Stranger Things 3: The Game
- July 4, 2019
- BonusXP
- 10h median play time
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.
Get on Steam"Stranger Things 3: The Game" is the official companion to the show's third season, allowing players to explore Hawkins, solve puzzles, and battle enemies as beloved characters. The game features local co-op play, retro art style, and additional quests beyond the series. It follows the events of Season 3, offering an expanded narrative experience for fans.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Android
Mobile Platform
PlayStation
Tablet
Xbox
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic retro-style experience that fans of the 80s will appreciate.
- It closely follows the storyline of Season 3, providing fans with familiar characters and settings.
- Co-op gameplay enhances the fun, allowing players to team up and explore together.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a tedious experience over time.
- Controls are clunky and can be frustrating, especially during combat and boss fights.
- The game suffers from bugs and design flaws that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- story71 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Stranger Things 3: The Game" closely follows the narrative of the show's third season, providing fans with a nostalgic experience filled with familiar characters and quests. However, while some players appreciate the faithful adaptation, others criticize the lack of depth and emotional engagement, noting that the gameplay can feel repetitive and frustrating at times. Overall, the game is best enjoyed by fans of the series, as it offers a mix of main story elements and side quests, albeit with some inconsistencies and gameplay challenges.
“In terms of story and characters, Stranger Things 3: The Game stays faithful to the events of season 3.”
“You'll encounter familiar faces and embark on quests that follow the show's narrative, providing fans with an additional dose of nostalgia.”
“The game adds nothing to the plot of the show.”
“Unlike some really cool games from the past that you can even buy on Steam nowadays, this one fails to provide anything special for those who aren't familiar with the original story and characters.”
“The story is told so much better in the show, and some of the changes they make to it don't make much sense.”
“Terrible dialogue and they create situations that form complications with the story.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of nostalgic retro graphics and straightforward mechanics, offering simple yet enjoyable combat and puzzles that resonate with fans of the "Stranger Things" series. However, many players find the experience repetitive and marred by bugs, with a lack of substantial improvements over previous titles. While the co-op option and character diversity add some depth, the overall gameplay may feel bland and outdated to some.
“One aspect that improves the game's appeal is the option for co-op gameplay.”
“The gameplay is simple and fun.”
“The gameplay from the trailer is accurate and as enjoyable as you'd expect from an SNES era action adventure.”
“The retro graphics and gameplay might be intended as nostalgic, but they come off as lazy and outdated.”
“Unfortunately, the presence of noticeable bugs hampers the overall gameplay experience.”
“However, the lack of substantial gameplay improvements, reliance on certain overpowered characters, and the presence of notable bugs hinder the overall enjoyment.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic pixel art style and its integration with gameplay, while others find it outdated and basic. Many users enjoy the charming retro aesthetic, noting that it allows the game to run smoothly on less powerful systems. Overall, the graphics are seen as a fun homage to classic arcade games, though some players wish for more advanced visuals.
“Graphics are upgraded and I am glad about it.”
“For an 8-bit type game, the graphics were surprisingly integrated very well in a nostalgic way.”
“The pixel art style is really cool and fits in with the show well.”
“The retro graphics and gameplay might be intended as nostalgic, but they come off as lazy and outdated.”
“Michael Jackson's Moonwalker style arcade graphics.”
“The game is super fun, and I'm unsure as to why people are complaining about the graphic style looking like an old arcade game from the 1980s, which is around the time Stranger Things seasons 1-3 are set.”
- music17 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its nostalgic 80s feel and alignment with the show's themes, while others criticize it for being repetitive and monotonous. While a few users rate the soundtrack highly, noting its effectiveness during key moments, many express frustration over the limited variety, leading to a desire to mute it after extended play. Overall, the music is seen as a highlight for some, but a significant drawback for others.
“Great music, of course!”
“The music, like the show, was very on point and well done; it had the 80s feel to it and the music spiked at key moments when it was supposed to.”
“I'll be honest, I bought this not expecting much but to my sheer surprise, it really follows the show well: fantastic game design, art, music, story, and play.”
“The game could have benefited from different music; you hear one song throughout the entire game and that's it.”
“The music in the background consists of a couple of different suspenseful synth soundtracks, which after 2 hours just sounds like one track repeating over and over.”
“I found myself turning the music off in my third hour.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be tedious and frustrating, with some players feeling it requires excessive effort and lacks engaging mechanics. However, others appreciate the grinding aspect, finding it enjoyable and rewarding, particularly in the context of the game's pixel graphics. Overall, opinions on grinding are mixed, with some players finding it a chore while others embrace it as part of the gameplay experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“As a Stranger Things fan, I have to stress that this game is truly bland with no further insight into what we've already seen in the film. Most scenes are confusing if you haven't had previous knowledge of the film. The game is bland due to missing mechanics that other games have succeeded with. Character cycling is tedious and annoying, and there are no save options.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for being shallow and lacking depth, failing to engage players on a meaningful level, in contrast to the more compelling narrative of the original show.
“El: emotional, not logic”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized as a disappointing cash grab that fails to fully utilize the potential of the Stranger Things franchise, though some players still find it enjoyable despite its shortcomings.
“Overall, this game is a disappointing cash grab that squanders the potential of the Stranger Things franchise.”
“Although it's a cash grab, it's still pretty fun.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, primarily due to its short length of 5-7 hours, but players can extend their experience by seeking out all gnomes and attempting the challenging permadeath mode.
“The game isn't that long, only around 5-7 hours (including side quests), but there is significant replayability in finding all the gnomes and attempting to beat the permadeath mode.”
“Each playthrough offers new challenges and experiences, making it easy to dive back in and explore different strategies.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes encourages multiple runs, ensuring that no two playthroughs feel the same.”
“The game isn't that long; it's only around 5-7 hours (including side quests). However, there is some replayability with finding all the gnomes and trying to beat the permadeath mode.”
“Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to replay it. The side quests feel repetitive and don't add much to the overall experience.”
“After completing the game, I found that the lack of meaningful choices and consequences made replaying it feel pointless.”
Critic Reviews
Stranger Things 3: The Game Review
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.
70%Stranger Things 3: The Game (Nintendo Switch)
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.
80%Stranger Things 3: The Game Review
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.
69%
