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) | – | 74 | 17 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 75% | 70 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 85% | 79 | 3 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 9 reviews sampled · 5 total reviews in window · weighted 5.7 up / 1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (44)
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
“Shadows: Awakening is a nice game with an interesting puzzles, plot elements and the mechanics of moving between dimensions. This is not Diablo or Divinity, but fans of the genre, most likely, would be satisfied.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Shadows: Awakening will definitely excite you and draw you into the game thanks to its fun gameplay. For over twenty hours of fun, you'll enjoy a vibrant open world full of mystery, monsters, legends, challenges, puzzles and treasure. If you can get past the aforementioned shortcomings, I can happily recommend the title. It's a bit disappointing that the game from the Slovak developer lacks Czech/Slovak localization.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Shadows: Awakening is sure to offer ARPG fans something meaty to chew on between Diablo III seasons and Path of Exile leagues.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Shadows: Awakening is a deep action RPG which brings a literal new dimension to the tried and tested Diablo format. It's a great choice for those looking for a meaty fantasy time-sink, and while it does stumble occasionally, it delivers many hours of engaging hack-'n'-slash gaming.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“That doesn't take away from the fact that I enjoyed nearly my entire time with it. Those that pick it up will likely not be disappointed; it is just getting someone to take the plunge that could cause problems. This is the kind of game that would have benefitted from being just a bit cheaper at the outset.e”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Shadows: Awakening has a lot of promise, but is held back by some clunky controls and awkward combat situations. While the realm swapping gimmick and multiple characters to switch between on the fly are certainly nice, there isn’t really anything else that truly sets it apart. If you’re up for something a little easier or different than Diablo, or you want an introduction to the genre, Shadows: Awakening would definitely interest you, although you may want to wait for it to go on sale.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Shadows: Awakening inherits Vikings‘ repetitive and gimmicky boss fights, while its shifting rules and general inability to explain how certain things work can turn its frequent puzzles into a slog. Add a slow movement speed and too few teleport points on top of that, and you have a game that, while enjoyable overall, fails to live up to its potential.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Shadows: Awakening offers Book One from Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms and new content in Book Two. It is absorbing extensive gameplay with some new mechanics and graphics.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you like your dungeon crawls with a ladle of gothic atmosphere, you haven’t seen anything like this in an eternity.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Shadows: Awakening ultimately fails to be the action RPG that fans of the genre need. It has some interesting ideas and decent writing, but the story shifts to the backburner after a while and the side missions and combat aren't enough to maintain interest through the grind it turns into. It's not bad, it's just not particularly inspiring either. If you need a new diablo-like and a lack of polish or a glut of grind doesn't bother you, there are definitely worse options out there.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Shadows: Awakening doesn't do much that is new or interesting, but it does achieve a mostly enjoyable ARPG experience that will appeal to diehard fans of the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“But even so the by-product of this is more micro-management and loot scrubbing duties placed on the player, that isn't helped by an overall pace that feels too slow.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
Gaming Professors
VGChartz
Push Square
ZTGD
Chalgyr's Game Room
Killa Penguin
SECTOR.sk
MonsterVine
TheSixthAxis
TechRaptor
AusGamers…and 32 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Shadows: Awakening Update 1.13 released!Oct 4, 2018
- Shadows: Awakening Beta Update brings new chapter and new charactersJun 26, 2018significant · resets scoring window