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) | – | 78 | 22 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 81 | 77 |
| 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 · 3 total reviews in window · weighted 2.3 up / 0 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (25)
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.
- 85
“Dawn of the Monsters should be on your list if you're looking for a great co-op kaiju beat 'em up. The beautiful artwork and range of different characters and abilities will have you changing up who you pick until you find the one that fits your play style. Boss battles are tough but manageable, but they will require you to customize your character with the different augments best suited to the fight. I've been playing solo and with my kids, who absolutely love playing as a giant beast, smashing through the landscape, and taking out the monsters. And frankly, who wouldn't love that?”
read full review ↗ - 60
- 80
“Dawn of the Monsters stumbles into some of the more common pitfalls of belt-scrolling fighters, but it has enough flair, polish and excitement to be a more than worthy offering, particularly played in couch co-op with a friend. We wish there were a few more playable creatures, but the ones on offer here are all very distinct and enormous fun to get to grips with. It's a richly rewarding game, with higher ranks unlocking new skins and upgrades from the in-game shop (don't worry, no microtransactions here) which offer an incentive to keep playing - though the real reason you'll stick with Dawn of the Monsters is that it is, quite simply, very good indeed. While it has a few problems, they're nothing that will stop you having a blast with this Brobdingnagian beat-'em-up.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dawn of the Monsters is immediately one of the better kaiju games out there. In part, that's due to the fact that, historically, there haven't been many great games in the genre. More importantly, though, that's due to the simple fact that it's a fun game with four playable heroes, lots of layered fighting mechanics, a good amount of content, and some excellent monster designs.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Well damn, who knew that within a two week span I’d play two very different titles on Switch that have the beat-em-up genre deep within their DNA but are so completely different and are also both fantastic for their own reasons...”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Dawn of the Monsters is an excellent Brawler that any kaiju fan can sink their teeth into.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“But that's a relatively minor complaint since each stage is so short. I'm also willing to forgive because 13AM Games has built a charming kaiju brawler that, while paying homage to the giants (ha!) of the genre, feels wholly unique. There's a lot of game here, and there are a lot of places they can take this franchise. DOTM is a fun time, and one I've greatly enjoyed.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dawn of the Monsters is an absolute delight for anyone who enjoys kaiju or tokusatsu content.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Dawn of the Monsters is a very good beat-'em-up made just a bit better because you finally get to be a towering creature that dishes out pain. The combat system is flashy yet deep, and the card upgrade system keeps things fresh as you try to find the perfect build for all four heroes. The campaign runs at a good length, with some reason to keep coming back for higher rankings. The game is fun even if you're going solo instead of co-op. Minor gripes with the game aside, beat-'em-up fans are going to enjoy having this title in their libraries.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dawn of the Monsters is a really fun time, both in solo and especially in co-op, being a pretty good brawler that’s both a serviceable tribute to the Toku days and one with a decent amount of depth, with lots of great combos and augments to mess around with, and a fun combat system to keep stages interesting as you work towards those S+ Ranks.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“A solid DLC with more content for a great beat 'em up”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you’re a fan of kaiju or side-scrolling beat ’em ups, consider Dawn of the Monsters absolutely essential. You won’t find another game like it. Though even if you’re not typically a fan of those genres, you should still give it a go if you simply like to have fun; even more so the local co-op variety. Doing battle with giant beasts has never been as deep or enjoyable as this, especially with its DNA augment system that allows for a surprising amount of build variety. If this is the Dawn of the Monsters, we’re ready for the Day of the Monsters.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Fintendo
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Capsule Computers
NintendoWorldReport
Forever Classic Games
Worth Playing
Seafoam Gaming
PS3Blog.net
GameSpew…and 13 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch 1.2Aug 24, 2023
- Dawn of the Monsters Patch 1.1Jun 8, 2022
- Dawn of the Monsters Patch 1.1 Out!Jun 8, 2022
- Dawn of the Monsters Patch 1.0.1 Out!Apr 7, 2022