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) | – | 76 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 82 | 297 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 70% | 67 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 6 reviews sampled · 5 total reviews in window · weighted 2.7 up / 1.2 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (23)
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.
- 85
“Ignore the retro RPG trappings of Rise of the Third Power; this is a great game regardless of whether you're approaching it for nostalgic purposes. Its story is just fresh enough, its turn-based combat unique enough, to keep you firmly planted in 2022, not 1992.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“With a simple, yet fun, combat system, party mechanics that encourage experimentation, and a highly memorable story, this is a throwback title few RPGamers will want to miss.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“There’s no doubt that for many the 16-bit era was where JRPGs really exploded into the mainstream, so titles that bring back and celebrate that style are pretty welcome to see on the Switch after a slow-ish start for the genre...”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Rise of the Third Power squanders its potential and ultimately falls into mediocrity, with inconsistent art and sound direction and uninteresting turn-based mechanics. There's lots of good in this game, but it's not enough to outweigh the more disappointing shortfalls.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The combat and overarching story are clear highlights, but there's undeniable bloat that hurts the pacing and the character portraits, for the most part, would be better left on the cutting room floor. While a babystep up from Ara Fell, which I awarded a 7 out of 10 in 2020, Rise of the Third Power doesn't quite do enough to earn a full-throated recommendation. That said, it's still a fairly enjoyable classic RPG experience with interesting characters, a simple but fun battle system, and some humorous dialogue.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Overall, I loved Rise of the Third Power. Looking like a classic JRPG but playing to a tune all of its own, it has everything from well written characters and a well paced experience over to a very well designed battle system and amazing music to support it all.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Very well made, well thought out JRPG. While there are a couple of small flaws and linear character upgrades, the overall experience is well crafted and the story and character dynamics are so much fun.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Rise of the Third Power is best suited to those looking for an RPG that requires a lot of thought and attention and have plenty of free time at their gaming disposal. The plot is very good in this game and the upgrade system is quite refreshing. But the battle for me was a slow grind to get to grips with. Maybe I’m just stuck in my retro RPG ways. But that’s not to say it won’t click with those that have the time to spend on this. I liked what this game was trying to achieve. I think the developers have done a very good job trying to step out of the traditional RPG formula. That in itself deserves extra praise in my book.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Like Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition was in 2020, Rise of the Third Power will undoubtedly be one of the best budget-friendly Switch RPGs of 2022.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Rise of the Third Power, I initially thought it would be a pirate-adventure, but it has to do more with war and manipulation. The battles are fun for a while but a speed option would have been preferable to those that wanted an in-between story mode (one-shot kills) and regular battles that sometimes took a while. I finished the game in about 16 hours but I still had some side-quests to do. I also skipped regular battles via story mode so that cut down on the finish time . I only did regular mode for bosses. The music was great, but I wasn't a fan of the character portraits that clashed with the game in my opinion. I also did not like the story as the circular storyline had me as a player felt like I accomplished nothing or questioning why things happened the way they did or. A skip scene option also would have been nice as scenes can be long.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“It’s one of the very few games in recent memory that I couldn’t put down. The story started off a little hackneyed, but this was a purposeful design choice. It doesn’t take too long to before it lets you know that there’s more going on than might first think. There are plenty of twists, turns, and revelations along the journey that make for a delightfully complex and engaging experience. There are a lot of retro-themed RPGs on the market, but Rise of the Third Power is one you shouldn’t let pass you by.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I really wish I could rave about Rise of the Third Power. I’m a fan of the developer, and I enjoy retro-styled games. Nevertheless, I don’t feel this one lived up to my hype, nor that it reached the same heights as Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition. That said, if you enjoy the genre and are looking for a game to get lost in for a few hours, it’s hard to say no for the low price point of $19.99. Ultimately, I’d say this one is worth a shot, but that you should most definitely play Ara Fell as well.”
read full review ↗
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PC Invasion
NintendoWorldReport
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LadiesGamers.com
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Turn Based Lovers
WayTooManyGames
oprainfall…and 11 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Minor Patch v1.05dApr 24, 2022
- Minor Patch v1.05cApr 4, 2022
- Patch v1.04 - Minor FixesFeb 22, 2022
- Patch v1.03 Minor AdjustmentFeb 19, 2022
- Patch 1.03 - Improved Accessibility and Bug Fixes!Feb 19, 2022significant · resets scoring window