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) | – | 54 | 54 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 55% | 56 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 63% | 62 | 253 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 23, 2026) · 252 reviews sampled · 253 total reviews in window · weighted 96.4 up / 55.9 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
“Samson: A Tyndalston Story was clearly pushed to release in a raw state. We rather got a stub that resembles a piece of the first island from GTA IV.”
read full review ↗ - 50
- 57
“While it could have much higher potential, Samson is at times tedious due to certain technical and design choices. Nevertheless, it offers a worthwhile and enjoyable experience.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Samson has a solid foundation and several interesting ideas, but an uninspiring combat system and several glitches quickly drag this adventure down.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Samson is ultimately a janky but endearing experience, with the foundation of something genuinely compelling. Beneath the rough edges lies a strong core and a likeable cast, but the lack of polish and unreliable combat hold it back at every turn. It’s easy to see what the developers were going for, but in its current state, it’s hard to fully recommend.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Samson is built with some excellent bones; its gameplay loop is fun and engaging and its gritty story is good and can be knocked out in 10-12 hours.”
read full review ↗ - 58
“In my review of Samson: A Tyndalston Story, I discuss how technical issues and repetitive gameplay mechanics undermine the game, despite its strong atmosphere and interesting concepts.”
read full review ↗ - 58
“Samson tells the story of a down-on-his-luck man burdened with debt, whose sister has been taken hostage. It aims to be an open-world action-driving noir, but the world is too small, the action feels clumsy, the driving is awkward, leaving only the noir behind.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Samson is a game about how different things are. It has strong ideas, an interesting atmosphere, and a clear goal. But it doesn't work because of poor technique, excessive repetition, and a lack of an ending. It looks like this project needed more time to reach its full potential.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“At $24.99 (which is a great price to be fair), it's a solid deal if you're desperate for something GTA-lite. Just go in knowing that Samson never fully delivers on its own potential, and given how promising that potential is, that's the most frustrating thing about it.”
read full review ↗ - 62
“Samson is, quite frankly, a missed opportunity, especially since there aren’t a lot of titles tackling similar settings and genres recently. The overall presentation is thematic and appropriate, and also has a core gameplay loop that you can see develop into something better in the near future. However, its numerous bugs, gameplay design flaws, and weak narrative anchor it hard, keeping it from becoming a great experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“SAMSON is an exciting and unique take on its genre, standing out from Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row and delivering a gritty experience inspired by crime-action dramas. While fun to play, some systems could have been handled better, small bugs and performance issues are present, and I found myself wanting more story baked into the side-mission content, where small dialogue or contextual additions or extra environmental storytelling could have gone a long way. However, at the incredibly generous asking price, SAMSON overdelivers, providing a Triple-A experience for a fraction of the cost.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
3DNews
Oyun Günlüğü
The Nerd Stash
Prima Games
ZTGD
Merlin'in Kazanı
INVEN
GamesCreed
AltChar
Game8
Try Hard Guides…and 15 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Samson - NEW UPDATE IS LIVE - Update #7Jun 23, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson: Welcome To The Pit - Free Update is Live!Jun 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Announcement: Samson Content Update #2 - Coming in JuneMay 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson Update #6May 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson Content Update #1May 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson Update #5May 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson Update #4Apr 29, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson Update #3Apr 22, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson - Updated 2026 RoadmapApr 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson Update #2Apr 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Samson Update #1Apr 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- SAMSON - Launch Day Game UpdateApr 8, 2026significant · resets scoring window