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) | – | 66 | 15 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 84% | 78 | 178 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 3 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 1.1 up / 0 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (21)
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.
- 20
“Gal*Gun Returns is a flawed remaster of a bad game. From its tedious gameplay to its extreme lack of depth, there’s not much to like here, even if you’re interested in just the fanservice.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Gal*Guns Returns is a so-so remaster of a tedious on-rails shooter that features dull, unchallenging and highly repetitive action set against a cringe-worthy story that's neither titillating or in any other way engaging. This is a very short and basic game for the asking price, and one that it's hard to see anyone outside of hardened (no pun intended) Gal*Gun fans deriving even the slightest amount of enjoyment from.”
read full review ↗ - 45
- 69
“Ah, the wonders of the eShop of today versus the Nintendo marketplace just a generation or two ago...”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Gal*Gun Returns goes back to its roots and is simpler than what fans of the franchise are used to but remains an enjoyable fanservice filled rail shooter.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“*Horny is not an actual stat, but you wouldn't be surprised, would you?”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Gal*Gun Returns is a return to form for the series and a shining example of refined on-rail shooter, arcade action, albeit with a bit of lewdness thrown into the mix.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Gal*Gun Returns manages to hold interest for a while in spite of the repetitive stages and simple gameplay. Maybe that’s a testament to the tried and true appeal of love, lewdness, and shooting. While those who don’t appreciate fanservice or rail shooters might not enjoy this game, it’ll evoke a strange feeling of nostalgia for fans of “weird” Japanese games even though we never got to play the original.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Once you’re done with the game’s main story, the fun doesn’t end there! You can revisit the story in order to unlock the plethora of portraits, clothing for the girls; you can also jump into a “fantasize” mode where you’ll need to get the girls into the right position in order to… “observe” them.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“I wanted to like Gal*Gun Returns, especially because of my love for IntiCreates and their games, but for the first time, they’ve let me down. That’s not to say the game is bad; it’s serviceable, but it’s not what I’ve come to expect from the studio. Despite it being called a remake, the game as a whole is quite shallow and certainly doesn’t look like much touching up was done in regards to its visuals. The formula was dramatically improved in future games, so why they couldn’t include any of those improvements in this remaster is beyond me. I know our editor highly recommends Gal*Gun 2, so that might be a better choice.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I have to say, I had a lot of fun with Gal*Gun Returns. I really loved all the characters and the story. The gameplay is still a ton of fun, and the Collection mode actually has some really awesome CGs that are well worth unlocking. I spent about 10 hours with this one and was able to complete all four heroines routes with one ending and Doki Doki Carnival a couple of times. To get all of the endings and complete all the girls’ profiles will take you a bit longer, but this adds a lot of replay value to this one. If you’re a fan of the series, buying this is a no-brainer at $49.99. You will love this one just as much as the previous releases. If you’re new to the franchise, this is the perfect place to start and see why folks adore this over-the-top series.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Gal☆Gun Returns is a rather weak title that relies too much on its mix of ecchi and rail shooter. Considering that rail shooters are a genre that has been little explored and has had few releases in recent years, it could be recommended if you are interested in this style of game since it manages to deliver a unique proposition, but that is not the case here, because if you don't like games with ecchi, or have big problems with this genre of anime, there is no reason to play it. And even if you do, I'm sure there must be animes, and even other games, that do fanservice much better than Gal☆Gun Returns. Unless you are a big fan of the franchise or want to mess around by introducing it to a friend, as was the case with me, there is no reason to have this game in your eShop account or a cartridge on your shelf.”
read full review ↗
cublikefoot
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Capsule Computers
NintendoWorldReport
GameGrin
Niche Gamer
Demon Gaming 
NookGaming
oprainfall
NintendoBoy…and 9 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Gal*Gun Returns Steam Community ItemsMar 9, 2021
- Gal*Gun Returns UpdateFeb 17, 2021
- Gal*Gun Demo UpdateFeb 8, 2021
- Steam Festival Demo UpdateFeb 5, 2021