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) | – | 86 | 57 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 95% | 90 | 252 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 92% | 86 | 148 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Sep 10, 2025) · 148 reviews sampled · 146 total reviews in window · weighted 50.9 up / 4.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (29)
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.
- 100
“Earthion is the new shoot 'em up from Ancient Corporation that takes us back to the days of the Mega Drive, reminding us that there are genres and consoles that age like fine wine. An atypical gem that arrives too late to be considered a classic of the past, but which has everything it takes to sit at the table with the greats of the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“As is clear from the previous paragraphs, Earthion is an excellent addition to the collection of any fan of shoot ’em ups and 16-bit games in general. It’s accessible even to players who don’t want to spend long hours practicing, offering fun gameplay mechanics and, above all, masterful visuals. Earthion thus also serves as compelling evidence for the claim that consoles nearly 40 years old can still run games that appeal to today’s players.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Earthion is a terrific piece of work. It's more an accomplished production, arguably, than a shoot 'em up of incredible highs, but at the same time, that's part of its charm. It has a different feel thanks to its shield system and mid-stage upgrade rungs, and this is a refreshing and welcome change from the norm. Much of the fun is in figuring out the order of bolstering your ship and the little tricks that various weaponry affords when faced with tricky junctures. It does some things other shoot 'em ups don't do, and is all the more standout for it.At the same time, it fails to achieve some things that other shoot 'em ups do so well. Nonetheless, Earthion is a treat of a game: a bold new Mega Drive work that sits in the upper echelons of the console's broad catalogue, and shouldn't be passed up by fans of the genre or wonderful 16-bit works.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Earthion is a beautiful love letter to the Sega Genesis and the 16-bit era in general, co-authored by someone who helped define its greatness, Yuzo Koshiro.”
read full review ↗ - 81
“Earthion delivers everything that nostalgic fans of a quality shoot 'em up needed: a solid, concise game, with graphics that hark back to the golden age of video games, but with a beautiful touch of modernity.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Earthion is an outstanding achievement, a blissfully retro shmup experience with just enough modern sensibilities to make it appeal to an all-new generation of players. With sublime pixel artwork, a scorching score, and a creative campaign that keeps you on your toes, this is an absolutely outstanding effort from 90s dev Ancient.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Earthion is an ode to Mega Drive games, arcades, and the very history of video games. It perfectly emulates the style of the classics that shaped the industry, delivering an experience that will take you back to the good old days.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Earthion is a stellar shooter that not only captures the heart of Genesis shooters, but brings the genre forward with stellar visuals, interesting mechanics, and a soundtrack that I could blast on repeat. I love that we live in a world where a game like this can exist. If you grew up loving titles like Hellfire, Truxton, and Musha, this is definitely a game for you. I cannot recommend it enough.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Earthion is an amazing shoot 'em up, that by no means revolutionizes the world, and those who are already lukewarm toward the genre may not find a new favorite here either. But it’s impossible not to appreciate how everything that Ancient and Bitwave have done radiates love and passion for the genre as well as for the Sega’s old hardware. Since the final product is simply a thoroughly well-designed and polished game with awesome soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro, why not reward it with five stars?”
read full review ↗ - 90
“In an era where the industry is trying to change the generation of consoles faster and faster, seeing a new title of such high quality being developed on hardware that is almost 40 years old makes us think about our relationship with video games and their predetermined obsolescence.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Earthion has an enviable pedigree and sports tight, varied, and entertaining gameplay that make it an instant classic. And of course, its soundtrack rocks HARD.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Designed for 16-bit hardware, Earthion looks and plays like a blast from the past. That's not a bad thing, though, and had Earthion released 30 years or so ago it would have blown my tiny mind. In the modern day it's still extremely impressive, but it's somewhat let down by a lack of modes.”
read full review ↗
La Orden del Pixel
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Pizza Fria
Push Square
Manual dos Games
ZTGD
KonsoliFIN
Entertainium
GameSpew…and 17 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Earthion Patch Notes (October 24 2025)Oct 25, 2025
- 2025/09/10 Patch NotesSep 10, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Earthion Patch Notes (August 4 2025)Aug 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window