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) | – | 90 | 73 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 94% | 89 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 1004 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 13, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 1004 total reviews in window · weighted 223.3 up / 20.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (46)
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
“Castlevania Dominus Collection is quite possibly the best compilation that Konami and M2 have produced to date. It presents three exceptional DS games that easily stand the test of time and provide just as much enjoyment now as they did back in the 2000s. Not only that, but the impossible has seemingly been achieved with the remarkable addition of Haunted Castle Revisited. Included as a fun little bonus, this revamped take on a reviled arcade curio is fantastic, and while it can't compete with the very best 'classic' games in the franchise, it's the closest we've gotten to a brand new Castlevania in years. An exquisite package.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Castlevania Dominus Collection was a beauty, ranking among the most fun titles I've reviewed so far this year.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“With gorgeous pixel graphics, weapon builds to learn, and enemy designs that continually delight, plus some excellent maps to explore and uncover, this is a fantastic little collection that should please any Metroidvania fan. That each adventure is a little more digestible compared to 25-hour epics from recent times is an added bonus.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“Konami decided to unearth 3 of its most valuable jewels and make them available to us in a single package. M2 was the studio in charge of making the necessary adjustments so that the games are optimally adapted to the new platforms. Thus we can enjoy an experience almost identical to the original and even some improvements. Castlevania Dominus Collection is one of the best collections to date that also includes valuable and interesting extras.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“As a long-time fan, I'd pay the price of admission for Haunted Castle Revisited alone. The fact that players also get three of the best metroidvanias ever released is just too good a deal to pass.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The Dominus Collection is a welcome addition to the Konami classics. Revisiting these games gave me a new appreciation for them. They all three hold up well and the music continues to be timeless. Yet another stellar package of classics, now Konami needs to sort out the Symphony of the Night issues and perhaps add them to the 64 and PS2-era games for one final collection. That would be epic.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Castlevania Dominus Collection is a must-have for fans of Castlevania games.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Castlevania: Dominus Collection is so far the best association of the output of Koji Igarashi, and his like. The gameplay works flawlessly, and the plethora of bonus content will tempt many a history buff. Gameplay, meanwhile, is quintessentially genre given the brand's pedigree. It may have lacked a few finishing touches, but overall it's a successful set. Recommended.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Overall, Castlevania Dominus Collection is a fantastic collection of Castlevania games. The three DS titles alone are some of the best Metroidvania action to ever exist, and having them all in one convenient package is worth it. Some minor complaints aside, they are perfectly good ports of all three games. The arcade titles are less of a draw but a nice bonus. If you're a fan of Metroidvania titles, Castlevania, or blowing up vampires with cool powers, Castlevania Dominus Collection is one of the best purchases you can make.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Castlevania Dominus Collection is a brilliant compilation of some of the most creative Castlevania games there are. The Nintendo DS functionality is translated perfectly to modern single-screened consoles, and the bonus features go a long way in making this an especially worthwhile collection. If you’ve got a hankering for exploratory platformers, you can’t do much better than this.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A collection of some of the best metroidvanias in one package, this is a definite recommendation to both fans and newcomers. Though some minor issues hamper it a bit, they are severely outnumbered by the good.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The value gamers get in the Castlevania Dominus Collection is unbeatable, and each title included offers something unique. Whether it is Dawn of Sorrow‘s touchscreen gimmicks, Portrait of Ruin‘s tag-teaming, or the savage difficulty of Order of Ecclesia, you can expect to have a grand time with any of them. They’re masterworks all, you can’t go wrong.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Pizza Fria
Push Square
LevelUp
Capsule Computers
ZTGD
Enternity.gr
PPE.pl
Worth Playing
MonsterVine
GameGrin
Niche Gamer…and 34 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update Announcement (ver1.0.3)Dec 13, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Update Announcement (ver1.0.1)Oct 15, 2024