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) | – | 81 | 18 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 87% | 81 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 84 | 46 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 19 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 55 reviews sampled · 49 total reviews in window · weighted 45.4 up / 4.3 down · computed 4h 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.
- 80
“Tyranny is one of the few games that can tackle extremism and ethical divergences in a meaningful way. An interesting perspective of how flawed humanity is.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“If you are tired of same old fantasy setting in RPGs, you will absolutely fall in love with Tyranny. Another great isometric RPG from Obsidian.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Tyranny is a game of many contrasts and will stir come controversy. On one hand w have an impression that every dialogue counts and we're always deep inside the main quest (even though we're doing something else). On the other hand there are many gameplay solutions that look like torn out from a much more complex game and they don't get to shine. The beginning is superb - later the game loses some of its appeal.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Tyranny, is fun little throwback to an older style of game. It does it well and it does it without having to cash in on a particular brand or nostalgic sentiment. It presents a brand new world in a compelling and understandable way. It showcases a much more nuanced take on being the bad guy than games tend to do. I found myself reminded more of Unrest than Baldur's Gate while playing this game and that is a good thing.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Unexciting battles are easy to stomach when the beauty of a title lies in its world building, and, thankfully, the drenched-in-evil universe of Tyranny is fantastic, both in the way it is structured and in how it handles the concept of morality. Unfortunately, its potential has been thrown from the tallest spire's window, and instead of becoming the magnificent masterpiece that it sometimes feels it is, it turns out to be a very rough diamond that reeks of rushed production.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Judicial administrator for the Court of an all-powerful Imperial Overlord is one hell of a premise and driving force for an RPG. Tyranny pulls it off, thanks to Obsidian’s reliable attention to world design and a dedication to ambitious, branching choices.”
read full review ↗ - 88
“Set in a masterfully-designed world where Evil has already won, Tyranny takes the concept of role-playing choices and consequences to a whole new level. Obsidian's latest game is sure to delight RPG fans once again.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Another fantastic game from Obsidian, the formula they have created from Pillars has served up another brilliant RPG for people to sink their teeth into for hours of Tyrannical enjoyment.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“From the gorgeous, if tired, brown-infused broken environments of Tiers to the colorful noble classes and shabby peasants, every aspect of Tyranny redefines what it means to be a great cRPG title. Incredibly memorable and haunting overtures play softly in the background as the apocalyptic-ly hostile world swirls around you in a bevy of an ambient aural explosion that is deep enough that you can almost feel the dusty, rust-filled Blade-Grave to the soaring and ancient Spires, every moment in Tyranny is truly a moment to behold. The attention to detail and push for a world that feels both truly alive while simultaneously feeling broken and defeated is marvelous and truly a work of art. It is without a doubt that future generations of gamers will look upon Tyranny with the same grounded, yet awe-inspiring greatness that we currently see when we look back onto Baldur's Gate II.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Although it's conventional in some ways, Tyranny feels fresh. The theme has been explored before in other games and genres, but not to this degree. The characters are extremely interesting, whether they're tragic or humorous. Dialogue choices are expansive, and the sheer number of permutations that can arise from your decisions give the game near-limitless replay value. Supported by solid RPG mechanics, Tyranny is a game for those who couldn't get enough of Pillars of Eternity and its ilk.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Tyranny's depiction of evil is fascinating and thought-provoking, albeit somewhat obscured by convoluted quest-lines and repetitive combat.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The banality of evil is on full display in the dark and disturbing Tyranny.”
read full review ↗
Hu3br
PLAY Zine
GRYOnline.pl
RPGamer
Cubed3
PC Invasion
GameWatcher
Chalgyr's Game Room
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot…and 74 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.2.1Oct 3, 2017
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.2.1Oct 3, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.2.0.0121Sep 14, 2017
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.2.0.0121Sep 14, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.1.1.0094Aug 8, 2017
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.1.1.0094Aug 8, 2017
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.1.0.0023Jun 13, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.1.0.0023Jun 13, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.0.4.0048Jan 23, 2017
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.0.4.0048Jan 23, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.0.3.0031Dec 19, 2016
- Tyranny Patch Notes - 1.0.3.0031Dec 19, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes - 1.0.1.0010Nov 18, 2016
- Patch Notes - 1.0.1.0010Nov 18, 2016significant · resets scoring window