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 (Metacritic) | – | – | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 91 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 97% | 93 | 8 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 90.1, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 2,247 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 23 reviews sampled · 20 total reviews in window · weighted 17.4 up / 0.5 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (2)
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.
- 90
“ZeroRanger is, by all accounts, just plain incredible. Even someone who has played hundreds of shmups might not be adequately prepared for this one. It really does have an identity all its own, and that's an exceedingly rare feat. There are so many fresh ideas here, and they are all cleverly implemented. Nothing ever feels out of place. This creativity also doesn't come at the expense of the game itself. There is enough depth to satisfy players of all skill levels. All in all, this is something quite new and amazing, so be sure to check it out.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Overall, ZeroRanger is absolutely fantastic shoot’em up. It’s highly replayable, while thematically revolving around the repeating cycles of reincarnation in an undeniably Buddhist fashion. I found the game to be an absolute joy to play and reaching the end was highly rewarding. It’s easy to pick up but certainly hard to put down. I’d highly recommend it to those interested in a unique, polished take on the shoot'em up genre.”
read full review ↗
Cubed3
DarkstationPatch history
- Fourth Anniversary Patch (28/9/2022)Sep 28, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Second Anniversary Update (28/09/2020)Sep 28, 2020
- The battle continues - Enter WHITE VANILLA!!Jun 25, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Gamepad update (22/12/2018)Dec 22, 2018
- New patch out (2/10/2018)Oct 2, 2018
- DEMO OUT NOW + Release Date UpdateApr 19, 2018
- NAME UPDATE + ANNOUNCEMENTApr 16, 2018