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) | – | 83 | 47 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 93% | 87 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 83 | 13 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 96% | 91 | 746 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.4, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 2,308 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Oct 26, 2023) · 300 reviews sampled · 746 total reviews in window · weighted 230.8 up / 9.1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (58)
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.
- 85
“Infernax is a truly retro experience that takes the best elements of the past to create a fun time in the present. It's tough but fair and a blast to play. Highly recommended for fans of action-adventure platformers like Castlevania.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While Infernax is tough, it's resolutely fair - you can't really make the game 'easy', but you can absolutely mitigate the difficulty or take a break doing something else when you get stuck. Don't expect a simple ride, though, and don't expect to take the right decisions on a first playthrough - not that anything seems particularly 'right' in this beautifully bloody little world. It's only familiarity that lets Infernax down - there's nothing really new here, but it's all done and delivered so well that you won't really care unless you're desperate for a completely fresh experience. In which case why play a faux-retro NES throwback to begin with? A cut above most efforts in the subgenre, Infernax both demands and requires attention.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Infernax is a great throwback to the “open world” type of exploration from the 8-bit era whilst taking some of its elements and making it more accessible to newer players. As someone who mostly grew up playing on PC, I had a blast playing it and finding out about its inspirations.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Infernax keeps the things that worked from the nostalgic classics of yesteryear while changing what didn’t. I haven’t had this much fun with a game in a while. It’s just a perfect blend of difficulty and discovery from start to finish. It’s basic, sure, but sometimes shaving off the excess parts is how you polish something down to its core.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Retro games looking to take on the rough look and feel of classics like Castlevania are always going to face a bit of an uphill battle...”
read full review ↗ - 90
“This really is one of our favourite old-school indie titles to hit Game Pass in the last few months and we urge retro fans to nab it at the earliest possible opportunity, as it's a super-satisfying love letter to the glory days of Castlevania and an excellent and addictive little game in its own right.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Not very lengthy, but bolstered by strong level design and tight controls, Infernax is a worthwhile experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“While some of the mid and late-game platforming challenges are pretty demanding, failing and having to make your way through familiar parts of the castles never takes too long. That said, I do wish the bosses put up a bit more of a fight; upgrading my stats and equipment at a regular clip allowed me to make short work of each one. As sure as the sun rises and sets (and wait until you see that in game), the Switch eShop will receive more and more titles hoping to cash in on NES-fueled nostalgia; don't let that stop you from picking up the immensely satisfying throwback that is Infernax. Even though my mace and armor are dripping with demonic ichor, I'm still ready to charge back in.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Infernax is a can’t-miss game. I had never heard of it, but as soon as I booted it up it immediately shot to the top of my favorite games of the year. Do not sleep on this title. There is so much to love and it even has a unique mode that unlocks when entering the Konami code. Yeah it leans way into nostalgia, but it does it right. This game looks and feels great and is easily one title that will set the bar going forward.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Infernax is a bloody good time. The developers did a great job of harnessing just about everything that made classic platforming adventures like Castlevania great, while sprinkling in some new features along the way. The formula was not quite perfect for me, but it was pretty close and those looking for a challenging new game in the genre owe it to themselves to give Infernax a look.”
read full review ↗ - 88
“Few tributes to gaming history pull off what Infernax has accomplished.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“As the closing act meets its end, a litter of bodies left in your wake, Infernax achieves a rare thing. It becomes more than its influences, more than a simple genre piece, but a powerful entity in its own right. The only negatives that rise from the ground are a few boss battles being easy to defeat… and that’s it. Robust, neatly wove, disgusting and wholeheartedly engaging, Infernax is a fantastic example of influence creating new greatness.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
Hu3br
Gamer Escape
Nindie Spotlight
Pure Xbox
PC Invasion
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
Chalgyr's Game Room
Forever Classic Games
MonsterVine…and 46 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Can't spell "bugs" without "us" (v1.05.017 patchnotes)Oct 26, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Post-Co-Op Update-Thread Hyphen-HyphenApr 17, 2023
- It's time to Deux... Or Die. Couch Co-Op Update Live NowApr 5, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Infernax: Deux or Die Update Coming this SpringFeb 28, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Stranger in a Strange LandOct 25, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Post-PAX News UpdateSep 16, 2022
- 1.02: The Number of the UpdateAug 3, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Dev UpdateJul 29, 2022significant · resets scoring window