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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 (Metacritic) | – | 80 | 26 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 87% | 80 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 82 | 11 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 93% | 88 | 542 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Mar 17, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 542 total reviews in window · weighted 222.8 up / 16.1 down · computed 7h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (7)
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
“Built on aged but sturdy foundations, Stronghold: Definitive Edition honours the roots of the franchise with wonderfully remastered visuals, challenging new content campaigns and a level of love many other, more money-hungry remasters fail to receive. A veritable banquet of siege warfare awaits, including actual multiplayer support and a smashing higher fidelity soundtrack. “To the walls!” as the archers would say.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Stronghold has its very own charm. Things have been improved, supplemented and even though not everything may be perfect, for just 15 bucks you get a lot of content, a game that still works well today and you can see for yourself what the Stronghold series is all about.”
read full review ↗ - 81
“Timelessly good strategy classic in a modern guise, but not all of the new features work.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Stronghold is one of the best real-time strategies of the turn of the century. The Definitive Edition may be a nice way to revisit this beloved classic, but it can also be disappointing if you expect a polished game that’s free of bugs and imperfections of the original.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“A successful remake that inspires with nostalgia and innovations in equal measure, but is held back by its somewhat strange pricing policy.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Definitive Edition offers Stronghold in its purest, most beautiful and best form to date. Unfortunately, the remaster is only “good” and not the ultimate gaming experience promised.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Stronghold: Definitive Edition is exactly what it promises to be: an updated version of the same game that in 2001 became the flagship of an entire subgenre. The experience is more or less the same, with the new campaign extending the gameplay time a bit and native support for mods that opens up countless future scenarios. That said, it's an honest operation, sold at a very low price that succeeds in what it sets out to do. A package for nostalgics who want to continue playing the old Stronghold but in a more modern package.”
read full review ↗
FingerGuns
Eurogamer
CD-Action
PC Games
Multiplayer.itPatch history
- Stronghold: Definitive Edition Update - Security Patch & Improved SoundtrackMar 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Stronghold Crusader: DE - First Major Update Details!Aug 7, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Valley of the Wolf DLC & Spring UpdateMar 28, 2024
- New "Swine's Bay" DLC Campaign + Free New Economic CampaignFeb 13, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Stronghold: Definitive Edition v1.11 Update - Black Video FixDec 13, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Stronghold: Definitive Edition v1.1 UpdateNov 29, 2023
- Stronghold: Definitive Edition v1.03 Update - More Multiplayer FixesNov 16, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Stronghold: Definitive Edition v1.02 Update - Multiplayer FixesNov 15, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Stronghold: Definitive Edition v1.01 UpdateNov 9, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- 🏗️ Free Build Preview 🏗️ (Community Q&A)Oct 6, 2023significant · resets scoring window