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 (Metacritic) | – | 82 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 85 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 93% | 88 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 79 | 7 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 95% | 89 | 35 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 100 reviews sampled · 86 total reviews in window · weighted 65.8 up / 3.7 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (86)
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.
- 92
“It’s a unique experience, in both single and multiplayer, and Double Fine nails the concept perfectly, making it challenging for experienced gamers, yet not overwhelming for the newbies who just came here for the metal.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“It inspires such excitement for its muse, heavy metal, that it also serves as a point of entry to an entire subculture. Just as important, it stands as proof that music in gaming is no longer the exclusive domain of “music games.””
read full review ↗ - 90
“While online multiplayer will very likely be a love it or hate it affair for many, the single player campaign is a unique gaming experience that no player should dare to miss.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The drum-beat of the gameplay may be a little erratic at times, if only because the drummer's creativity and ambition overwhelmed his finesse, but it delivers the hard-driving goods when they're needed most.”
read full review ↗ - 78
“The story falters towards the end, and the fact that the game is so short is the biggest bummer of all. Regardless, it’s a great game that will be remembered for a long time coming.”
read full review ↗ - 76
“It would have been a fantastic film, but as an interactive experience, it isn’t ready for the main stage. The tragic thing is that with some fine tuning and more mid-game jokes it could have been great.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The side missions may be repetitive, but the story is interesting, the characters are great, and the atmosphere is encompassing. Brütal Legend is definitely one of the better games I have played this year, and I look forward to seeing what the guys at Double Fine come up with next.”
read full review ↗ - 91
“This is a heavy metal fairy tale, spun with love and copious amounts of good humor from Shafer and crew, and it’s every ounce the game fans hoped it would be.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Brütal Legend does a lot of things wonderfully: It’s a technically adept, graphically beautiful game with a surprisingly good story and a great soundtrack. The hybrid gameplay just doesn’t meet these high standards.”
read full review ↗ - 77
“Brutal Legend isn't a bad game by any means, and there is certainly plenty of fun to be had while playing it. It simply tries to do too much at once, and as a result, doesn't do anything as well as it should.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The developers' ambition and enthusiasm are undeniable. [Holiday 2009, p.84]”
- 80
“Schafer, Double Fine, and Black haven't just created a story about roadies: they've become them, scuttling about energetically, heads down and minds focused, as they pull a handful of simple props together in order to put on an amazing show.”
read full review ↗
The A.V. Club
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Worth Playing
Eurogamer…and 74 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.