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) | – | 79 | 44 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 80 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 82 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 89% | 83 | 16 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 47 reviews sampled · 34 total reviews in window · weighted 27.5 up / 3.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (48)
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
“Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is an easy recommendation to make for fighting game fans. Solid gameplay, a bunch of cool characters, very polished mechanics, Arc System Works does it yet again.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Persona 4 Arena Ultimax may not be the Persona game everyone's been clamoring for on the Switch, but we're certainly not complaining. P4AU offers up an approachable, yet incredibly deep 2D fighting combat system, a neat RPG-lite mode that guarantees solo players will have lots to do, and all this is presented in Arc System Works' signature and striking hand-drawn art style. While the story mode is a complete bore and there's no rollback netcode in this version, we think P4AU on Switch is still absolutely worth your time, although if you're going to be playing online, you'll likely want to investigate the game on other platforms first. For portable fans, however, we'd give it a recommendation whether you're a fighting game enthusiast or you're just looking to give the genre a shot; this is definitely one of the better fighting games on the Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ultimax still packs a mean punch eight years later and even if you aren’t a hardcore Persona fan, it gets my recommendation.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Within Persona 4 Arena Ultimax players will find a more-than-decent fighter, that those experienced with Arc System Works games will like quite a lot. Persona fans will enjoy seeing their favourite characters once more, but be warned that the story hasn't been handled as well as one would expect.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“So while some of the older game vibe hurts it some, there’s also a lot to this game that simply isn’t in other ArcSys or anime fighters. That helps this game retain its identity and stand as a must-play for Persona fans. Once rollback kicks in, there’s a good argument to be made for keeping Ultimax going for years to come.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Persona 4 Arena Ultimax on PC is a port with some questionable drawbacks, like the lack of a lobby mode and no rollback netcode on launch. But it's still the same great fighting game beloved by many.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Matt: Meanwhile as a fan of both Persona and fighting games, I can say pretty surely I am the target audience, and Ultimax is just as good now as it was a decade ago. This is the game that solidified my faith in Arc System Works as a developer, and they've only proven themselves more and more in the years since. Admittedly part of me would've preferred a sequel that also included the cast of Persona 5, but I'm not complaining about getting a chance to revisit one of the finest fighting games I've ever played.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is no doubt a great fighting game. It offers a decent story mode and a few extra bells and whistles. On top of that, a top notch netcode and this is a solid fighting game experience. Is it beginner friendly? I’m not so sure. Is it a must purchase for Persona fans? Possibly, but keep in mind, this is a complex fighting game that will require hours of devotion to get into completely.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you’re a fan of the Persona series and have played both Persona 3 and Persona 4, then I can’t recommend Persona 4 Arena Ultimax enough. This visual novel-like sequel to both Persona titles was well worth sitting down to see where each cast has gone to after their respective events years and months later. While there is combat in a 2D anime versus arcade fighting style between these story segments, it’s smooth enough to both learn and get into without being defeated repeatedly on the first stage.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Persona 4 Arena Ultimax absolutely feels like a definitive experience, and one which PS4-owning fans of the series and Arc System Works will appreciate.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is among the best fighting games this year so far. It can attract you by its deep story, approachable and satisfying combat, and a lot of content.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fantastic fighting game. It has lots of included content, great combat mechanics, and a fun little story for Persona fans. I wish it had rollback netcode now, or at all on the Switch version, but otherwise, you can’t go wrong with Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.”
read full review ↗
cublikefoot
Nintendo Life
Gfinity
Cubed3
Prima Games
PC Invasion
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
Chalgyr's Game Room
Siliconera
SECTOR.sk
MonsterVine…and 36 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Version 1.0.2Apr 12, 2022
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Opt-In Beta 2Apr 6, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Version 1.0.1Mar 28, 2022
- P4AU Opt-In Beta 1 - IntRenderer Error UpdateMar 23, 2022