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) | – | 65 | 11 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 86% | 79 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 86% | 80 | 13 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 34 reviews sampled · 36 total reviews in window · weighted 13.5 up / 2.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (33)
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
“Night Shift is a neat concept, and it's pretty entertaining on a play-through or two. However, it's really tedious to replay, and the writing isn't particularly good. If you're a big fan of choose-your-own-adventure games, pick it up on a sale.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Late Shift succeeds on its own terms by knowing exactly what it is and executing on its goals. It's a tight, movie-length, choose-your-own-adventure that doesn't let ill-fitting puzzle elements slow it down or dampen the tension it creates so well. While player agency is limited to the core branching system, its scale eclipses other FMV productions and, although it's resolutely on-rails, it's a far more seamless and satisfying 'interactive entertainment' experience as a result.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“An interesting idea, but not a very good game. I enjoyed watching it for an hour but replaying it became very frustrating. Bandersnatch did a similar idea and doesn’t require a direct purchase price.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I must say that on pretty well all levels Late Shift is an amazing exercise in interactive storytelling. While I’d imagined it would be a lot like The Bunker, sharing quite a bit in common with the likes of laser disc games ala Dragon’s Lair and its ilk, it instead has made an appropriate generational leap ahead. Nothing will change the fact that your ability to interact with and control the events taking place in the game is limited, but it is all handled so deftly, and without hesitation, that you get much more immersed in the story. The fact that the production values and acting are easily on par with even middle of the road TV and movies then pulls you in even further. I think that Late Shift really represents the future vision people dreamed about when they were making those original FMV games, and that if more titles at this level of quality continue to be made it is a genre set for a comeback.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“The concept behind Late Shift is not necessarily a bad one, but if you're going to design a game around an interactive story, it is crucial the story is actually well done. This isn't the case here, sadly.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“If you really boil it down, Late Shift is a movie with a plot that you can alter. Sadly, that plot isn't very good. Gameplay is minimal, and where The Bunker struck a decent balance, the lack of interaction here only serves to make the experience more of a slog. This can only be described as a complete disappointment.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Late Shift is an experience definitely worth checking out, as the FMV style makes the wide variety of decisions and dilemmas more fun and interesting to sift through. If you're seeking to blend the world of live-action film and video games, this is a great game to watch and play.”
read full review ↗ - 67
“Late Shift is the latest example of just how far the FMV genre has come since the days of the Sega CD: the production values are insanely impressive, the narrative is interesting and the acting is strong.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The FMV thriller is fully exhumed in this splicing of game and cinema, where high production values fail to obscure the creative fissures.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Late Shift is a decent FMV title with a cast that puts in a lot of effort to make their characters believable. It's let down by some glaring plot holes that don't stand up to scrutiny. There are seven endings, meaning that some of the choices made do matter, while others feel a bit like filler and don't seem to change anything. The ambition and the actual cinematography is there, but the writing really needs some improvement to push Late Shift toward greatness.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Late Shift brings back the interactive movie genre, based on the use of the Full Motion Video, to the current age with all the technical advancements that it brings in terms of visual improvements. However and while the actors' interpretations are competent and there are plenty of choices, they end up having less of an impact on the plot that it would be legitimate to expect and the game's own level of interactivity feels very narrow.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A well-executed novelty experience for the most part, and proof that outings such as this deserve to be taken seriously rather than reduced to kitschy relic status within a few years.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
Kinglink Reviews
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
Nintendojo
Eurogamer
TheSixthAxis
FNintendo
Flickering Myth…and 21 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Minor UpdateSep 14, 2021
- Now supporting Japanese language!Jan 21, 2019
- The Bunker FMV Game & Bundle (Now supporting Korean, Chinese, Russian and more!)Apr 10, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Late Shift for the Steam Awards!Nov 27, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Now supporting more languages!Nov 8, 2017
- Portuguese Language Support AddedSep 29, 2017
- Late Shift FMV sale starts today!Aug 30, 2017
- Content Update: New Audio SlidersJul 4, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Content Update: New Audio SlidersJul 4, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- New Languages Added in Late Shift!May 22, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- New Languages Added in Late Shift!May 22, 2017
- Late Shift is Out Now!Apr 18, 2017
- Late Shift - A Cinematic FMV Crime ThrillerMar 8, 2017significant · resets scoring window