videogamescritic
← all games
Songbringer

Songbringer

Wizard Fu · released Sep 1, 2017

ActionAdventureIndieRPG

Imagine if the original Zelda game was set in a science-fiction galaxy. Explore this open-world, action RPG with roguelike and metroidvania elements. Mighty bosses lurk deep within procedurally-generated dungeons. Wield, vanquish, unearth, collect, craft, progress, trip, adventure.

Steam page ↗OpenCritic ↗
73
VGC Score
·No trend datamedium confidence
74%
At launch
79%
Steam all-time
71%
Press
100%
Recent sentiment

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.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)–7115
All-time Steam reviews79%73131
Metacritic user ratings––0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)100%970
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 1 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0.2 up / 0 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (48)

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.

  • 70
    Pure NintendoPure Nintendo
    trust 80Jul 9, 2018

    “For a game from a one-man studio on a very modest Kickstarter budget, Songbringer impresses in several ways. It's true that I don't find its visuals to be representative of good pixel art. But graphics are hardly the most important area. I do enjoy Songbringer's sci-fi settings, co-op gameplay, and non-linear nature. With achievements and leaderboards, Zelda fans should check this one out, but maybe wait for a sale if you find the visuals to be distracting.”

    read full review ↗
  • 55
    cublikefootcublikefoot
    trust 79Sep 3, 2017

    “Good adventure game with a large world to explore, unique items, and diverse combat. Suffers from many technical flaws however.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    FintendoFintendo
    trust 78Jul 1, 2018

    “"The first Zelda game meets science fiction."”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Nintendo LifeNintendo Life
    trust 76Jun 6, 2018

    “With a sci-fi twist on an old formula, Songbringer is almost a breath of fresh air. Occasional stereotypes aren't as welcome as all of the new ideas the game brings forward, including a tongue-in-cheek style of humour to accompany a truly unique experience and a gorgeous visual style. With so many options and routes through the story, this is a game begging to be replayed for months to come.”

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    Hu3brHu3br
    trust 75Sep 1, 2017

    “While its procedurally generated levels are one of the most beautiful i’ve ever seen, Songbringer fails on making its gameplay and, especially its combat, a compelling experience.”

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    Nindie SpotlightNindie Spotlight
    trust 70Jun 11, 2018

    “If you’ve ever wondered what a procedurally-generated roguelike Zelda could look like Songbringer takes a fair shot at it, just be warned that it can be a little rough around the edges. The option to up the stakes and play in Permadeath mode is an interesting one but should only be undertaken once you’ve taken some time to get used to how things work. Your ability to explore and get into areas that are a bit beyond your capabilities is exciting but could also make for frustration if death means having to start all over again before you’ve really gotten your feet wet. That said, it has a gift for the unexpected and you truly never know what you may encounter next.”

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    Cubed3Cubed3
    trust 70Sep 4, 2017

    “In theory, Songbringer should be excellent. As a procedurally generated take on the original Legend of Zelda, there's plenty of room to innovate with old and new ideas alike. Unfortunately, the old ideas feel derivative of better games and the new ideas are hardly revolutionary. The overall aesthetic and sound design do a great job at creating atmosphere, which makes it all the more disappointing when the level design falls victim to the typical procedurally generated pitfalls. Without attention specifically given to enemy placement, how areas connect, and dungeon design, Songbringer never sustains a consistent level of difficulty or quality. Procedural generation is a handy tool, but not when it's used as a substitute for actual level design.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    NintendoWorldReportNintendoWorldReport
    trust 69Jun 22, 2018

    “Songbringer is the game that fans of the original Zelda have longed for, spiced up with a slick Hyper Light Drifter aesthetic. It might not, however, strike a chord with anyone else.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    ZTGDZTGD
    trust 68Sep 7, 2017

    “An adventure dungeon crawler with a wacky and funny heart.”

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    FingerGunsFingerGuns
    trust 66Aug 29, 2017

    “Songbringer is a super-tough, rewarding RPG that doesn't quite give enough”

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    GameLusterGameLuster
    trust 66Jul 5, 2018

    “I don’t think it is groundbreaking or the next biggest hit. The elements of the game are ones that have been done before and it doesn’t offer anything innovative to that list. Songbringer also doesn’t provide enough information on what its story is. When it does, that info is extremely vague and leaves more questions than answers. While it calls itself procedurally generated, the worlds seem exactly the same. Combat, weapons, and their upgrades were the only things that excited me about the game. If you are looking for a game with old school Zelda-like qualities, give it a shot.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    MonsterVineMonsterVine
    trust 65Sep 21, 2017

    “On the whole, if the overland adventure/subterranean dungeon crawl genre strike your fancy and if you dig on the modern indie aesthetic, you’re going to find a lot of procedurally-generated ground you’ll dig exploring.”

    read full review ↗

…and 36 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. Update v1.4.0
    May 2, 2022
  2. Free DLC Update v1.2.0
    Apr 24, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  3. Charged Attack Update v1.1.0
    Feb 23, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  4. Charged Attack Update v1.1.0
    Feb 23, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  5. Antecedent Update v1.0.5
    Feb 11, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  6. Antecedent Update v1.0.5
    Feb 11, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  7. Minor Update v1.0.4
    Nov 23, 2017
  8. Minor Update v1.0.4
    Nov 23, 2017
  9. Minor Update v1.0.3
    Oct 28, 2017
  10. Minor Update v1.0.3
    Oct 28, 2017
  11. Trading Cards Update v1.0.2
    Sep 21, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  12. Trading Cards Update v1.0.2
    Sep 21, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  13. Combat Precision Update v1.0.1
    Sep 9, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  14. Combat Precision Update v1.0.1
    Sep 9, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  15. Release v1.0.0
    Sep 1, 2017
  16. Release v1.0.0
    Sep 1, 2017
  17. Z is for Zero
    Aug 25, 2017
  18. Z is for Zero
    Aug 25, 2017
  19. Deep Fog
    Aug 14, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  20. Deep Fog
    Aug 14, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  21. Music of the Spheres
    Jul 31, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  22. Music of the Spheres
    Jul 31, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  23. Surfacing
    Jul 17, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  24. Surfacing
    Jul 17, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  25. V is for Viper
    Jul 11, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  26. V is for Viper
    Jul 11, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  27. Battle Meditation
    Jul 3, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  28. Battle Meditation
    Jul 3, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  29. Achieving
    Jun 21, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  30. Achieving
    Jun 21, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  31. Over the Edge
    Jun 8, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  32. Over the Edge
    Jun 8, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  33. Inheritance
    May 31, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  34. Inheritance
    May 31, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  35. Refining the Refinements
    May 29, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  36. Refining the Refinements
    May 29, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  37. More Refinements
    May 22, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  38. More Refinements
    May 22, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  39. Refinements
    May 15, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  40. Refinements
    May 15, 2017significant · resets scoring window

…and 46 earlier patch announcements.