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DARK SOULS™ II

analyzed 2026-08-14 · sample of 442 English reviews across the whole review history

Players most often talk about difficulty, and the tone is largely admiring: 67 of the 96 reviews mentioning it are positive, with one calling it an "incredibly challenging game" and another noting it "can be very hard at times but thats half the fun of it". Gameplay and combat also skew positive, with praise for precise combat and a "large game world with many interesting and breathtaking environments". The world, atmosphere, content amount, and build variety are consistently praised, as are replayability and emotional impact. The sharpest criticism centers on controls, which draw 27 negative mentions out of 35, with one player calling it the "worst PC port I have seen to date from the controls designed for a gamepad". Level design is more divided, with 16 negative mentions against 12 positive, including complaints that "none of the locations were memorable at all". Developer conduct is uniformly negative in the 11 reviews that mention it, and balance, bugs, servers/netcode, and platform access also lean negative. Multiplayer splits opinion: 21 positive mentions against 12 negative, with one player praising "the invading ans summon system" while another warns of "lagstabbs from the other side of the level". Opinion also splits on story and lore, where some appreciate "a story that isn't force fed to you" and others find it lacking. Progression draws mixed feelings, particularly around losing souls on death and sparse stat information. Overall, players who enjoy the challenge, world, and build freedom tend to be enthusiastic, while those bothered by controls, balance, and technical issues are more critical.

numbers checked against this report's stored data · quotes copied verbatim from reviews · plain text is the language model's own wording

Aspects

share of sample, axis to 30% · ± is the sampling uncertainty around each share

  • positive
  • mixed / neutral
  • negative
  • difficulty

    67 positive · 20 negative · 7 mixed · 2 neutral

    • I was quite discouraged at first as this is an incredibly challenging game.
      positive · May 30, 2014 · review 10292435
    • imo there's nothing quite like DS both DS1 and 2 are amazing games can be very hard at times but thats half the fun of it.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10293749
    • The game will challange every aspect of your abilities as a gamer while staying balanced and fun throughout.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10294773
  • gameplay

    59 positive · 14 negative · 4 mixed · 0 neutral

    • With Fantastic core gameplay and brilliant atmosphere Dark Souls 2 is one of the best RPGs to come to the PC in years.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10294773
    • But for all the amount I dislike that mechanic, I am completely infatuated with all of the other gameplay aspects, music, the art style and every other parts of this game.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10296124
    • beautiful,scenic,punishing,fun and worth every cent
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10301752
  • combat

    30 positive · 17 negative · 1 mixed · 1 neutral

    • The combat is visceral, with enough oomph behind each hit and you really feel that you have made solid contact and cut through the bone, flesh, sinew, or other body material of what you're hitting.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10296124
    • Combat is very precise and very rarely feels cheap or unfair.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10297709
    • Brilliant addition to the Souls franchise, lacking in thematic constistancy and direction of the first souls game but improved combat and streamlined pvp.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10301639
  • multiplayer

    21 positive · 12 negative · 1 mixed · 2 neutral

    • The whole not knowing where to go you just need to explore, the invading ans summon system is like nothing else I've ever played.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10293749
    • The game has an enormous amount of content and a lot of multiplayer potenial.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10294773
    • I also liked the multiplayer aspect.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10297709
  • controls

    6 positive · 27 negative · 2 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Not here, because the new engine makes controlling your character nowhere as good.
      negative · May 31, 2014 · review 10300304
    • -controller is highly recommended (you have to google keyboard and mouse controls)
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10980520
    • Full controller support my ass, its good to spend ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 35$ and the game doesn't respond the right way to a USB controller when the first dark souls did, I want this to work the right way or I want my ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ money back
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10986899
  • level design

    12 positive · 16 negative · 5 mixed · 0 neutral

    • On top of it none of the locations were memorable at all, maybe its just me but i couldn't tell you the names of places in this one but the first i could tell you where every enemy is before you even get there.
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10982034
    • Certain areas feels a bit small like there were content cut from them, and I am not sure I like the limits (even though there are remedies for it) on respawning enemies.
      negative · Aug 31, 2014 · review 11940162
    • Areas are placed all over the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ place, and they are barely connected anymore.
      negative · Sep 30, 2014 · review 12304857
  • story

    17 positive · 13 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Fun and intriguing with a story that isn't force fed to you.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10297709
    • Story might not be straight forward, but that is the best part.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10978765
    • The story is of special interest to me.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10979167
  • graphics

    22 positive · 6 negative · 0 mixed · 2 neutral

    • … to the anger issue people but try it, itr's worth the 50 bucks thats fore sure it's also more smoother than the first one also the most graphiced game i seen like in 2011 i seen this game is awsome till i saw this i bought it and i remember the hate times and good times i had in this game well …
      positive · May 30, 2014 · review 10292261
    • beautiful,scenic,punishing,fun and worth every cent
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10301752
    • The game is stunningly beautiful, being easy on the eyes while also being smooth in terms of frame rate.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10979167
  • price value

    13 positive · 7 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • … dieing you will die in this game a lot so if you have anger issues i would not suggest this game to the anger issue people but try it, itr's worth the 50 bucks thats fore sure it's also more smoother than the first one also the most graphiced game i seen like in 2011 i seen this game is awsome …
      positive · May 30, 2014 · review 10292261
    • This game is EASYLY worth 200 bucks.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10300448
    • However, epic game, worth every penny, 10/10 will die again
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10300573
  • dlc

    9 positive · 6 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral

    • The level of quality in those is higher than in the main game, and I STRONGLY recommend that you get those if you intend to give this game a shot.
      positive · Sep 30, 2014 · review 12304857
    • I bought the game and all DLC on the XBOX360 and beat them.
      positive · Dec 31, 2014 · review 13746295
    • The DLCs—their optional areas notwithstanding—are fantastically designed.
      positive · Jan 31, 2025 · review 186805187
see more
  • progression

    7 positive · 8 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • I hate how when you die, you lose all your souls that you have on you and you become Hollowed.
      negative · May 31, 2014 · review 10296124
    • -very little information is given about stats
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10980520
    • Every time you die, your max health decreases slightly, and caps when you reach half health.
      negative · Feb 28, 2023 · review 133783150
  • world

    14 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • There is large game world with many interesting and breathtaking environments that are filled with a wide variety of enemies from grotesque monsters to heavily armoured warriors.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10297709
    • beautiful,scenic,punishing,fun and worth every cent
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10301752
    • The fighting system is great to me, the world is big and very nicely done, graphics are good to me as well and the game gets more challenging with every new game you start with your character.
      positive · Oct 31, 2014 · review 12716100
  • replayability

    12 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • that being said, I'd say this is my first game in over 8 years for sure that I have beaten and am continueing to play thru for a second time!
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10981481
    • The gameplay, the graphics and the replay value cannot be compared.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10986681
    • I am not the type to reply games many times, but this one just asks for that without getting bored.
      positive · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11492000
  • platform access

    4 positive · 9 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • It also is the worst PC port I have seen to date from the controls designed for a gamepad to the fact that you have to mouse click on the original console "press start to play" before it loads the PC …
      negative · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11487757
    • the game cant mapp buttons the way you want to any buttons, you get a choice but its a port directly from console.
      negative · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11494201
    • Scumbag Namco will re-release this game with updated (dx11) engine and all DLC. Now we have to pay again for a game that should be dx 11 from the start. Don't buy it now, wait for dx 11 version, because this version will not be upgraded to dx 11.
      negative · Nov 30, 2014 · review 13164208
  • content amount

    11 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral

    • The game has an enormous amount of content and a lot of multiplayer potenial.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10294773
    • -massive amount of loot (there are a lot of items littered in areas)
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10980520
    • + A lot of spells, weapons, armors
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10983640
  • build variety

    10 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Gameplay itself has been imporved upon immensely, where From has taken it upon themselves to create a system where every type of build is viable, whereas Dex builds were essentially the only build viable besides the much-overpowered pyromancers.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10979167
    • challenging gameplay and myriads of possibilities for your character development.
      positive · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11491672
    • Playing through the main story alone in this game is a daunting task, but adding to that all the build diversity, weapon choices, and subquests, Dark Souls II rises to meet the expectations held from its' predecessor.
      positive · Sep 30, 2014 · review 12303463
  • developer conduct

    0 positive · 11 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • -There was no intentional bait and switch advertising / degrade. The story is such that the game had a different lighting engine in earlier builds, as visible in some e3 trailers for the game.
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10982155
    • this is a huge slap in the face for the loyal fans of the souls games on PC.
      negative · Dec 31, 2014 · review 13745259
    • Developers are becoming greedy, and will suffer more losses from piracy for these issues.
      negative · Dec 31, 2014 · review 13745910
  • lore

    6 positive · 5 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • It is a sort of storytelling that is ambiguous and leaves the lore up to debate, and it is interesting to see what theories the community has crafted.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10979167
    • Story and lore are tied to DS1, but still understandable and enjoyable even if you haven't played it yet.
      positive · Feb 28, 2023 · review 133799864
    • The story is laid out as a foundation for the game and rewards those players willing to delve deeper into the lore DS2.
      positive · Dec 31, 2014 · review 13747895
  • performance

    8 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • … have anger issues i would not suggest this game to the anger issue people but try it, itr's worth the 50 bucks thats fore sure it's also more smoother than the first one also the most graphiced game i seen like in 2011 i seen this game is awsome till i saw this i bought it and i remember the hate …
      positive · May 30, 2014 · review 10292261
    • Game ran perfectly fine on, although it certainly didn't look as good as in the first trailers, but it still looked decent and thanks to Durante's (hero of Dark Souls) GeDoSaTo it improved quite a lot :)
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10304678
    • The game is stunningly beautiful, being easy on the eyes while also being smooth in terms of frame rate.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10979167
  • servers netcode

    2 positive · 8 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • -The region lock is only for Japanese players, so expect everything from smooth summoning and precision duels to lagstabbs from the other side of the level whilst facing each other.
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10982155
    • - Lag at PvP if connection is not well (u'll just see after while how have you died)
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10983640
    • As it relies on Steam's servers, you will find yourself playing alone whenever the servers are under ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ maintenance, or when they're offline completely.
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10985493
  • atmosphere

    8 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • With Fantastic core gameplay and brilliant atmosphere Dark Souls 2 is one of the best RPGs to come to the PC in years.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10294773
    • I don't understand why, but something about the game's art style and color palette combined with the music created an immersive experience that sucks you into the world.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10296124
    • Scary, Fun, Exciting and Death !
      positive · Aug 31, 2014 · review 11940563
  • balance

    1 positive · 8 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The PvP is outright broken, "great" mechanics such as Soul Memory allow SL838s and SL150s to fight each other just because they have gained enough souls to be in the same SM range.
      negative · May 31, 2014 · review 10300304
    • From Soft has already released a balance patch that nerfed a couple of things alongside bug fixes, but I can't help but see the same build being used over and over and over again.
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10985493
    • Scholar adds significantly more enemies to certain areas, making those areas exponentially more difficult and unfun.
      negative · Feb 28, 2023 · review 133783150
  • bugs

    0 positive · 7 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral

    • It has a lot of bugs STILL that need to be panned out and hopefully down the road in the next couple of months it will be a better experience overall.
      negative · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11487820
    • I experienced some issues such as no co-up ( cuz noone is playing this game anymore and there is no npc summon in some areas ) ,some hitbox issues in mimics and the stamina bar is being depleted too quickly.
      negative · Jul 31, 2023 · review 143146025
    • I have killed a boss then died to its minion so it didn't count twice
      negative · Mar 31, 2025 · review 191615200
  • characters

    5 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Lacks that wackiness Miyazaki tends to give to characters and bosses, but still pretty interesting designs.
      positive · Feb 28, 2023 · review 133799864
    • Enemies and friendly characters are numerous and varied. They are believeable.
      positive · Dec 31, 2014 · review 13748661
    • The story is better, it retains the esoteric nature of the previous game while also populating the world with interesting characters and imo a slightly better narrative to uncover.
      positive · Nov 30, 2023 · review 152560690
  • emotional impact

    7 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • will hurt your feels 10/10 "IJN"
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10302137
    • If you are prepared, it will be an unforgettable experience.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10305349
    • This game is the most amazing thing ever, the love, the pain, the suffering.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10979161
  • learning curve

    4 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The hardcore game style may be a turn off for some, but the game itself feels absolutely flawless and as a newbie, the learning process had me hooked.
      positive · May 30, 2014 · review 10292435
    • Buy this game immediately and get ready for some great stress during your studies on "how not to die so often" :)
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10988352
    • and its even good for new players of the series
      positive · Jan 31, 2015 · review 14262370
  • customization

    4 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • + Create your own character
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10983640
    • Customization is extremely varied.
      positive · Feb 28, 2023 · review 133799864
    • With plenty of different armour combinations to make your character unique and a new take on the way you level up which has creating your characters stats build even more involved than in …
      positive · Apr 30, 2014 · review 9982344
  • addictiveness

    5 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • I can't put it down.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10986703
    • Awesome game, new to the dark souls series but i was hooked within the first hour!
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10988105
    • And yet, you, as the Stockholm Syndrome'd girlfriend come crawling back for more, thinking "Oh, I can CHANGE him!
      positive · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11492943

Review timeline

monthly peak 2,527 reviews · all languages

review volume 1,000 2,000 0 positive review share 100% 50% 0% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Apr 2014 · 2,255 reviews (1,920 up · 335 down) · 85% positive May 2014 · 2,527 reviews (2,245 up · 282 down) · 89% positive Jun 2014 · 2,375 reviews (2,209 up · 166 down) · 93% positive Jul 2014 · 1,221 reviews (1,113 up · 108 down) · 91% positive Aug 2014 · 828 reviews (752 up · 76 down) · 91% positive Sep 2014 · 787 reviews (725 up · 62 down) · 92% positive Oct 2014 · 535 reviews (490 up · 45 down) · 92% positive Nov 2014 · 434 reviews (379 up · 55 down) · 87% positive Dec 2014 · 1,146 reviews (925 up · 221 down) · 81% positive Jan 2015 · 1,016 reviews (865 up · 151 down) · 85% positive Feb 2015 · 586 reviews (477 up · 109 down) · 81% positive Mar 2015 · 491 reviews (408 up · 83 down) · 83% positive Apr 2015 · 447 reviews (367 up · 80 down) · 82% positive May 2015 · 228 reviews (190 up · 38 down) · 83% positive Jun 2015 · 286 reviews (257 up · 29 down) · 90% positive Jul 2015 · 182 reviews (160 up · 22 down) · 88% positive Aug 2015 · 147 reviews (127 up · 20 down) · 86% positive Sep 2015 · 146 reviews (130 up · 16 down) · 89% positive Oct 2015 · 110 reviews (97 up · 13 down) · 88% positive Nov 2015 · 128 reviews (107 up · 21 down) · 84% positive Dec 2015 · 209 reviews (178 up · 31 down) · 85% positive Jan 2016 · 188 reviews (164 up · 24 down) · 87% positive Feb 2016 · 120 reviews (102 up · 18 down) · 85% positive Mar 2016 · 154 reviews (132 up · 22 down) · 86% positive Apr 2016 · 163 reviews (142 up · 21 down) · 87% positive May 2016 · 107 reviews (88 up · 19 down) · 82% positive Jun 2016 · 91 reviews (80 up · 11 down) · 88% positive Jul 2016 · 55 reviews (46 up · 9 down) · 84% positive Aug 2016 · 57 reviews (46 up · 11 down) · 81% positive Sep 2016 · 55 reviews (46 up · 9 down) · 84% positive Oct 2016 · 53 reviews (46 up · 7 down) · 87% positive Nov 2016 · 322 reviews (308 up · 14 down) · 96% positive Dec 2016 · 125 reviews (110 up · 15 down) · 88% positive Jan 2017 · 138 reviews (125 up · 13 down) · 91% positive Feb 2017 · 102 reviews (93 up · 9 down) · 91% positive Mar 2017 · 85 reviews (71 up · 14 down) · 84% positive Apr 2017 · 70 reviews (64 up · 6 down) · 91% positive May 2017 · 82 reviews (74 up · 8 down) · 90% positive Jun 2017 · 92 reviews (82 up · 10 down) · 89% positive Jul 2017 · 117 reviews (97 up · 20 down) · 83% positive Aug 2017 · 73 reviews (60 up · 13 down) · 82% positive Sep 2017 · 114 reviews (99 up · 15 down) · 87% positive Oct 2017 · 85 reviews (79 up · 6 down) · 93% positive Nov 2017 · 314 reviews (296 up · 18 down) · 94% positive Dec 2017 · 168 reviews (155 up · 13 down) · 92% positive Jan 2018 · 180 reviews (156 up · 24 down) · 87% positive Feb 2018 · 81 reviews (75 up · 6 down) · 93% positive Mar 2018 · 79 reviews (70 up · 9 down) · 89% positive Apr 2018 · 53 reviews (46 up · 7 down) · 87% positive May 2018 · 64 reviews (53 up · 11 down) · 83% positive Jun 2018 · 112 reviews (92 up · 20 down) · 82% positive Jul 2018 · 126 reviews (112 up · 14 down) · 89% positive Aug 2018 · 66 reviews (52 up · 14 down) · 79% positive Sep 2018 · 44 reviews (41 up · 3 down) · 93% positive Oct 2018 · 50 reviews (40 up · 10 down) · 80% positive Nov 2018 · 333 reviews (318 up · 15 down) · 95% positive Dec 2018 · 111 reviews (96 up · 15 down) · 86% positive Jan 2019 · 96 reviews (77 up · 19 down) · 80% positive Feb 2019 · 104 reviews (89 up · 15 down) · 86% positive Mar 2019 · 65 reviews (56 up · 9 down) · 86% positive Apr 2019 · 54 reviews (48 up · 6 down) · 89% positive May 2019 · 41 reviews (39 up · 2 down) · 95% positive Jun 2019 · 297 reviews (274 up · 23 down) · 92% positive Jul 2019 · 288 reviews (263 up · 25 down) · 91% positive Aug 2019 · 52 reviews (41 up · 11 down) · 79% positive Sep 2019 · 58 reviews (51 up · 7 down) · 88% positive Oct 2019 · 73 reviews (66 up · 7 down) · 90% positive Nov 2019 · 329 reviews (303 up · 26 down) · 92% positive Dec 2019 · 302 reviews (279 up · 23 down) · 92% positive Jan 2020 · 260 reviews (243 up · 17 down) · 93% positive Feb 2020 · 185 reviews (171 up · 14 down) · 92% positive Mar 2020 · 178 reviews (159 up · 19 down) · 89% positive Apr 2020 · 243 reviews (226 up · 17 down) · 93% positive May 2020 · 181 reviews (163 up · 18 down) · 90% positive Jun 2020 · 165 reviews (146 up · 19 down) · 88% positive Jul 2020 · 141 reviews (125 up · 16 down) · 89% positive Aug 2020 · 124 reviews (114 up · 10 down) · 92% positive Sep 2020 · 66 reviews (59 up · 7 down) · 89% positive Oct 2020 · 79 reviews (70 up · 9 down) · 89% positive Nov 2020 · 178 reviews (160 up · 18 down) · 90% positive Dec 2020 · 295 reviews (270 up · 25 down) · 92% positive Jan 2021 · 254 reviews (230 up · 24 down) · 91% positive Feb 2021 · 182 reviews (163 up · 19 down) · 90% positive Mar 2021 · 136 reviews (122 up · 14 down) · 90% positive Apr 2021 · 93 reviews (79 up · 14 down) · 85% positive May 2021 · 101 reviews (91 up · 10 down) · 90% positive Jun 2021 · 202 reviews (172 up · 30 down) · 85% positive Jul 2021 · 290 reviews (246 up · 44 down) · 85% positive Aug 2021 · 158 reviews (137 up · 21 down) · 87% positive Sep 2021 · 101 reviews (85 up · 16 down) · 84% positive Oct 2021 · 98 reviews (85 up · 13 down) · 87% positive Nov 2021 · 153 reviews (135 up · 18 down) · 88% positive Dec 2021 · 193 reviews (160 up · 33 down) · 83% positive Jan 2022 · 286 reviews (250 up · 36 down) · 87% positive Feb 2022 · 133 reviews (112 up · 21 down) · 84% positive Mar 2022 · 197 reviews (165 up · 32 down) · 84% positive Apr 2022 · 161 reviews (112 up · 49 down) · 70% positive May 2022 · 107 reviews (79 up · 28 down) · 74% positive Jun 2022 · 78 reviews (66 up · 12 down) · 85% positive Jul 2022 · 91 reviews (78 up · 13 down) · 86% positive Aug 2022 · 88 reviews (74 up · 14 down) · 84% positive Sep 2022 · 71 reviews (62 up · 9 down) · 87% positive Oct 2022 · 82 reviews (60 up · 22 down) · 73% positive Nov 2022 · 88 reviews (73 up · 15 down) · 83% positive Dec 2022 · 117 reviews (101 up · 16 down) · 86% positive Jan 2023 · 150 reviews (135 up · 15 down) · 90% positive Feb 2023 · 147 reviews (125 up · 22 down) · 85% positive Mar 2023 · 151 reviews (134 up · 17 down) · 89% positive Apr 2023 · 109 reviews (89 up · 20 down) · 82% positive May 2023 · 129 reviews (112 up · 17 down) · 87% positive Jun 2023 · 141 reviews (118 up · 23 down) · 84% positive Jul 2023 · 457 reviews (389 up · 68 down) · 85% positive Aug 2023 · 226 reviews (187 up · 39 down) · 83% positive Sep 2023 · 266 reviews (212 up · 54 down) · 80% positive Oct 2023 · 164 reviews (127 up · 37 down) · 77% positive Nov 2023 · 212 reviews (183 up · 29 down) · 86% positive Dec 2023 · 170 reviews (137 up · 33 down) · 81% positive Jan 2024 · 163 reviews (133 up · 30 down) · 82% positive Feb 2024 · 191 reviews (162 up · 29 down) · 85% positive Mar 2024 · 177 reviews (136 up · 41 down) · 77% positive Apr 2024 · 122 reviews (102 up · 20 down) · 84% positive May 2024 · 213 reviews (171 up · 42 down) · 80% positive Jun 2024 · 173 reviews (145 up · 28 down) · 84% positive Jul 2024 · 202 reviews (157 up · 45 down) · 78% positive Aug 2024 · 171 reviews (139 up · 32 down) · 81% positive Sep 2024 · 118 reviews (100 up · 18 down) · 85% positive Oct 2024 · 217 reviews (162 up · 55 down) · 75% positive Nov 2024 · 138 reviews (117 up · 21 down) · 85% positive Dec 2024 · 181 reviews (144 up · 37 down) · 80% positive Jan 2025 · 145 reviews (120 up · 25 down) · 83% positive Feb 2025 · 120 reviews (95 up · 25 down) · 79% positive Mar 2025 · 151 reviews (132 up · 19 down) · 87% positive Apr 2025 · 117 reviews (92 up · 25 down) · 79% positive May 2025 · 228 reviews (181 up · 47 down) · 79% positive Jun 2025 · 162 reviews (127 up · 35 down) · 78% positive Jul 2025 · 118 reviews (96 up · 22 down) · 81% positive Aug 2025 · 126 reviews (105 up · 21 down) · 83% positive Sep 2025 · 86 reviews (67 up · 19 down) · 78% positive Oct 2025 · 130 reviews (105 up · 25 down) · 81% positive Nov 2025 · 127 reviews (101 up · 26 down) · 80% positive Dec 2025 · 153 reviews (130 up · 23 down) · 85% positive Jan 2026 · 133 reviews (109 up · 24 down) · 82% positive Feb 2026 · 122 reviews (93 up · 29 down) · 76% positive Mar 2026 · 123 reviews (98 up · 25 down) · 80% positive Apr 2026 · 486 reviews (377 up · 109 down) · 78% positive May 2026 · 455 reviews (387 up · 68 down) · 85% positive Jun 2026 · 239 reviews (197 up · 42 down) · 82% positive Jul 2026 · 187 reviews (147 up · 40 down) · 79% positive Aug 2026 · 67 reviews (56 up · 11 down) · 84% positive

monthly share rated positive · 50% reference · months with <5 reviews faded

the timeline as a table
Reviews per month, all languages; months with no reviews are left out.
month reviews up down positive note
Apr 2014 2,255 1,920 335 85%
May 2014 2,527 2,245 282 89%
Jun 2014 2,375 2,209 166 93%
Jul 2014 1,221 1,113 108 91%
Aug 2014 828 752 76 91%
Sep 2014 787 725 62 92%
Oct 2014 535 490 45 92%
Nov 2014 434 379 55 87%
Dec 2014 1,146 925 221 81%
Jan 2015 1,016 865 151 85%
Feb 2015 586 477 109 81%
Mar 2015 491 408 83 83%
Apr 2015 447 367 80 82%
May 2015 228 190 38 83%
Jun 2015 286 257 29 90%
Jul 2015 182 160 22 88%
Aug 2015 147 127 20 86%
Sep 2015 146 130 16 89%
Oct 2015 110 97 13 88%
Nov 2015 128 107 21 84%
Dec 2015 209 178 31 85%
Jan 2016 188 164 24 87%
Feb 2016 120 102 18 85%
Mar 2016 154 132 22 86%
Apr 2016 163 142 21 87%
May 2016 107 88 19 82%
Jun 2016 91 80 11 88%
Jul 2016 55 46 9 84%
Aug 2016 57 46 11 81%
Sep 2016 55 46 9 84%
Oct 2016 53 46 7 87%
Nov 2016 322 308 14 96%
Dec 2016 125 110 15 88%
Jan 2017 138 125 13 91%
Feb 2017 102 93 9 91%
Mar 2017 85 71 14 84%
Apr 2017 70 64 6 91%
May 2017 82 74 8 90%
Jun 2017 92 82 10 89%
Jul 2017 117 97 20 83%
Aug 2017 73 60 13 82%
Sep 2017 114 99 15 87%
Oct 2017 85 79 6 93%
Nov 2017 314 296 18 94%
Dec 2017 168 155 13 92%
Jan 2018 180 156 24 87%
Feb 2018 81 75 6 93%
Mar 2018 79 70 9 89%
Apr 2018 53 46 7 87%
May 2018 64 53 11 83%
Jun 2018 112 92 20 82%
Jul 2018 126 112 14 89%
Aug 2018 66 52 14 79%
Sep 2018 44 41 3 93%
Oct 2018 50 40 10 80%
Nov 2018 333 318 15 95%
Dec 2018 111 96 15 86%
Jan 2019 96 77 19 80%
Feb 2019 104 89 15 86%
Mar 2019 65 56 9 86%
Apr 2019 54 48 6 89%
May 2019 41 39 2 95%
Jun 2019 297 274 23 92%
Jul 2019 288 263 25 91%
Aug 2019 52 41 11 79%
Sep 2019 58 51 7 88%
Oct 2019 73 66 7 90%
Nov 2019 329 303 26 92%
Dec 2019 302 279 23 92%
Jan 2020 260 243 17 93%
Feb 2020 185 171 14 92%
Mar 2020 178 159 19 89%
Apr 2020 243 226 17 93%
May 2020 181 163 18 90%
Jun 2020 165 146 19 88%
Jul 2020 141 125 16 89%
Aug 2020 124 114 10 92%
Sep 2020 66 59 7 89%
Oct 2020 79 70 9 89%
Nov 2020 178 160 18 90%
Dec 2020 295 270 25 92%
Jan 2021 254 230 24 91%
Feb 2021 182 163 19 90%
Mar 2021 136 122 14 90%
Apr 2021 93 79 14 85%
May 2021 101 91 10 90%
Jun 2021 202 172 30 85%
Jul 2021 290 246 44 85%
Aug 2021 158 137 21 87%
Sep 2021 101 85 16 84%
Oct 2021 98 85 13 87%
Nov 2021 153 135 18 88%
Dec 2021 193 160 33 83%
Jan 2022 286 250 36 87%
Feb 2022 133 112 21 84%
Mar 2022 197 165 32 84%
Apr 2022 161 112 49 70%
May 2022 107 79 28 74%
Jun 2022 78 66 12 85%
Jul 2022 91 78 13 86%
Aug 2022 88 74 14 84%
Sep 2022 71 62 9 87%
Oct 2022 82 60 22 73%
Nov 2022 88 73 15 83%
Dec 2022 117 101 16 86%
Jan 2023 150 135 15 90%
Feb 2023 147 125 22 85%
Mar 2023 151 134 17 89%
Apr 2023 109 89 20 82%
May 2023 129 112 17 87%
Jun 2023 141 118 23 84%
Jul 2023 457 389 68 85%
Aug 2023 226 187 39 83%
Sep 2023 266 212 54 80%
Oct 2023 164 127 37 77%
Nov 2023 212 183 29 86%
Dec 2023 170 137 33 81%
Jan 2024 163 133 30 82%
Feb 2024 191 162 29 85%
Mar 2024 177 136 41 77%
Apr 2024 122 102 20 84%
May 2024 213 171 42 80%
Jun 2024 173 145 28 84%
Jul 2024 202 157 45 78%
Aug 2024 171 139 32 81%
Sep 2024 118 100 18 85%
Oct 2024 217 162 55 75%
Nov 2024 138 117 21 85%
Dec 2024 181 144 37 80%
Jan 2025 145 120 25 83%
Feb 2025 120 95 25 79%
Mar 2025 151 132 19 87%
Apr 2025 117 92 25 79%
May 2025 228 181 47 79%
Jun 2025 162 127 35 78%
Jul 2025 118 96 22 81%
Aug 2025 126 105 21 83%
Sep 2025 86 67 19 78%
Oct 2025 130 105 25 81%
Nov 2025 127 101 26 80%
Dec 2025 153 130 23 85%
Jan 2026 133 109 24 82%
Feb 2026 122 93 29 76%
Mar 2026 123 98 25 80%
Apr 2026 486 377 109 78%
May 2026 455 387 68 85%
Jun 2026 239 197 42 82%
Jul 2026 187 147 40 79%
Aug 2026 67 56 11 84%

How this report was made
Population
all Steam reviews of the game (every language, purchase type, and verdict), walked newest-first per window; only English-language reviews are analyzed
Sample
442 English reviews, time-proportional draw over 149 windows (newest-first within each), taken from an all-language walk and kept English-only — where English is a minority the sample runs smaller than the draw, and every margin of error is computed at 442
Aspect yield
233 of 442 analyzed reviews carry at least one aspect (52.7%); every share on this page divides by all 442
Interval regime
calm: standard margins of error for a share of a sample (Wilson interval), no widening needed
Fetch paths
149 time windows fetched directly (windowed)
Language mix
1,000 fetched: english 442 · russian 179 · brazilian 122 · 20 more
Steam-marked windows
none flagged by Steam (Valve's off-topic flagging began March 2019)
Marked share
0.0% of sample inside marked windows, under the 2% floor
Narrative
passed the grounding gate first try
Evidence floor
aspects and emergent themes appear only with 5+ supporting reviews; smaller counts sit at the classifier's false-positive floor
Instrument readings
measured once on the study corpus for this model and prompt: frozen calibration, not properties of this run
· aspect tagging vs. human labels
0.766 [0.713–0.811] (F1 against a human-labeled test set; 1.0 is best)
· quotes filed under the wrong aspect
11.6% [6.6–19.6] of quotes, measured by hand on a sample; lower is better
· independent model vs. production labels
0.791 [0.772–0.810] (F1 of the production labeler against an independent judge model)
Versions
deepseek-v4-flash · prompt classify-v1 · ontology v2
Run
serve-20260814T031614Z-aff97815 · code 6bbb8aa

full methodology in the milestone write-ups