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 | 7 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 70 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 66% | 64 | 144 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 72 | 3 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 0% | 15 | 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 0 up / 0.2 down · computed 17m ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (19)
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
“Charming, addictive but sometimes ruthlessly unforgiving, PixelJunk Monsters 2 has made the transition into 3D almost unscathed. While there is a sense of ‘if it isn't broken, don't fix it' in some instances, it's still a gorgeous, lovingly-crafted and action-packed tower defence game that despite a few annoyances, will delight, entertain and challenge in equal measure.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Tower defence games may have lost their popularity somewhat in recent years but PixelJunk Monsters 2 shows why it exploded in the first place. It is insanely addictive and just the right level of challenging, although certain folk may find the frustrating elements a little too much to enjoy. Some will find achieving every perfect rating compulsive, while others will find it wholly off-putting. Regardless of the difficulty level, the one thing that really lets it down, though, is the pace during the stages. Occasionally, between waves, it really drags and nothing happens, and there's no way to fast-forward or speed up, leaving huge gaps where it's too tempting to put the game to one side and do something else. If you are making your audience want to do something else, what's keeping them playing?”
read full review ↗ - 70
“PixelJunk Monsters 2 is a brave sequel that attempts to fix something that isn't broken, and has ended up taking away more than it adds.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Even if you can master that side of it, it's a relentless game that doesn't know when to halt. Some patterns can absolutely destroy you without proper notice, forcing you to play over and perfect certain levels. While that side can be little irritating now and again, it can't be denied the amount of effort Q-Games put in.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“PixelJunk Monsters 2 fails to live up to the original, but still presents a delightful take on tower defense.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“After waiting all these years, it's absolutely wonderful to see PixelJunk Monsters back once more, but the more I played it, I couldn't help but feel a looming sense of disappointment at the lack of content and new ideas. It's a game I hoped to love but walked away only liking, and that's a shame for what is a follow up to my favorite tower defense game of all time.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A classic tower defence game gets a makeover, and a welcome touch of physics.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Pixeljunk Monsters 2 is a very solid entry in the tower defence genre. The little things it has changed make for some really interesting choices when it comes to tower placement and co-op play makes it much more replayable. Graphically the game is stunning in it's own way and will keep you invested in the tree-destroying, tower-building, funky-dancing gameplay as you progress through the increasingly tricky levels until the end. It suffers from the same issues prevalent in any TD game but is a solid entry nevertheless.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I've had a lot of fun playing PixelJunk Monsters 2, and I definitely liked the new art style and more frantic gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“PixelJunk Monsters 2 is a masterpiece, it looks amazing, it plays buttery smooth, and the core mechanics are solid. If you just aim to 'finish' the game and play through all 15 levels, then you're looking at about five hours, but if you aim to achieve a 100% completion on all 15 levels at each of the three difficulties, then expect over 20 hours easily. The length, in combination with the low price and the brilliant, and cheap, DLC which has been announced basically makes this the easiest game to recommend which I have played to date. Fans of tower defence games need this title within their library and are only letting themselves down if they don't grab it.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“I still think there's fun to be had in PixelJunk Monsters 2, and I won't be surprised if Q-Games cleans up some of the minor frustrations. But unless the studio goes out of its way to expand and experiment with new content, I don't see this having much of a legacy. As it stands, it's an okay-at-best tower defense title that treads familiar ground. Coming off the original, that's a huge downgrade.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Pixeljunk Monsters 2 does the original great justice by lifting the core experience and spreading it across a big, bright, three-dimensional playing field. But if feels like a typical tower defense game from the 2007-08 boom.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Cubed3
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
Easy Allies
ZTGD
Eurogamer
TheSixthAxis
PS3Blog.net
GamePitt
Destructoid
PlayStation LifeStyle…and 7 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch 1.04 ReleasedNov 6, 2018
- Patch 1.03 ReleasedAug 18, 2018
- Patch 1.02 ReleasedJun 29, 2018
- Patch 1.01 ReleasedJun 22, 2018
- [5/3/2018]Demo Patch NotesMay 3, 2018