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) | – | 66 | 21 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 73% | 69 | 78 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| 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 1 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (51)
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.
- 100
“The old-school platforming was done well, the enemies are varied and nicely designed, and the bosses are pretty cool too. The game does have some design issues though, some that do need patching.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Battle Princess Madelyn is a good game with stylish retro graphics, cute characters and a variety of levels, which suffers from poor explanation of the rules of the world, terribly confusing navigation, understatement and a lot of glitches that make the stages impassable. However, we write something similar about one of the three surveyed games from independent studios. It seems that such an attitude to the audience for the modern indie scene has become almost the norm.”
read full review ↗ - 67
“Battle Princess Madelyn is a love letter to the games of old, and at the same time acts as a history less on both what did and did not work. However, for those of us who grew up on these classic titles, it definitely scratches that retro itch. The difficulty and lack of direction in the story mode may be a turn-off to younger gamers, but if you have fond memories of only making it to the end of the first level in Ghosts 'n Goblins, you too will find this an enjoyable trip down memory lane.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“A game confused about what it wants to be, an accessible and fun side-scroller for the whole family to enjoy, or a brutal experiment into what Dark Souls would be like in a 16-bit format. Battle Princess Madelyn looks and sounds the part, but is so unforgiving it sucks all the fun out of it.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Too much hand-holding in games can be a problem, but Battle Princess Madelyn goes in the opposite direction with its main Story mode and is just as annoying (if not more so) as a result. Thankfully, its alternative Arcade mode really does save the day, stripping away all the convoluted and confused exploration and leaving nothing but pure, unfiltered arcade action goodness. It's just a shame its main mode, and perhaps the key reason the developer wants your £15.79 / $19.99, is so frustratingly unhelpful and awkward to play. Still, fans of Capcom's Ghouls ‘n Ghosts will most definitely want to check this out.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“There’s no doubt that in terms of both the look and overall feel of the controls in the game Madelyn nails the classic feel of Ghouls ‘N Ghosts...”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Battle Princess Madelyn is a difficult game to recommend on a whim. Its design and mechanics calls to mind the classics of yesteryear, but there's a distinct lack of follow-through. The story mode isn't hurting for content, as it features a slew of worlds to explore, bosses to battle, and goodies to collect. Unfortunately, not all of it is arranged in a manner that is appropriately compelling. The arcade mode trims most of the fat, but it lacks the challenge and polish that defined the arcade era. Still, one has to appreciate the effort that went towards appealing to fans of action-adventure and arcade games. If they're willing to look past the issues present in both modes, they might enjoy themselves. It helps that the art direction and music are really charming.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Battle Princess Madelyn is both impressive in both visuals and audio. For better, and sometimes worse, the game has modeled itself after difficult games like Ghosts'n Goblins. Metroidvania fans will enjoy the expansive levels, however, satisfaction from level completion and boss fights are less thrilling provided the immediate backtracking you'll perform back through harms way throughout most of the game.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“In trying to revive a decades-old series, Causal Bit Games created a Frankenstein's Monster of sorts. Adding adventure and exploration elements to the Ghouls ‘N Ghosts formula hasn't improved the experience. Forcing the player to replay the entire game only to retrieve a special weapon that can truly defeat the final boss was a better design choice than the ones made in Battle Princess Madelyn's Story Mode. The Arcade Mode saves it from mediocrity in that it allows players to enjoy the different environments, weapons, and bosses through a tough but beatable campaign. Regardless, questionable design choices and lack of gameplay explanations detract from the overall satisfaction. After spending time with Battle Princess Madelyn, I'm left with one lasting impression: I really want to replay Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts.”
read full review ↗ - 54
“Battle Princess Madelyn is not bad. But it's not good either. Apart from the compelling graphics, it is simply too uninspired, and thus the famous "one among many". In 2018 the competition is just too big. There are too many games that are better in terms of playability and gameplay than you should spend your time with this blender. Although the creators promised a few improvements via patch, at the time of the test, unfortunately nothing was yet to be seen.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“I had a lot of fun playing Battle Princess Madelyn, and if you want that retro feel of Ghouls and Ghosts without the mounting blood pressure, or at least not as a fast increase as Ghouls and Ghosts, definitely give Battle Princess Madelyn a shot.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“As mentioned at the beginning of the review, the mode you choose to play will influence your impression of Battle Princess Madelyn. For arcade mode players, the game retains the spirit of Ghosts 'n Goblins, and while there are a few concessions to make the game seem a touch easier for newcomers, some of the design decisions suck away that enjoyment. For story mode players, those flaws are compounded by more design issues that make it a frustrating Metroidvania clone. In the end, the game's charm isn't enough to attract anyone but genre die-hards who are looking for a near-impossible challenge.”
read full review ↗
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Worth Playing…and 39 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Weekly Update #16 - Let's Talk About Act 4 & Release DatesAug 20, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- HyperParasite Update #15 - Guarding the Desert, Gamescom 2019 & Official WikiAug 9, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Weekly Update #10 - New characters, bosses and 25% off!Jun 28, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- More Options! More Features! + SALE!Feb 19, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- New Year, New PatchJan 5, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Updates (18/12/2018)Dec 18, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Updates (17/12/2018)Dec 17, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0.3 is now live!Dec 10, 2018significant · resets scoring window