together to create a ridiculously playable adventure.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Archvale is an enjoyable, taxing little adventure with as much mirth in its heart as malice.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
PC Invasion
GameGrin
SwitchRPG
Skewed & Reviewed
Screen Rant
WayTooManyGames
RPG Fan
Nintendo Blast
Hardcore Gamer
God is a GeekPatch history
- Patch v1.1.3: Minor BugfixesDec 10, 2021
- Patch v1.1.2: Major bugfixes, QoL and BalancingDec 5, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Patch v1.1.1: Major BugfixesDec 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window