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) | – | 73 | 31 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 74% | 70 | 390 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 51% | 53 | 3 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 9 reviews sampled · 9 total reviews in window · weighted 3.2 up / 3.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (38)
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.
- 80
“While the updated graphical style and jerky scrolling don't make a great first impression and there may be some who feel the 'Tower Defence' sections are given too much screen time, Actraiser Renaissance is ultimately a successful attempt at updating a solid-gold classic from yesteryear. Rarely are two totally different gameplay styles fused this effectively, and the enhancements introduced by developer Sonic Powered really do improve things; combat in the action sections is more fun, while the 'God Sim' portions of the game are lent increased depth thanks to thoughtful gameplay upgrades. To cap it all off, Yuzo Koshiro's music, available in both its SNES and rearranged forms, is masterful. While it's not perfect, Actraiser Renaissance will nonetheless find favour with fans of the original, as well as pick up plenty of new fans along the way.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“There’s a little something for everyone, including adjustable difficulty, improved RPG elements, a deeper storyline, and competent combat. It’s great to see a beloved classic recaptured with much-needed modern updates while ensuring the charm of the original never loses its place.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“See, again, that’s part of what makes this either work for people or not. This is a game that brushes up against a lot of different genres without diving too deeply into any of them, and some players are going to either clock out from that or find that they like one or two parts but not all three. It is kind of a weird game and it is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But if the idea of the game sounds interesting to you? Hey, this is a classic remastered and improved, and it’s well worth the asking price.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The rearranged soundtrack coupled to new compositions is stunningly awesome, as Yuzo Koshiro recaptures brilliantly the spirit of the original and the gameplay of the side-scrolling sections is even better than in the original. However, the questionable choices in the art direction, the bugs, poor performance and the, at times, way too wordy expanded script, mar the experience in such a way that what should have been the masterful return of a masterpiece instead turns out to be a nice introduction to the classic for new audiences, but not much more. There's no shaking the feeling that this re-release was not treated with all the care that such an important landmark title deserved. The extra content sweetens the deal somewhat, and encourages fans of the original to come back for more, but the price of admission for such an end result is a bit too much perhaps.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Actraiser Renaissance is a tasty mix of many genres. At the same time a plateformer, a strategy game and a shooter, we can say its his own unique genre. Early adopters will find their way around quite quickly, while newcomers will enjoy it. A very nice tribute to a game that marked its time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“There's a generous amount of content, which at 20 hours is four times the completion size of the original. Since this retro remake is a game of three thirds, it'd be a disservice if followers of the original lost faith from initial impressions of the unsightly side-scrolling action, and an overly gabby god game. Yet, fans won't be on cloud nine if a lack of support towards Actraiser Renaissance discourages Square Enix from being devoted to ActRaiser as a promising series.”
read full review ↗ - 74
“Actraiser Renaissance is a remake that takes the content of the original game a few steps ahead but may not be liked by everyone due to some problems.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“ActRaiser Renaissance arrived at exactly the right time. It perfectly builds on everything good about the original. More importantly, it makes the the city simulation portions even more engaging by adding RTS elements.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Actraiser Renaissance certainly is a SNES remake for better or worse. The 2D parts of this game have been remade poorly in regards to mechanics and visual fidelity. The gameplay loop of varying between action platformer and city-building sim did get its hooks in me but will be a harder sell for others. While it proves difficult to remain a strong recommendation, there are nuggets of character dialogue gold in there that are worth seeing through. On top of that, the visuals and music that come with these moments are special and remain evident why this is such a cult classic. If all else, I’m glad I got to check out a deeper cut in the Square Enix catalogue. Flaws and all, it’s at the very least got some heart.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Actraiser Renaissance is not necessarily aimed only at the fans of the original and this is actually a good thing because although the developers have kept the core premise and mechanics intact, they have also expanded on them which has given us a nice fantasy story with colorful characters, a more modern combat design and a deeper system in the management parts.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“An unexpected gift for fans of the SNES original and while the remake is seriously flawed in terms of both graphics and gameplay its sheer oddness is still highly compelling.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Actraiser Renaissance was definitely a surprising announcement to behold. It really goes to show that if there is a dedicated team out there, any game could possibly be up for a remake or remaster. But was this remaster truly needed? I would say it has its place. Similarly to the original, this game won’t appeal to everyone. The side-scroller section gives just a taste of what you would look for, with forgettable levels and (mostly) easy boss battles. The town building portion drags on, and the sieges can sometimes drag that irritation out. After the third world, it can start to get a bit repetitive. Fight in a side-scroller level, inhabit your new land, guide the people, beat the boss of that area, rinse and repeat. It is a charming game in of itself. Of course, I can’t really speak for those who have played the original, whether they should pick this game up or not. For those with no experience in this game, however, I can say that it’s an interesting experience. The experiences with the action side-scrolling and town building may leave you wanting more. But both portions are done competently enough that you may find yourself passing a few hours by fulfilling missions and defending your towns from monsters.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
RPGamer
Gamer Escape
Cubed3
Geeks & Com
Push Square
Merlin'in Kazanı
Siliconera
Checkpoint Gaming
Bazimag
Metro GameCentral
LadiesGamers.com…and 26 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update ContentOct 9, 2025
- Content of the First UpdateMay 2, 2022significant · resets scoring window