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) | – | 62 | 4 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 65 | 3 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 90% | 84 | 10 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 28 reviews sampled · 26 total reviews in window · weighted 20.2 up / 2.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (13)
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.
- 50
“While the concept of an open world beat 'em up set in high-school sounds interesting, the way it was executed is far from perfect. Furthermore, the entire world feels meaningless, as there is no way to easily tell what time your classes begin, and where they are. It is also difficult to know where each building is in the world because The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa lacks a map/compass feature. If you are looking for a unique beat 'em up, and are willing to manage it's user experience issues, then this is a perfect game for you.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is a very hilarious open world beat'em up game that offers a lot of fun and different things to do. The story will show you what true friendship is, but also where the limits are, where even friends won't go. The question of what all has to happen to turn friends into strangers and strangers into true friends is equally addressed, and last but not least you will see how fragile student love can be. The play is definitely not for everyone. Its loose structure won't appeal to players who want specific goals, and its refusal to explain anything can feel clunky. This is an open-world game where you can do whatever you want, but unfortunately there is no map and sometimes the interaction is a bit of a drag. You do get a great feel for the life of a teenage high school gang leader, though, who has to contend not only with a rival gang, but with his own life.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Screenshots really don't do The friends of Ringo Ishikawa justice. What looks like a traditional side-scrolling brawler is actually something far more intricate. It's more of a teenage simulator than anything, and with some really well-written dialogue (filled with the kind of malaise and sense of directionless rebellion we all experienced in our formative years) there's a really interesting story to be found. Its everyday activities will remind you more of Bully or Shenmue than Street Gangs/River City Ransom, just don't expect to have your hand held as you head out into the world to discover them.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“First and foremost the thing to understand about this game is that it doesn’t hold your hand...”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I was honestly very frustrated during my first couple hours, but gradually I started to appreciate the slow burn that is The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa. Without question, it will not appeal to everyone, and the lack of tutorials, hints, and information is definitely frustrating. All that said, though, it’s a unique and interesting experiment wrapped up in a cool, pixelated graphical style and an atmospheric soundtrack that suits the game perfectly.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While not perfect by any means, The friends of Ringo Ishikawa is an excellent visual and storytelling piece thats journey, and conclusion, might very well stick with you for a long time to come.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is quite weak in its pure playful proposal but has a real personality that could well embark you, if you are sensitive to this typical Japanese atmosphere carried by hip hop melodies and retro graphics successful in this small city, free to live the existence often in slow motion of a rascal high school and his friends. In this, again, the fact of being able to play in a nomadic way with the Switch is a plus.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa might look like an old-fashioned belt-scroller, but it is actually an open-world game full of life and… well, philosophy! There’s plenty of dialogue, and the way the story is told through everyday life events at school and in your neighborhood feels like real life. The game’s systems aren’t well explained, which will catch many gamers off-guard at first, but its climax has a lasting impact that is worth experiencing.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you’re a fan of titles such as Yakuza and Shenmue then there is a great chance you may just enjoy The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa. Developed and published by yeo, The Friends Of Ringo Ishikawa is an existential open-world beat ’em up with some school sim elements.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Ultimately, though, the game ended up not being for me. I do believe it's worth a look to the right person, but you should know what you're getting into before taking the plunge. I'd also recommend you check this out on PC because that random bug in the Switch version could wind up causing you to waste a ton of time without you even knowing it.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is one of the best examples of subversion within the brawler genre since the mighty Lollipop Chainsaw.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“I appreciate Ringo's lack of structure. It feels real to me. [Issue #40, July/August 2019, p. 17]”
Pure Nintendo
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
NintendoWorldReport
SwitchRPG
Gameblog
IGN
Rapid Reviews UK
Destructoid
Digitally Downloaded…and 1 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Why do players still play the old version?Jun 29, 2026
- EX update is live now!Jan 18, 2025
- New update is coming!Dec 12, 2024
- The game was ported to GMS 2.3Jun 26, 2024
- Updating to GM 2.3Jun 24, 2024
- Bug in French dialogue fixedMar 2, 2021
- FPS drop fixNov 14, 2020
- MacOS version is alive!Oct 17, 2018