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) | – | 86 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 92 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 93 | 10 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 94% | 88 | 7 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 90.7, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 3,955 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 20 reviews sampled · 20 total reviews in window · weighted 15.4 up / 1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (10)
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.
- 93
“Cavedog has done a commendable job of taking the basic mechanics of real-time strategy and using them to create something new: A game that relies less on constant mouse-clicking than careful planning and strategic thinking.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“This is the best, most fun game I have ever played. It represents everything that a five-star game should be. It's different, original, and most importantly, solid. I could find no glaring omissions, or bugs, or problems that indicated that it is a rushed product.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“A significant improvement in the genre, but it's not quite all it could have been. [Jan 1998, p.295]”
- 60
“The fully three dimensional landscapes are stunning, and animation is equally so - units move around the area with superlative realism, and weaponry is as full of life as a piece of machinery can be.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“It has beautiful graphics, eerie music, and a very low learning curve. Each level is different enough to keep the gamer interested.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An impressive contender in the real-time strategy genre. An easy-to-use interface, coupled with intelligent AI, establishes the game as one of the best of its kind.”
read full review ↗ - 88
“Total Annihilation lacks one critical element that would have put it on my all-time list, and that involves immersion. In other words, the storyline and between-mission cinematics (which were somewhat lacking) did not suck me in as C&C did.”
read full review ↗ - 93
“Though I never though I'd say it, Total Annihilation rises above every strategy game there has ever been. To put it bluntly, it is the best.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“If you managed to afford that high-end system then treat yourself to a game that will keep you hooked for some time to come and that will have your friends' jaws dropping in awe. It's a fresh game and a deserved GDR Gold winner. The real-time ante has been well and truly upped.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“As a game of resource management and tactical combat, Total Annihilation is not fundamentally different from anything that has come before, but it is nonetheless an evolutionary leap for the genre of real-time strategy.”
read full review ↗
GameSpot
PC Gamer
Gaming AgePatch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.