Round Up: First Super Meat Boy 3D Reviews Make It Sound as Brutal as Ever

It has been a relatively fast turnaround from announcement to release date reveal to launch for Super Meat Boy 3D; the brutal platformer is due out tomorrow for PS5. A selection of reviews for the game are live now, covering the PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 versions.

Interestingly, there are no critic reviews for the PS5 version, which would explain why we don't have access to the tough title yet. Regardless, you can find a selection of industry opinions below. Currently, the PC version has a Metacritic rating of 80.

Noisy Pixel - 9/10

Super Meat Boy 3D successfully translates the series’ signature precision platforming into a new dimension, delivering slick controls, inventive level design, and strong replay value through its Light and Dark World structure. While it does not quite reach the brutal highs of the original, its accessible difficulty curve and satisfying movement make it an engaging evolution that still captures the core spirit of the franchise.

DualShockers - 8/10

Super Meat Boy 3D isn't exactly a massive leap for the franchise when compared to other side-scrollers that have made the jump to a new dimension, but that's okay. What's here is the high-level, fluid, and precise platforming you'd expect, and that fans of the series have come to adore. Yes, you will die thousands of times by the end, but that's also the point. There are small design hiccups here and there in terms of a few levels that don't feel fair, a couple less memorable bosses, and the added depth sometimes playing tricks on your brain. At the end of the day, however, Super Meat Boy 3D is a blast, and I'm looking forward to shaving off tenths of seconds from my record times on each and every level.

TheGamer - 8/10

Even when Super Meat Boy 3D had me moments away from rage-quitting, occasionally thanks to a death that wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t help but smile as I bashed my head on whatever wall I was struggling to jump off. Meat Boy’s legacy is a very particular one that won’t appeal to everyone but, even with some wobbles, 3D proves itself to be a sequel that’s worthy of standing next to the original masterpiece.

Shacknews - 7/10

Despite my issues, there are feelings Super Meat Boy 3D gets right. It’s that same level of hard that begs to be conquered, cultivated in the original. And when I finished a particularly hard level, I got to see a marathon of my little Meat Boys failing all over the level until I finally got one of them through, and that part is as triumphant as it has ever been. Other dedicated people will conquer this game. I suspect some speedrunner will weave wizardry in their mastery of Super Meat Boy 3D and its levels. That said, this feels like a game in which you have to have more patience that ever to put up with the shenanigans that a fast-paced 3D Meat Boy game presents.

CGMagazine - 7/10

Super Meat Boy 3D has brief moments of fun, but messy controls make it feel a lot more frustrating than was initially intended.

Gamereactor UK - 6/10

So long story short, Super Meat Boy 3D comes across as a game that doesn't evolve the series but rather takes it down a different path it doesn't need to explore. The theme, the tone, the style, it all still comes across as authentically Super Meat Boy, but the gameplay has a slightly uncomfortable edge where it doesn't quite feel right for one reason or another. Super Meat Boy may be back but this isn't the character in top form.

Despite the lack of PS5 coverage, have these reviews convinced you to play Super Meat Boy 3D from tomrorow? Tell us in the comments below.