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 (Metacritic) | – | 77 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 91 | 852 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 87 | 2 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.9, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 1,744 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 10 reviews sampled · 10 total reviews in window · weighted 8.3 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (6)
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.
- 76
“And challenging it is: The Middle Ages were tough times and similarly, Lords of the Realm II is a tough game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The AI in this game failed to impress me. It was not bad, but I thought it would have presented more of a challenge.”
read full review ↗ - 92
“Immense fun for both the empire-builder and the medieval combatant with all the intrigue and bloodletting you could want. [Feb 1997, p.148]”
- 90
“Lords of the Realm was one of the best selling historical simulations ever but there was room for improvement. Lords 2 takes all the elements of the original and embellishes them, with added graphics, sound and gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I did however find the resource maps and graphics to be confusing. When looking at the resource map you can't tell right away which industries are on or off. You can get this info from the map legend but think the map could have been a bit clearer.”
read full review ↗ - 70
GameSpot
PC GamerPatch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.