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 | 12 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 93% | 87 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 99% | 96 | 7 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 20 reviews sampled · 21 total reviews in window · weighted 16.7 up / 0.1 down · computed 10h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (35)
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.
- 80
“Sky Force Reloaded is a really fun arcade, shooter that looks great on the Nintendo Switch. If you're looking for a challenge or something to make you feel nostalgic check it out!”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sky Force Reloaded is a fun shmup with a good variety of dangers to deal with and one that gives you a number of options to deal with them. Stages can be tough, but when you nearly make it you'll want to dive back in and try again, certain you know how to do better this time around. Sometimes you'll be forced to replay them in order to proceed further in the game, whether that's grinding for stars or looking to achieve a medal, although that can still feel fresh due to tackling the stages a different way. The thrill of finally beating a tricky level can be dampened by the realisation you need to go pick up a handful of medals however, but it can be fun to return to a previously tricky stage and ease through thanks to an improved craft. Sky Force Reloaded may force you to spend time with it and feel like a grind as a result, but for the most part, the time invested is enjoyable.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“It's packed with content and fun to play, just weighed down by the process of farming stars.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“At the end of the day Sky Force Reloaded is a gorgeous and challenging arcade shooter, and is among the most impressive on the Switch. Its looks are top-notch, it offers a significant degree of challenge for shmup fans, and its controls are buttery-smooth. Just be prepared to invest in the game for the long-term if you really want to see all it has to offer, which doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I just feel like the game could and should perhaps ease up the throttle, at least early on, to give people a few unlocks to better see what’s possible earlier on so they don’t necessarily give up before seeing much of what the game has to offer.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“For the price tag attached to it, Sky Force Reloaded is the perfect antidote for Nintendo Switch fans that love this genre. As long as you came here in order to experience a pretty basic, and grind-heavy (but immensely addictive) vertical shoot 'em up, where the only modern thing about it is its graphical update, then you simply cannot go wrong!”
read full review ↗ - 70
“With a solid progression system that means no defeat has to be too punishing and every attempt gets you a little further, Sky Force Reloaded is a 'one more try' shooter. Building up your ship from a pathetic husk to a monstrous killing machine is satisfying and fun, but it's a slight shame that the game is let down at times by bland environments and all too familiar enemy types.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It doesn't do anything revolutionary for the genre, playing it safe in all regards. It has a lot of content in an enjoyable package. The loop of short, quick play sessions is addicting, and an experience I did not expect to have as much fun with as I did.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I've always enjoyed the genre, and everything in Sky Force Reloaded is solid enough. From a visual, gameplay, and soundtrack standpoint, I'm more than happy. I just can't shake this feeling that the game was designed to kill hours on the phone, and for me it just doesn't translate into a great home console experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Delivers what a sequel should be, with more of... everything... on top of the solid foundations they had with the predecessor. Fans of shoot-em-ups that aren't straight up bullet hell titles should be looking into the Sky Force franchise.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I'm really surprised just how much I enjoyed Sky Force Reloaded, the first time I loaded it up I was playing it for five hours non-stop and at no point was I bored. Adding grind to a shoot 'em up sounds terrible but it's a genius idea to counter the shoot 'em up's traditionally short playtime. By adding the challenges, the act of replaying a level twenty or more times never gets boring. I am now going to bestow on Sky Force the highest honour I can give it: It reminds me of SWIV.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Sky Force Reloaded for the Nintendo Switch is a welcome addition of a game that will certainly please fans of the 2D shooting genre, thanks to its good gameplay mechanics and cooperative mode. Where Sky Force Reloaded loses out is on its price, as the Nintendo Switch version asks for a value that is not requested for its free mobile counterpart.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“With Sky Force Reloaded, despite not necessarily bringing anything revolutionary to the traditional arcade shooter, the many collectable systems in place somewhat reflect the special hook that made this genre so addictively popular in the first place. It all feels very well put together and equally hard to put down, even though the thought of the grind did initially put me off. Some may still feel that the progression system in place can be on the slow side, especially for those that just want to trail through it as quickly as possible. As for myself, collecting every medal, and aiming to snatch all four objectives in a single run keeps me on the constant return for more.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
GameGrin
TheSixthAxis
FNintendo
Nintendo Insider…and 23 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Stage B3 is now available!Mar 29, 2018significant · resets scoring window