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 | 27 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 73% | 69 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 62 | 10 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 7 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 21 reviews sampled · 12 total reviews in window · weighted 12.8 up / 1.3 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (98)
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.
- 60
“Absolver is a good attempt to make a complex martial arts simulator that suffers from a lack of a normal map, a small amount of content, a broken cooperative mode and a strange system of mastering moves. Developers should have added new zones, schools and tests, and at the same time make interesting missions and events for people who have played the game several times and just do not know what else to do.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Absolver is an ambitious and original proposition, which relies on a technical and customizable combat system to stand out. Despite its mechanical merits and stylized art direction, the game lacks charisma, engaging narrative, and a more lively world. For hardcore fans of martial arts and tactical combat, there is fun to be found. For the general public, however, Absolver may seem more like a promising idea than a memorable title.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Absolver bring new mechanics to the fighting game genre in a way that feels welcoming both to newcomers and veterans alike.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“While Absolver seems to get the combat aspect of things down well enough, it fails to back it up with any meaningful direction and content for players, resulting in an entirely forgettable experience.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Absolver is a 3d fighter that shows off a very interesting engine, but doesn’t do enough with it. The game short, and the PVP is dying with player counts in the low triple digits.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Absolver is an experience shrouded in patience and unerring attention to detail. It ultimately rewards players who are happy to spend the time picking apart tiny parts of the title's deceptively simple combat and world building. It is atrociously difficult at times, but such is the framing of the game, Absolver's difficulty curve is designed to teach and inspire, rather than frustrate. Although rather short at around five to six hours, Absolver is still a delicate examination of martial arts and how game design can drastically impact the lessons the player should draw from the world.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Absolver is a flawed gem, delivering excellent multiplayer action and a short but entertaining campaign in spite of numerous technical issues.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It's a real shame that it's currently experiencing these connectivity issues, as Absolver is an otherwise great melee action game. The combat is deep, tactical, and wonderfully customisable, and interacting co-operatively or competitively with other players can be a real joy. Once SloClap can ensure players of a lag-free environment to play in, this will be a knockout multiplayer brawler.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Absolver is a great and interesting game as a whole, but the biggest part of the game, actually playing it, is both frustrating and unbalanced.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“In my opinion, Absolver is in the upper echelon of recent releases, but it still has a few issues. The camera can work against you at the most inopportune times, like when you're cornered, but that's more bearable to me than the motion blur. Other than those complaints, the game slows down its offerings after a dozen hours or so, unless you're playing co-op with friends. On the plus side, there's supposed to be free DLC in the future, and it seems like a pretty solid promise. Given Absolver's $30 price tag, you can't really complain about this purchase.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A one-of-a-kind blend of blood-thumping martial arts, combo curation and grindy multiplayer set in a ravishing wasteland.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Absolver's methodical combat would be superlative on its own, but the unique customisation of its Combat Deck takes this melee brawler to thrilling new heights.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
GameFM
Hu3br
RPGamer
Kinglink Reviews
Cubed3
Gaming on PC
Push Square
ZTGD
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot…and 86 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- May Production UpdateMay 22, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.17 Update is here!Apr 13, 2018
- Absolver 1.16 Update Has Arrived!Mar 27, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.16 Update Has Arrived!Mar 27, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Weekend Combat Test: Thanks for your feedback, round 2 is around the corner!Mar 2, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Weekend Combat Test: Thanks for your feedback, round 2 is around the corner!Mar 2, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Weekend Combat Beta Patch NotesFeb 16, 2018
- Weekend Combat Beta Patch NotesFeb 16, 2018
- Absolver 1.14 Update is Live!Feb 1, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.14 Update is Live!Feb 1, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.13 UpdateFeb 1, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.13 UpdateFeb 1, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.11 3v3 Update is LiveDec 7, 2017
- Absolver 1.11 3v3 Update is LiveDec 7, 2017
- Absolver 1.08 is LiveOct 26, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.08 is LiveOct 26, 2017
- Absolver 1.07 is LiveSep 22, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.07 is LiveSep 22, 2017
- Absolver 1.06 is LiveSep 20, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver 1.06 is LiveSep 20, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver Patch 1.05Sep 8, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver Patch 1.05Sep 8, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver Patch 1.03Aug 31, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Absolver Patch 1.03Aug 31, 2017
- Absolver Launch + Incoming UpdateAug 29, 2017
- Absolver Launch + Incoming UpdateAug 29, 2017