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) | – | 59 | 14 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 47% | 50 | 242 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (27)
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.
- 60
“I enjoyed a fair amount of what this game had to offer, but the limited, claustrophobic nature of much of the navigation, coupled with slow movement, poor story, and extremely limited enemy types, make it a harder sell.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“By keeping simplicity at its core, Monkey King: Hero Is Back offers an entertaining if somewhat mindless distraction to the blockbuster titles releasing around it. Sure, it's a little bit too short, the narrative isn't particularly gripping, and it looks like an early PS3 game, but that all falls by the wayside in the heat of battle. Thanks to fun brawling mechanics, Monkey King: Hero Is Back does just enough to deserve your attention.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Monkey King is back, but why? This game is so boring and fighting as well.”
read full review ↗ - 44
“Monkey King: Hero Is Back is a game that uses outdated mechanics alongside a very simple and childish gameplay. Although you can finish the game in a few hours, it still gets boring and painful to play and Its somewhat interesting story and lovely characters can't stop it from being a failure.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Sadly, what little fun there is to be had with Monkey King: Hero Is Back is constantly ruined with poor level design, repetitive encounters and annoying sound design.”
read full review ↗ - 64
“Monkey King: Hero Is Back is a fan-based action game that brings back a lot of classic plot of the remarkable original CG movie. However, the gameplay is far from decent, and it looks out of date.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you want a unique action-adventure game which is enjoyable and recalls your memories from old action-adventures,then Monkey King Hero is Back could be a good choice for you to play with its nice combat system and adventure elements. Also the game has issues like empty world and repetative level design, but in the end it can entertain you for some hours”
read full review ↗ - 60
“I was legit impressed by some of the production values in Monkey King Hero is Back, especially the animation and how they marry that aspect with the combat, but overall this is a game that brings very little to the table. Maybe I’m being too harsh on a game that’s not only mostly aimed at kids, but also something aimed at whole different country and culture to make them adopt the PS4, but this feels like a product of the past, and even then this wouldn't have been considered anything especial.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“As a whole, Monkey King: Hero Is Back has some nice features, although the overall game ruined by some very bad gameplay design. Not to mention the combat is shoddy and not even enjoyable. Sure the game looks pretty, but the repetitive and mundane gameplay ruins the experience.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“For what feels like a game from the PS2 era given a lick of current-gen paint, Monkey King: Hero is Back isn’t half bad. It’s a bit simple, so it’s never going to excite in the same way that God of War or Devil May Cry V does, but that doesn’t mean some won’t get a decent amount of enjoyment out of it.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Learn how to help children not get eaten by monsters in this PS2-esque Chinese tale.”
read full review ↗ - 78
“For a movie tie-in, Monkey King: Hero is Back does a great job of both replicating the experience and enhancing the story with new scenes and narrative. Sure, the combat and movements are slower than we are used to these days, and there is a lot of loading (despite it being very short), but after a while, I found myself used to it and not bothered by the slower gameplay and more relaxed experience. As you grow, both emotionally and physically, throughout the story, you’ll bond with the characters right until the final conclusion. It has its flaws, but I personally really enjoyed this Journey to the West adaptation.”
read full review ↗
PC Invasion
Push Square
SECTOR.sk
Bazimag
GameGrin
Gamersky
Gamefa
Reloading BR
Just Push Start
GameSpew
Screen Rant
GamePitt…and 15 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- New DLC & Major UpdateNov 19, 2019significant · resets scoring window