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) | – | 71 | 30 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 84% | 78 | 60 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (24)
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.
- 70
“It’s tough to say whether Halloween is a lesser experience than Ash vs. Evil Dead since the two are so remarkably similar in style and structure; think of them as two DLC packs serving the larger ‘RetroRealms’ hub experience. Yet we can’t deny that controlling Michael Myers isn’t quite as exhilarating as Ash Williams, nor are the enemies quite as interesting. If forced to choose, we’d probably go with Ash vs. Evil Dead.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“RetroRealms: Halloween and Ash vs. Evil Dead delivers gruesome gore and plenty of easter eggs, but their platforming and arcade fail to inspire.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“This time of year is flooded with horror games, but we rarely see retro titles with as much love and care as RetroRealms provides. WayForward crafted a solid action platformer with recognizable characters. It is a little pricey and I worry we may not get future endeavors, but I would love to see Chucky, Freddy, and so many others get their own games. For now this is the perfect game to play during spooky times if you have a nostalgia for classic side-scrolling action titles.”
read full review ↗ - 54
“RetroRealms: Halloween and Ash vs Evil Dead are two games that create buyer confusion rather than fully celebrate horror culture. Thankfully, a majority of the problems with RetroRealms can be fixed. We can only wait to see if the dead stay dead or rise from their graves for more bloodshed.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“RetroRealms Arcade is a total blast and the Double Feature package featuring Halloween and Ash Vs. Evil Dead is absolutely worth the money. Both games brought back the nostalgia with crisp 16-bit inspired pixel art graphics and challenging gameplay straight out of the '90s arcades.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“RetroRealms: Halloween is not a bad game, but it's one where the potential for more is very apparent. Its RetroRealms: Ash vs. Evil Dead counterpart has delivered on more and is a fun adaptation of the movie franchise, as the 16-bit 2D platformer style of game is a surprisingly great fit and manages to fit all of the charm of the original movies inside of it.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Halloween and Ash vs. Evil Dead mark a strong debut for the RetroRealms hub thanks to innovative and challenging gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“RetroRealms takes two of the most beloved horror series and adapts them into enjoyable platformers with excellent pixel art. The difficulty can be a little bit mean at times, but both titles are a blast overall, especially for fans of each respective series. I can’t wait to see what other movies get the RetroRealms treatment, though I’ve got my fingers crossed for Alien.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Retrorealms: Ash vs. Evil Dead is a stylish, bloody, fun arcade throwback. It may also be too brief given its pricetag. Worth a look for horror uberfans.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“RetroRealms Arcade may not be 'truly amazing', but it offers solid retro platforming and horror elements, with great visuals, clever challenges, and unique character mechanics, although it suffers from harsh checkpoints, subpar controls, and limited content for its price, earning a cautious recommendation due to its evident passion for the IPs.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Available on their own or as a double feature, RetroRealms: Ash vs Evil Dead and RetroRealms: Halloween both provide fun old-school platforming experiences reminiscent of classic Castlevania titles. There are some unique mechanics and features, however, such as being able to switch between realms and using playable characters in any RetroRealms games that you own.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“You can have quite a bit of fun playing as Ash Williams or Michael Myers in RetroRealms Arcade, but I can’t help but think that this collection’s entire structure is completely unnecessary. Both Halloween and Ash vs. Evil Dead could/should have been released as separate games altogether, and for a slightly lower pricetag, devoid of DLC practices.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
The Nerd Stash
ZTGD
Forever Classic Games
NextGen Player
GameLuster
GameSpot
MonsterVine
TechRaptor
Gameliner
GameSpew
WayTooManyGames…and 12 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- RetroRealms update October 28, 2024Oct 28, 2024