Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 300 sampled Steam reviews (193 positive / 107 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Multiplayer & servers8% mention it
- Story & writing5% mention it
- World & exploration5% mention it
- Visuals & art5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Multiplayer & servers11% mention it
- Grind & repetition8% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
31%
39 reviews
5-15h
70%
37 reviews
15-40h
68%
50 reviews
40-100h
74%
34 reviews
100h+
69%
140 reviews
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) | – | 69 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 73% | 69 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 69 | 6 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 73% | 69 | 729 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 9, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 729 total reviews in window · weighted 182.6 up / 69.2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (22)
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.
- 83
“A fresh breath in the MMORPG genre. In some respects it's ELITE on steroids.”
- 66
“EVE offers little in the way of instant gratification, and progress in the game is slow and often unnoticeable.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“You must have patience and be excited about non-structured gameplay in order for it to be worth the price of admission. Action hungry thrill-mongers will do themselves a favor by steering clear of this one.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“A beautiful universe with a sophisticated interface, but it's essentially a desolate wilderness of constellations, space debris, and guesses. [Sept 2003, p.92]”
- 75
“It is possible to have fun in this game. The bad news is that there are some underlying structural problems that make the game horribly unfriendly to new players and will probably keep the game from being as popular as it might be.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“This game is for anyone who wants to be able to truly affect the game world around them, and be a part of the force that shapes the story of EVE.”
read full review ↗ - 89
“A massively complex economic and life simulation set in the expansive universe of unlimited possibilities.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“The best praise I can give it is that it honestly and successfully appeals to the casual gamer. You don't have to kill 932,592,461 Lesser Bats to level since your skills train while you are logged off.”
read full review ↗ - 88
- 80
“Despite its flaws though, EVE is deeply, deeply addictive.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“This stunning mood is crushed by an interface that has all the charm and convenience of a TPS report. [Sept 2003, p.95]”
- 68
“Probably the best looking, worst playing space-based MMO I've ever spent time with. [Aug 2003, p.101]”
GameSpot
PC Gamer
IGN
Game Chronicles
Game Informer…and 10 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Rampant Drone Fabricator Sites Are Back!Jul 23, 2026
- Operation Avalon Ends 20 JulyJul 17, 2026
- The Cradle of War Expansion is HereJun 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Catalyst Major UpdateMar 23, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Standings & Awoxing UpdateMar 11, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Pulse | Catalyst Update, Winter Nexus ‘25Dec 5, 2025
- The Catalyst expansion is hereNov 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Legion Major Update Patch NotesSep 11, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Legion Major UpdateSep 9, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Legion Gets a Major Update on 9 SeptSep 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Global PLEX Market Now LiveJul 7, 2025
- Legion Update: Not-So-Little ThingsJun 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Legion is HereMay 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Legion In FocusMay 13, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Pulse | Major Update, Race for the HivesMar 21, 2025
- Revenant Major UpdateMar 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Revenant Updates: Reshaping New EdenDec 3, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Revenant is HereNov 12, 2024significant · resets scoring window