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DARK SOULS™ III

analyzed 2026-08-30 · sample of 549 English reviews across the whole review history

Players most often talk about the difficulty, and they largely frame it as a positive: reviews describe it as "Really difficult but fair" and advise that you "Don't be put off by the reputation." Gameplay and combat draw similar praise, with mentions of "so enjoyable and satisfying to play" and memorable boss fights. The world and level design are also recurring highlights, called "fantastic world and level design," and the story, music, and lore are frequently praised. Replayability and build variety come up as strengths, as do the DLCs, which reviewers say are "absolutely worth it as well." Opinion splits most sharply around multiplayer. While some players enjoy co-op and spontaneous duels, a nearly equal share criticizes it, and the negative side is dominated by complaints about cheating and server problems. Reviewers report that "hackers can ban you from playing online by just hitting you" and that servers have been down for extended periods. Progression and balance also draw notable criticism, with players unhappy about losing health on death and about poise being disabled. Performance issues, bugs, and the UI are further points of frustration, and some players criticize the developer for removing features. A smaller set of reviews focuses on the game's emotional pull and addictiveness, calling it "Pain and joy in one beautiful package" and noting that it "holds your attention." The learning curve is mentioned as steep but fair, and the game is described as worth its price. Overall, the praise centers on the core single-player experience, while the complaints cluster around online infrastructure and technical polish.

quotes copied verbatim from reviews · plain text is the language model's own wording

Aspects

share of sample, axis to 20% · ± is the sampling uncertainty around each share

  • positive
  • mixed / neutral
  • negative
  • difficulty

    61 positive · 23 negative · 6 mixed · 2 neutral

    • Really difficult but fair.
      positive · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107017208
    • A hard but rewarding experience.
      positive · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107018106
    • it's hard :)
      positive · Apr 30, 2022 · review 114742100
  • gameplay

    47 positive · 8 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Stick with it and it's so enjoyable and satisfying to play and progress through!
      positive · Oct 31, 2021 · review 101998399
    • Die alot but game good
      positive · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104906186
    • game is good.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109209726
  • combat

    39 positive · 6 negative · 4 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Alot of the good features made it from 1 to here, the level design and look are great and the boss fights are memorable.
      positive · Oct 31, 2021 · review 101998782
    • If you love RPG games with in depth combat systems.
      positive · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104905429
    • Best Dark souls game for sure, Good gameplay, best Fromsoft music ever made, good bosses, I'm not a huge Fromsoft fan and I played all of them, and I gotta say this game is amazing either way.
      positive · Jan 31, 2023 · review 131969959
  • multiplayer

    22 positive · 19 negative · 7 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Spontaneous 1v1 duels in a compact and meticulously designed level are a far better experience than duels in vastly larger spaces with an invasion system that mostly forces players to invade those in co-op.
      positive · Aug 31, 2025 · review 203286382
    • Really fun game to coop through, but a chore to play on your own.
      positive · Oct 31, 2025 · review 208088771
    • Much easier than the other games due to the popularity and the amount of help you can summon.
      positive · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22731770
  • level design

    17 positive · 6 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Alot of the good features made it from 1 to here, the level design and look are great and the boss fights are memorable.
      positive · Oct 31, 2021 · review 101998782
    • Incredibly fluid combat and movement, awesome music, and fantastic world and level design that doesn't quite compare to Dark Souls 1 but manages to come close.
      positive · May 31, 2024 · review 166425721
    • + Immersive and rich level environment
      positive · Mar 31, 2025 · review 191685248
  • story

    15 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The story and music are great, and it is by far the most satisfying game I've played.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109209856
    • Without a doubt, one of the most life changing games of all time.
      positive · Aug 31, 2022 · review 121548078
    • Beautiful and emotional soundtracks, combined with impeccable gameplay and a captivating story, crafted an experience that surpassed perfection for me.
      positive · Jan 31, 2024 · review 157291561
  • replayability

    17 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • 100% the best in the series, with high replayability.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109209856
    • infinite replayability
      positive · Jul 31, 2025 · review 201174639
    • Highly reccomended, i've done a couple of playthroughs on this game and i will say after the first time you beat it the game still never gets repetitive.
      positive · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22731393
  • controls

    7 positive · 7 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Amazing game you just have to learn the controls I recomond a strength build fro first play through to get the best experience.
      positive · Feb 29, 2024 · review 159572535
    • Incredibly fluid combat and movement, awesome music, and fantastic world and level design that doesn't quite compare to Dark Souls 1 but manages to come close.
      positive · May 31, 2024 · review 166425721
    • The Lag is something that needs to be looked into badly in this game, Though the controlls are smooth, the interaction in PVP is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ horrible.
      positive · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22733016
  • graphics

    11 positive · 2 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Very beautiful game.
      positive · Sep 30, 2021 · review 100264570
    • The graphics are far nicer than ever before, and the gameplay is both fast and exciting.
      positive · Jun 30, 2016 · review 23969757
    • Graphics are purty, not much else I can say about them.
      positive · Dec 31, 2016 · review 28884817
  • progression

    4 positive · 9 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral

    • I don't like that embering does not make you human and by dying you lose a big chunk of health.
      negative · Nov 30, 2022 · review 127660660
    • - Forcing you to come back to the "base" to level up?
      negative · Jul 31, 2024 · review 171191227
    • Dark souls 3 is an amazing game but the achievements are felt more often than are earned
      negative · Apr 30, 2025 · review 193939076
see more
  • learning curve

    5 positive · 4 negative · 3 mixed · 1 neutral

    • Over all Review outside the Lag and small PVP learning curve this game was 10/10 for me, I can see my self playing this game for months to come!
      positive · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22733016
    • Being new to the series I struggled initially but after a while things started to change.
      positive · Mar 31, 2017 · review 30863634
    • Yeah, it’s hard at first but that’s the point; it makes for an incredibly rewarding challenge.
      positive · Jan 31, 2020 · review 62759820
  • price value

    6 positive · 4 negative · 3 mixed · 0 neutral

    • $60 well spent for 300+ hours of gaming.
      positive · Feb 28, 2018 · review 40472663
    • I played and finished dark souls cracked and wanted to buy it legitimately coz its such a good game.11/10 no regrets
      positive · Feb 28, 2018 · review 40474338
    • I absolutely recommend this game, it's worth the full price and more.
      positive · Mar 31, 2018 · review 41190236
  • balance

    3 positive · 7 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The problems right now though (poise is turned off completely unbalancing the game, lack of blue eye orb) make the game rather unpleasant when online.
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22731306
    • Balance is not good. As with all Fromsoft games, you need severe brainrot to enjoy the PvP as intended.
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732621
    • love the game but plz fromsoft just enable poise already.
      negative · May 31, 2016 · review 23317516
  • build variety

    10 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Amazing game you just have to learn the controls I recomond a strength build fro first play through to get the best experience.
      positive · Feb 29, 2024 · review 159572535
    • - Restart as many times you want to get a build you have fun with.
      positive · Oct 31, 2025 · review 208088771
    • Playing another class will surely ensure fun new oppurtunities wether it is you will be sneaking up on people with thief or assasin to brute force with a knight this game has it all.
      positive · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22731393
  • world

    10 positive · 0 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Incredibly fluid combat and movement, awesome music, and fantastic world and level design that doesn't quite compare to Dark Souls 1 but manages to come close.
      positive · May 31, 2024 · review 166425721
    • My first Dark souls game and It's been great, fantastic landscapes and playthrought overall.
      positive · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732577
    • The game that has a huge story and very immersive world makes you live in it and die for it.
      positive · Nov 30, 2016 · review 28109213
  • characters

    8 positive · 0 negative · 2 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Pontiff Sulyvahn is my favourite boss throughout any Souls-like game
      positive · Jul 31, 2024 · review 171191253
    • Proof of Concord Kept belongs in the top 5 antagonists of all time
      positive · Jul 31, 2025 · review 201169973
    • How hot is the dancer though!
      positive · Jul 31, 2017 · review 33938481
  • cheating

    0 positive · 10 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The anti-cheat system is atrocious and hackers can ban you from playing online by just hitting you.
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732512
    • Avoid like the plague until they (if at all) fix the exploits that allow hackers to get legit players banned, and the hacker undetected.
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732636
    • -Hackers exist, but you are more likely to crash than to meet a hacker.
      negative · Jul 31, 2016 · review 24641846
  • performance

    3 positive · 7 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • - Performance can be inconsistent across low-power hardware (was very bad for newer hardware on release).
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732621
    • -Sometimes your framerate will dip but not often.
      negative · Jul 31, 2017 · review 33935115
    • When the game starts it just displays a white screen - to get it working you must do following EACH time you start it :
      negative · Nov 30, 2017 · review 37952294
  • addictiveness

    8 positive · 0 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • addictive #getgud #sadisticdream #praise the sun
      positive · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104905711
    • addicting
      positive · Jul 31, 2025 · review 201174639
    • I can't get away from it. I can't stop it from invading my dreams and thoughts. While driving to work I think of how I can improve my stats and perfect my Pyromancy.
      positive · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22733020
  • dlc

    6 positive · 2 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The DLCs are absolutely worth it as well.
      positive · Jul 31, 2023 · review 143169181
    • Most players are not very fond of the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, but I think it was good.
      positive · Aug 31, 2025 · review 203286382
    • +The Ringed City DLC is very much worth the money and provides hours of incredible content(Only DLC I have ever bought and actually made it worth while)
      positive · Jul 31, 2017 · review 33935115
  • game length

    6 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral

    • One of the best games I've ever played, will last you a lifetime.
      positive · Oct 31, 2021 · review 101993134
    • I can say it was worth my time and the best game From Software has made.
      positive · Apr 30, 2023 · review 137584248
    • almost 27 hours in and im not even at the halfway point.
      positive · Dec 31, 2024 · review 184375933
  • servers netcode

    0 positive · 8 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • DS3 Servers have been down for over 6 months.
      negative · Jul 31, 2022 · review 119852536
    • and FROM/NAMCO is cutting corners on servers so you do see a lot of "problems" online
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732178
    • The Lag is something that needs to be looked into badly in this game, Though the controlls are smooth, the interaction in PVP is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ horrible.
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22733016
  • developer conduct

    0 positive · 7 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Its pretty obvious at this point that this is a scummy practice to get more buyers for ER.
      negative · Mar 31, 2022 · review 113137202
    • Unless the maintenance team has been working on drastically overhauling the anti-cheat, there is no reason why customers should be getting their products features retroactively removed.
      negative · Jul 31, 2022 · review 119852536
    • don't give these lazy developers money until they fix everything (bugs, lag, poise and and hackers [which are super rare and they're the minority])
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732178
  • emotional impact

    7 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Masterpiece, Pain and joy in one beautiful package.
      positive · Oct 31, 2022 · review 124745217
    • amazing game very hard and makes me happy (just like a di-)
      positive · Nov 30, 2022 · review 127660533
    • I don't even know what to say at this point but I wanted to give a good score for all the pleasure this game has brought me.
      positive · Feb 28, 2019 · review 49285475
  • music

    7 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The story and music are great, and it is by far the most satisfying game I've played.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109209856
    • Best Dark souls game for sure, Good gameplay, best Fromsoft music ever made, good bosses, I'm not a huge Fromsoft fan and I played all of them, and I gotta say this game is amazing either way.
      positive · Jan 31, 2023 · review 131969959
    • Beautiful and emotional soundtracks, combined with impeccable gameplay and a captivating story, crafted an experience that surpassed perfection for me.
      positive · Jan 31, 2024 · review 157291561
  • art style

    6 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • A must play for anyone that likes rpg's or just likes challenging games, good artistic desing, and extremely fun and skillful gameplay.
      positive · Aug 30, 2026 · review 234077404
    • Other that that the artistic style of the game is superb and really nice, the atmosphere is "transmitted" well by the style and music.
      positive · Nov 30, 2016 · review 28106147
    • asthethic - 9/10 fantasy medieval
      positive · Jan 31, 2018 · review 39751468
  • community

    3 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • so i reluctantly trusted him and he led me to a bonfire before duelling me (and winning btw, i put up a fight tho) so i wouldn't lose my souls :') 10/10 best online community
      positive · Jul 31, 2023 · review 143170698
    • Really cool playing it for the first time, you get rewarded for exploring and the messages on the ground can be hilarious some times.
      positive · Mar 31, 2018 · review 41190773
    • The bustle that Dark Souls 3 still has to this day is proof of just how right From Software got it with this game and the overall quality the engine has.
      positive · Jul 31, 2019 · review 54392685
  • lore

    6 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The lore and gameplay are amazing and it was my first souls game.
      positive · Dec 31, 2024 · review 184370215
    • The game is also steeped in a surprising amount of lore that isn't obvious to the novice player.
      positive · Sep 30, 2016 · review 25790556
    • Very few cutscenes, which make the ones that are there that much more impactful, and the girth of the lore is discovered through item descriptions as well as dialouge which allows players the option of reading the lore while still not hindering the players that are here for the gameplay.
      positive · Jul 31, 2017 · review 33936560
  • bugs

    0 positive · 5 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • with Stun-lock PvP and online bugs (unable to traverse white fog, summon sign fails, surfing player models etc...)
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732178
    • -bugs glitches patches galore!
      negative · Jul 31, 2016 · review 24641846
    • Not hard at all, you just have to embrace the camera pov and enemies swinging through walls.
      negative · Mar 31, 2018 · review 41190773
  • content amount

    4 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • One thing that I love about this game is that, this game has a TON of story stuff but, if you don't want to, you don't have to pay attention in the slightest.
      positive · Apr 30, 2019 · review 50411365
    • The game is definitely nowhere near lacking content, yet I was always wanting to play it more.
      positive · Jul 31, 2019 · review 54392685
    • This game has a lot of content.
      positive · Oct 31, 2020 · review 78491906
  • customization

    3 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Create character, look how awesume you are, and try to beat the game!
      positive · May 31, 2016 · review 23316764
    • solaire outfit
      positive · Jun 30, 2017 · review 33060114
    • The music is great and the outfits and weapons you can get for your characters are really cool.
      positive · Nov 30, 2017 · review 37952157
  • exploration

    5 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • explore is prob most import if u do partake in the ahsen expereince
      positive · Oct 31, 2025 · review 208089841
    • So CHALLENGING, I can recall the first time I played this game, it was so exciting but lowkey had a fear of the unknown which motivated me to explore it and do my best not to miss any place or event, always had to stay alert and at the same time calculated which was mainly why I love it …
      positive · Jan 31, 2018 · review 39752361
    • Really cool playing it for the first time, you get rewarded for exploring and the messages on the ground can be hilarious some times.
      positive · Mar 31, 2018 · review 41190773
  • platform access

    0 positive · 5 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • For a game that is listed as "great on Steam Deck" the lack of Cloud saves on this game (Elden Ring/Dark Souls 1 has them) is very strange.
      negative · May 31, 2022 · review 116311077
    • I am sad that I did not get to play the Ringed City DLC, the one most players love, because of the lack of a cloud save system.
      negative · Aug 31, 2025 · review 203286382
    • Big red flag right at the beginning - xbox controls are being shown instead of PC
      negative · Apr 30, 2016 · review 22732619
  • ui

    1 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The equipment/main menu could have been smoothed out better.
      negative · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104905429
    • God awful UI and the controls where hellish
      negative · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104908647
    • I stil think that the interface is a disgrace and the controls are somewhat problematic for mouse and keyboard but they can be set up to be better.
      negative · Nov 30, 2016 · review 28106147

Review timeline

monthly peak 8,476 reviews · all languages

review volume 5,000 0 positive review share 100% 50% 0% 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Apr 2016 · 8,476 reviews (7,101 up · 1,375 down) · 84% positive May 2016 · 2,561 reviews (2,190 up · 371 down) · 86% positive Jun 2016 · 1,170 reviews (1,044 up · 126 down) · 89% positive Jul 2016 · 915 reviews (824 up · 91 down) · 90% positive Aug 2016 · 960 reviews (873 up · 87 down) · 91% positive Sep 2016 · 613 reviews (565 up · 48 down) · 92% positive Oct 2016 · 985 reviews (889 up · 96 down) · 90% positive Nov 2016 · 4,354 reviews (4,258 up · 96 down) · 98% positive Dec 2016 · 1,221 reviews (1,110 up · 111 down) · 91% positive Jan 2017 · 1,352 reviews (1,233 up · 119 down) · 91% positive Feb 2017 · 983 reviews (903 up · 80 down) · 92% positive Mar 2017 · 1,111 reviews (1,061 up · 50 down) · 95% positive Apr 2017 · 2,151 reviews (1,975 up · 176 down) · 92% positive May 2017 · 1,522 reviews (1,416 up · 106 down) · 93% positive Jun 2017 · 1,779 reviews (1,669 up · 110 down) · 94% positive Jul 2017 · 1,899 reviews (1,731 up · 168 down) · 91% positive Aug 2017 · 964 reviews (913 up · 51 down) · 95% positive Sep 2017 · 1,295 reviews (1,182 up · 113 down) · 91% positive Oct 2017 · 1,121 reviews (1,069 up · 52 down) · 95% positive Nov 2017 · 5,290 reviews (5,186 up · 104 down) · 98% positive Dec 2017 · 2,358 reviews (2,089 up · 269 down) · 89% positive Jan 2018 · 2,488 reviews (2,287 up · 201 down) · 92% positive Feb 2018 · 1,791 reviews (1,627 up · 164 down) · 91% positive Mar 2018 · 1,246 reviews (1,154 up · 92 down) · 93% positive Apr 2018 · 930 reviews (870 up · 60 down) · 94% positive May 2018 · 866 reviews (804 up · 62 down) · 93% positive Jun 2018 · 1,596 reviews (1,387 up · 209 down) · 87% positive Jul 2018 · 1,758 reviews (1,583 up · 175 down) · 90% positive Aug 2018 · 986 reviews (912 up · 74 down) · 92% positive Sep 2018 · 650 reviews (602 up · 48 down) · 93% positive Oct 2018 · 703 reviews (625 up · 78 down) · 89% positive Nov 2018 · 5,139 reviews (4,945 up · 194 down) · 96% positive Dec 2018 · 1,445 reviews (1,298 up · 147 down) · 90% positive Jan 2019 · 1,334 reviews (1,207 up · 127 down) · 90% positive Feb 2019 · 1,768 reviews (1,577 up · 191 down) · 89% positive Mar 2019 · 1,096 reviews (1,015 up · 81 down) · 93% positive Apr 2019 · 791 reviews (733 up · 58 down) · 93% positive May 2019 · 1,066 reviews (956 up · 110 down) · 90% positive Jun 2019 · 4,233 reviews (4,044 up · 189 down) · 96% positive Jul 2019 · 5,139 reviews (4,970 up · 169 down) · 97% positive Aug 2019 · 705 reviews (656 up · 49 down) · 93% positive Sep 2019 · 931 reviews (805 up · 126 down) · 86% positive Oct 2019 · 1,309 reviews (1,254 up · 55 down) · 96% positive Nov 2019 · 5,533 reviews (5,394 up · 139 down) · 97% positive Dec 2019 · 5,846 reviews (5,644 up · 202 down) · 97% positive Jan 2020 · 5,126 reviews (4,927 up · 199 down) · 96% positive Feb 2020 · 4,022 reviews (3,891 up · 131 down) · 97% positive Mar 2020 · 3,297 reviews (3,184 up · 113 down) · 97% positive Apr 2020 · 6,997 reviews (6,545 up · 452 down) · 94% positive May 2020 · 6,351 reviews (5,991 up · 360 down) · 94% positive Jun 2020 · 5,122 reviews (4,908 up · 214 down) · 96% positive Jul 2020 · 6,416 reviews (6,150 up · 266 down) · 96% positive Aug 2020 · 3,580 reviews (3,446 up · 134 down) · 96% positive Sep 2020 · 2,417 reviews (2,330 up · 87 down) · 96% positive Oct 2020 · 2,097 reviews (2,017 up · 80 down) · 96% positive Nov 2020 · 4,364 reviews (4,211 up · 153 down) · 96% positive Dec 2020 · 6,349 reviews (6,114 up · 235 down) · 96% positive Jan 2021 · 5,821 reviews (5,564 up · 257 down) · 96% positive Feb 2021 · 4,079 reviews (3,904 up · 175 down) · 96% positive Mar 2021 · 3,219 reviews (3,070 up · 149 down) · 95% positive Apr 2021 · 4,502 reviews (4,291 up · 211 down) · 95% positive May 2021 · 3,039 reviews (2,887 up · 152 down) · 95% positive Jun 2021 · 5,960 reviews (5,579 up · 381 down) · 94% positive Jul 2021 · 6,737 reviews (6,335 up · 402 down) · 94% positive Aug 2021 · 3,817 reviews (3,617 up · 200 down) · 95% positive Sep 2021 · 2,660 reviews (2,511 up · 149 down) · 94% positive Oct 2021 · 2,343 reviews (2,231 up · 112 down) · 95% positive Nov 2021 · 4,540 reviews (4,378 up · 162 down) · 96% positive Dec 2021 · 4,834 reviews (4,572 up · 262 down) · 95% positive Jan 2022 · 6,003 reviews (5,642 up · 361 down) · 94% positive Feb 2022 · 3,273 reviews (3,019 up · 254 down) · 92% positive Mar 2022 · 3,416 reviews (3,031 up · 385 down) · 89% positive Apr 2022 · 2,429 reviews (1,897 up · 532 down) · 78% positive May 2022 · 1,651 reviews (1,333 up · 318 down) · 81% positive Jun 2022 · 1,258 reviews (1,068 up · 190 down) · 85% positive Jul 2022 · 1,274 reviews (1,100 up · 174 down) · 86% positive Aug 2022 · 1,552 reviews (1,420 up · 132 down) · 91% positive Sep 2022 · 1,377 reviews (1,291 up · 86 down) · 94% positive Oct 2022 · 1,125 reviews (1,057 up · 68 down) · 94% positive Nov 2022 · 1,526 reviews (1,455 up · 71 down) · 95% positive Dec 2022 · 1,505 reviews (1,416 up · 89 down) · 94% positive Jan 2023 · 1,671 reviews (1,565 up · 106 down) · 94% positive Feb 2023 · 1,513 reviews (1,343 up · 170 down) · 89% positive Mar 2023 · 1,298 reviews (1,197 up · 101 down) · 92% positive Apr 2023 · 1,035 reviews (957 up · 78 down) · 92% positive May 2023 · 1,006 reviews (949 up · 57 down) · 94% positive Jun 2023 · 1,046 reviews (979 up · 67 down) · 94% positive Jul 2023 · 2,963 reviews (2,801 up · 162 down) · 95% positive Aug 2023 · 1,579 reviews (1,478 up · 101 down) · 94% positive Sep 2023 · 1,804 reviews (1,692 up · 112 down) · 94% positive Oct 2023 · 1,310 reviews (1,238 up · 72 down) · 95% positive Nov 2023 · 1,904 reviews (1,827 up · 77 down) · 96% positive Dec 2023 · 1,885 reviews (1,772 up · 113 down) · 94% positive Jan 2024 · 1,490 reviews (1,414 up · 76 down) · 95% positive Feb 2024 · 2,519 reviews (2,354 up · 165 down) · 93% positive Mar 2024 · 2,142 reviews (2,035 up · 107 down) · 95% positive Apr 2024 · 1,349 reviews (1,286 up · 63 down) · 95% positive May 2024 · 2,341 reviews (2,191 up · 150 down) · 94% positive Jun 2024 · 1,794 reviews (1,680 up · 114 down) · 94% positive Jul 2024 · 1,927 reviews (1,799 up · 128 down) · 93% positive Aug 2024 · 1,444 reviews (1,349 up · 95 down) · 93% positive Sep 2024 · 1,296 reviews (1,201 up · 95 down) · 93% positive Oct 2024 · 2,576 reviews (2,074 up · 502 down) · 81% positive Nov 2024 · 1,408 reviews (1,327 up · 81 down) · 94% positive Dec 2024 · 2,091 reviews (1,952 up · 139 down) · 93% positive Jan 2025 · 1,678 reviews (1,556 up · 122 down) · 93% positive Feb 2025 · 2,007 reviews (1,883 up · 124 down) · 94% positive Mar 2025 · 1,522 reviews (1,424 up · 98 down) · 94% positive Apr 2025 · 1,159 reviews (1,088 up · 71 down) · 94% positive May 2025 · 2,662 reviews (2,480 up · 182 down) · 93% positive Jun 2025 · 1,712 reviews (1,597 up · 115 down) · 93% positive Jul 2025 · 1,268 reviews (1,175 up · 93 down) · 93% positive Aug 2025 · 1,172 reviews (1,093 up · 79 down) · 93% positive Sep 2025 · 856 reviews (786 up · 70 down) · 92% positive Oct 2025 · 1,507 reviews (1,396 up · 111 down) · 93% positive Nov 2025 · 1,428 reviews (1,325 up · 103 down) · 93% positive Dec 2025 · 1,738 reviews (1,619 up · 119 down) · 93% positive Jan 2026 · 1,221 reviews (1,130 up · 91 down) · 93% positive Feb 2026 · 1,641 reviews (1,504 up · 137 down) · 92% positive Mar 2026 · 1,445 reviews (1,339 up · 106 down) · 93% positive Apr 2026 · 1,322 reviews (1,207 up · 115 down) · 91% positive May 2026 · 1,494 reviews (1,386 up · 108 down) · 93% positive Jun 2026 · 1,022 reviews (927 up · 95 down) · 91% positive Jul 2026 · 893 reviews (831 up · 62 down) · 93% positive Aug 2026 · 816 reviews (755 up · 61 down) · 93% 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 2016 8,476 7,101 1,375 84%
May 2016 2,561 2,190 371 86%
Jun 2016 1,170 1,044 126 89%
Jul 2016 915 824 91 90%
Aug 2016 960 873 87 91%
Sep 2016 613 565 48 92%
Oct 2016 985 889 96 90%
Nov 2016 4,354 4,258 96 98%
Dec 2016 1,221 1,110 111 91%
Jan 2017 1,352 1,233 119 91%
Feb 2017 983 903 80 92%
Mar 2017 1,111 1,061 50 95%
Apr 2017 2,151 1,975 176 92%
May 2017 1,522 1,416 106 93%
Jun 2017 1,779 1,669 110 94%
Jul 2017 1,899 1,731 168 91%
Aug 2017 964 913 51 95%
Sep 2017 1,295 1,182 113 91%
Oct 2017 1,121 1,069 52 95%
Nov 2017 5,290 5,186 104 98%
Dec 2017 2,358 2,089 269 89%
Jan 2018 2,488 2,287 201 92%
Feb 2018 1,791 1,627 164 91%
Mar 2018 1,246 1,154 92 93%
Apr 2018 930 870 60 94%
May 2018 866 804 62 93%
Jun 2018 1,596 1,387 209 87%
Jul 2018 1,758 1,583 175 90%
Aug 2018 986 912 74 92%
Sep 2018 650 602 48 93%
Oct 2018 703 625 78 89%
Nov 2018 5,139 4,945 194 96%
Dec 2018 1,445 1,298 147 90%
Jan 2019 1,334 1,207 127 90%
Feb 2019 1,768 1,577 191 89%
Mar 2019 1,096 1,015 81 93%
Apr 2019 791 733 58 93%
May 2019 1,066 956 110 90%
Jun 2019 4,233 4,044 189 96%
Jul 2019 5,139 4,970 169 97%
Aug 2019 705 656 49 93%
Sep 2019 931 805 126 86%
Oct 2019 1,309 1,254 55 96%
Nov 2019 5,533 5,394 139 97%
Dec 2019 5,846 5,644 202 97%
Jan 2020 5,126 4,927 199 96%
Feb 2020 4,022 3,891 131 97%
Mar 2020 3,297 3,184 113 97%
Apr 2020 6,997 6,545 452 94%
May 2020 6,351 5,991 360 94%
Jun 2020 5,122 4,908 214 96%
Jul 2020 6,416 6,150 266 96%
Aug 2020 3,580 3,446 134 96%
Sep 2020 2,417 2,330 87 96%
Oct 2020 2,097 2,017 80 96%
Nov 2020 4,364 4,211 153 96%
Dec 2020 6,349 6,114 235 96%
Jan 2021 5,821 5,564 257 96%
Feb 2021 4,079 3,904 175 96%
Mar 2021 3,219 3,070 149 95%
Apr 2021 4,502 4,291 211 95%
May 2021 3,039 2,887 152 95%
Jun 2021 5,960 5,579 381 94%
Jul 2021 6,737 6,335 402 94%
Aug 2021 3,817 3,617 200 95%
Sep 2021 2,660 2,511 149 94%
Oct 2021 2,343 2,231 112 95%
Nov 2021 4,540 4,378 162 96%
Dec 2021 4,834 4,572 262 95%
Jan 2022 6,003 5,642 361 94%
Feb 2022 3,273 3,019 254 92%
Mar 2022 3,416 3,031 385 89%
Apr 2022 2,429 1,897 532 78%
May 2022 1,651 1,333 318 81%
Jun 2022 1,258 1,068 190 85%
Jul 2022 1,274 1,100 174 86%
Aug 2022 1,552 1,420 132 91%
Sep 2022 1,377 1,291 86 94%
Oct 2022 1,125 1,057 68 94%
Nov 2022 1,526 1,455 71 95%
Dec 2022 1,505 1,416 89 94%
Jan 2023 1,671 1,565 106 94%
Feb 2023 1,513 1,343 170 89%
Mar 2023 1,298 1,197 101 92%
Apr 2023 1,035 957 78 92%
May 2023 1,006 949 57 94%
Jun 2023 1,046 979 67 94%
Jul 2023 2,963 2,801 162 95%
Aug 2023 1,579 1,478 101 94%
Sep 2023 1,804 1,692 112 94%
Oct 2023 1,310 1,238 72 95%
Nov 2023 1,904 1,827 77 96%
Dec 2023 1,885 1,772 113 94%
Jan 2024 1,490 1,414 76 95%
Feb 2024 2,519 2,354 165 93%
Mar 2024 2,142 2,035 107 95%
Apr 2024 1,349 1,286 63 95%
May 2024 2,341 2,191 150 94%
Jun 2024 1,794 1,680 114 94%
Jul 2024 1,927 1,799 128 93%
Aug 2024 1,444 1,349 95 93%
Sep 2024 1,296 1,201 95 93%
Oct 2024 2,576 2,074 502 81%
Nov 2024 1,408 1,327 81 94%
Dec 2024 2,091 1,952 139 93%
Jan 2025 1,678 1,556 122 93%
Feb 2025 2,007 1,883 124 94%
Mar 2025 1,522 1,424 98 94%
Apr 2025 1,159 1,088 71 94%
May 2025 2,662 2,480 182 93%
Jun 2025 1,712 1,597 115 93%
Jul 2025 1,268 1,175 93 93%
Aug 2025 1,172 1,093 79 93%
Sep 2025 856 786 70 92%
Oct 2025 1,507 1,396 111 93%
Nov 2025 1,428 1,325 103 93%
Dec 2025 1,738 1,619 119 93%
Jan 2026 1,221 1,130 91 93%
Feb 2026 1,641 1,504 137 92%
Mar 2026 1,445 1,339 106 93%
Apr 2026 1,322 1,207 115 91%
May 2026 1,494 1,386 108 93%
Jun 2026 1,022 927 95 91%
Jul 2026 893 831 62 93%
Aug 2026 816 755 61 93%

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
549 English reviews, time-proportional draw over 125 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 549
Aspect yield
237 of 549 analyzed reviews carry at least one aspect (43.2%); every share on this page divides by all 549
Interval regime
calm: standard margins of error for a share of a sample (Wilson interval), no widening needed
Fetch paths
125 time windows fetched directly (windowed)
Language mix
1,000 fetched: english 551 · spanish 82 · brazilian 75 · 21 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-20260830T140629Z-fd934a68 · code 94c9718

full methodology in the milestone write-ups