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) | – | 73 | 15 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 73% | 69 | 62 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 83 | 3 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 1 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 0.5 up / 0 down · computed 2h 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
“Mantis Burn Racing is a small, but exciting project, which brings us back to the childhood, in the era of the old school arcade racing games, supplanted by popular simulators and modern arcades. Affordable price and nice graphics (especially on PS4 Pro) will be an additional motivation for gamers.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“It could benefit from some more tracks (as well as more environments), but Mantis Burn Racing offers simple-to-play racing entertainment across a range of events. With plenty of ways to upgrade your vehicles, they can be customised to your liking as you take on the various challenges the game throws at you. Regular racing is fun, but so are the other events, particularly the battle ones as you race around trying to outrun the hail of bullets or perhaps purposely drop behind to take out your tormentor. As enjoyable as these modes are in single player, they work even better against other people and on Switch there are a number of ways to get your multiplayer fix. Online competition is a welcome inclusion, but the local modes add immensely to the appeal. It's not quite "Game Boy and Tetris", but "Switch and Mantis Burn Racing" fit together well thanks to quick racing thrills and the options provided by an undocked console. If you're looking for some more multiplayer racing action then Mantis Burn Racing is an excellent choice, and yet another must-have title for Nintendo's hybrid console.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Mantis Burn Racing has had a rather busy 12 months, and within this time it’s really surpassed all expectation and, perhaps most importantly, all of my first impressions. Upon initial release it was a relatively bland and rather dull arcade racer, and though the actual racing was slick and impressive, it was unfortunatley featured in the most basic game modes in the simplest way possible. Now however, it’s anything but, and for the first time in my journalistic career I am eating my words. Thanks to some incredible minds behind some mighty impressive DLC, Mantis Burn Racing is as chaotic, explosive and challenging as I hoped it would be. Sporting far more brutal and action packed vehicles, game modes and tracks than it once did, as a complete package Mantis Burn Racing is a completely different beast, and an essential purchase for any arcade racing fan; the game runs particularly well on the Switch, as if it was made with Nintendo’s machine in mind.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“All said Mantis Burn Racing plays brilliantly on the Switch whether in docked or handheld mode. Control is smooth, the drifting is satisfying, and in general it looks great. You can enjoy playing against the AI but it is far better to play with friends locally or online and in general I didn’t have issues finding people to play against since it is cross-platform to boot. If you’re willing to grind through the Career Mode in order to learn the nuances of the controls and unlock everything the game has to offer it does deliver a satisfying payoff, I just wish tastes of it came sooner.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Perfectly accessible for friends and family to enjoy, yet also deep and challenge enough to give solo players great value for money.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A really solid top-down racer that not only looks great but comes with a great variety of modes and challenges.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“We know it sounds like we're being down on Mantis Burn Racing, but it should be made clear that the fundamentals here are spot on. The racing itself is fun and fast-paced, and the upgrading system works well to keep you coming back for a good few hours. It's just unfortunate that pretty much everything else doesn't quite measure up. The music, the environments, and the presentation all fall behind, which is a shame, as VooFoo Studios has the foundations of a strong top-down racer. With updates, the game could blossom into something more interesting, but as of right now, its decent gameplay just about overtakes its shortcomings.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Control is smooth, the drifting is satisfying, and in general it looks great. You can enjoy playing against the AI but it is far better to play with friends locally or online and in general I didn't have issues finding people to play against since it is cross-platform to boot. If you're willing to grind through the Career Mode in order to learn the nuances of the controls and unlock everything the game has to offer it does deliver a satisfying payoff, I just wish tastes of it came sooner.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“As I sit here and think about my time with Mantic Burning Racing, I do so with a little bit of mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s extremely fun, easy to play, and hard to master. The progression of gaining gears and XP to upgrade cars is fun and addicting. The online portion seems like it would be a blast to play, but sadly there has never been any players I’m able to find online at the same time, a shame though there is also local play if friends are visiting. Just the lack of variation in visuals for tracks and the repeating soundtrack really put a damper on my otherwise fun time. Still, Mantis Burn Racing is worth the time for arcade racing fans.”
read full review ↗ - 42
“Mantis Burn Racing is an incredibly frustrating game. An overview of the game reveals a lot of promise thanks to its solid visuals, rewarding upgrade system, and interesting career structure.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Mantis burn is a different title from the usual, so as to become a title I would say "must have" for your consoles. The title on Switch is so very interesting.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The ultimate top down racer hits the Switch. Mantis Burn Racing, The FingerGuns Review;”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
Nintendo Life
Invision Community
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
PC Invasion
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
Nintendojo
Gamelite
FingerGuns…and 36 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- New Features + FixesMar 6, 2018
- New Features + FixesMar 6, 2018
- Massive Mantis Burn Racing® Update Now Available!Sep 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Massive Mantis Burn Racing® Update Now Available!Sep 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Mantis Burn Racing® Update! Online Improvements, Single-Screen Multiplayer and More!Nov 18, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Mantis Burn Racing® Update! Online Improvements, Single-Screen Multiplayer and More!Nov 18, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Mantis Burn Racing - Update live!Nov 1, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Mantis Burn Racing - Update live!Nov 1, 2016