Stranger Things 3: The Game Reviews
BonusXP has taken the hit Netflix series and crafted a fun, yet at times frustrating, pixelated adventure game. Some of the boss battles can really try your patience, and limits on recovery items (medkits and Coke) certainly don’t help matters as you push toward the final episode. On the flip side, there are all kinds of hidden areas to return to and explore further; even if I haven’t seen a percentage log, there’s just something about knowing you’ve 100% cleared a game.
Throughout his lifetime, I have introduced my technological spoiled Generation Z son who has grown up on blockbuster movie quality games like the modern day sequels to Halo and Call of Duty to the more simpler Time Pilot, Pac Man, Defender, the arcade, Atari and ColecoVision games I grew up with. He often placates me with a polite…That’s cool, dad!..before turning on his game console with its 4K resolution and Dolby sound. What he doesn’t understand is that there is often beauty in simplicity. What really matters always is not the graphics or the sound but how fun a game is to play in the first place. The 16-bit art style, the gameplay, the cut-scenes, even the music makes Stranger Things 3: The Game a perfect sequel to those adventure games of the past. If you grew up with them as I did, you will appreciate Stranger Things 3: The Game on a far higher and different level than someone who might not have still, if you are a fan of the series and adventure gaming in general, just living out, playing out those famous scenes may be worth the $19.99 bargain price tag.
Overall, Stranger Things 3: The Game is a nice addition to the Nintendo Switch library of games, and fills the void of good, inexpensive beat- 'em-up games that were previously missing on the platform. That being said, the game was designed with hardcore fans of the series in-mind, which will differentiate it's value to some. As mentioned previously, it does emphasize a lot of fanfare, but its beat-'em-up combat is some of the best on the Switch, making it a must-own for any beat-'em-up fan.
Stranger Things 3 has taken over the pop culture world like it always does when a new season hits Netflix. If you've binged it already and need more, the console game is a fun adaptation worth any fan's time.
Stranger Things 3 The Game is a wonderful return to the series in 16bit glory.
If you've got a little bit of patience, and a lot of love for Stranger Things, it's hard to go wrong with this game. It'll bring that '80s game nostalgia you're hoping for while staying as true as possible to the hit Netflix series we all adore.
Stranger Things 3: The Game proved to be a much more mature and complex title than what could have been expected.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Stranger Things 3: The Game don`t take any new approach in terms of gameplay and has some problem with his animations, but delivers entertaining 16-Bit retrofun with a strong emphasis on the story of the current season and invites you thanks to the well-made gameplay to a session with or without your friends. Fans of the series or classics like Zombies Ate my Neighbors or The Chaos Engine should take a look at this title, but also should bring previous knowledge from the series with them to get the most out of it.
Review in German | Read full review
Stranger Things 3: The Game is not a groundbreaking effort by any stretch, however it does great justice to one of the best TV shows of the past decade and throws a surprisingly sizeable and robust retro action puzzler into the bargain, and sometimes, that'll all you need.
Stranger Things 3: The Game is an entertaining experience, especially for the fans of the TV Show, and while the first half of it is kind of boring and repetitive, it'll recover in the second half with some good Beat'em Up gameplay.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The Stranger Things 3 game delivers a fun, yet exact to the show experience.
As a Stranger Things fan, I loved that there was something to jump into to continue living in Hawkins and adventuring with familiar characters after I rolled credits on season 3. Being able to freely move around Hawkins, collect items, beat up enemies, solve puzzles, converse with other key characters in the town and complete the numerous main and side missions brought a lot of fun. While it is still something I can only recommend to existing fans of the franchise, if you’re someone who enjoys the Stranger Things universe you’ll likely have a fun time with Stranger Things 3: The Game.
Stranger things 3: the game is the proper last season of the show adapted to a videogame. A pixel-art projection of everything that the atmosphere created by Netflix manages to evoque.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Stranger Things 3: The Game is a decent throw-back to older titles and a strong tie-in to the current third season to the show.
Stranger Things 3: The Game isn't going to set any gold standards for video game tie-ins, but it does a fine job of capturing all the elements that have made the TV show such a phenomenon. Exploring Hawkins and interacting with the wider cast is really going to appeal to fans of the franchise, but the repetitive quest designs and unremarkable combat can make it a bit of a slog if you've yet to catch the Stranger Things bug. Still, thanks to its appealing visuals, accessible gameplay and atmospheric synthwave soundtrack, there are arguably many worse ways to spend your summer.
Stranger Things 3: The Game is a must for all fans of the series. With its 16-bit look, beautiful animations and great soundtrack, it captures the charm of the Netflix production almost perfectly. Also, the split-screen mode is simply great, because this feeling of playing together fits very nicely with the series and Netflix in general. In my opinion, you can ignore the slight jolts during big brawls and the relatively poor gameplay, because otherwise the whole package is convincing. For someone who hasn't warmed up with the series yet but wants a retro-adventure, the current price of about 20€ could be a bit daunting.
Review in German | Read full review
Stranger Things 3: The Game does little to add to the mythos of the Stranger Things universe, but still serves as a worthy companion piece to champions of the Netflix series. Fan service is high in the game and though it rehashes the story of the third season with each step, I didn’t grow weary of controlling the not-so-young-anymore children through their high-stakes adventure. A lot of the charm from the show’s dialogue is lost in the translation to gaming, but much of what you love about Stranger Things is still very much intact. Side quests and collectibles not mentioned in the show fill in the gaps that otherwise would have made the game feel lacking. This game is not a revolution of television tie-in gaming experiences, but offers enough content for the price point to satisfy even a casual watcher of the series.
A true licensed tie-in game, Stranger Things 3: The Game is most fun when you let fandom lead the way but can fall flat on its own. [Warning: This review contains spoilers for Netflix's Stranger Things, Season 3]
I'm conflicted. Cooperative titles like this are hard to find nowadays, especially with drop-in, drop-out co-op. There's no denying it's fun exploring with a friend and the game contains some genuinely clever challenges, especially during the boss fights. There's the seed of a great game here, and I'd genuinely like to see more like it. I really hope BonusXP gets the chance to use this engine to make something else: It's pretty good for a licenced product, but ultimately, that's all it is.
Stranger Things 3: The Game is a great adaption of the series that maintains the mystery of the series but unfortunately misses a lot of potential the unique setting provides