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) | – | 76 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 91 | 313 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 80 | 2 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 2 reviews sampled · 2 total reviews in window · weighted 1.2 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (27)
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.
- 50
“As bare-boned as Deathsmiles is, playing through the game a couple times is entertaining. ”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Apart from a few minor flaws like endless continuous or the few levels Deathsmiles Deluxe Edition offers a great gameplay with great controlls and crazy boss-fights. Plus: There are Japanese schoolgirls in it.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“You'll need dozens of playthroughs to get a handle on everything that's going on, and Deathsmiles is addictive enough to keep you replaying. [Aug 2010, p.79]”
- 80
“Those able to see past the idiosyncratic, somewhat stale visuals to perceive the zeros and ones ticking away beneath the surface will discover one of Cave's finest achievements: a game that lowers the barrier to accessibility without compromising its ultimate depth, a new Defender of the shoot-'em-up faithful.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The bullets are plentiful in this crazy, colorful shoot-'em-up.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Bullet hell at its finest, with some genuine innovation for a 2D shooter and some great visuals.”
read full review ↗ - 62
“DeathSmiles is a tough game to recommend. Not because it's bad though. It's great, for the market it's targeting. However, that market is pretty niche these days. If you don't fit in the SHMUP demographic, there is no compelling reason to add DeathSmiles to your game library.”
read full review ↗ - 77
“Superbly well-realised and balanced shooter that delivers a cerebral high-score challenge. [Apr 2011, p.99]”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A well-made shoot'em up that's a bit too short for the price tag.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Accessible arcade fun with oodles of depth.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It will still be far too difficult for most, but the game is one of the developer's most accessible titles to date, and while its jagged 2D art and unpopular genre will never grant it more than an extremely niche audience, the few who are interested will be more than satisfied with both the game and Rising Star's commendable publishing efforts.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Although it may not be totally friendly for newbies, Deathsmiles is still a great choice for shmup fans, especially those limited by the choice of titles due to the lack of localised shmups.”
read full review ↗
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
VideoGamer…and 15 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Deathsmiles V1.1.3.2 update releasedNov 25, 2016
- Deathsmiles V1.1.3.2 update releasedNov 25, 2016
- Deathsmiles V1.1.3.0 Fix for Crash on StartupNov 18, 2016
- Deathsmiles V1.1.3.0 Fix for Crash on StartupNov 18, 2016