Vital Shell

Buy97%

Overwhelmingly Positive · 2k player reviews · Medium confidence

Likely worth it. Reviews lean strongly positive.

MarvinWizard · Mechs · Jan 7, 2026

Player review score
97%
Overwhelmingly Positive
Price
$4.49−25%
Playing right now
All-time peak
Not charted

Steam only charts its most-played games, and this one isn’t among them.

Achievements
66
total to unlock
Steam does not publish achievement rarity.
Languages
12
Full audio0 of 12
Subtitles0 of 12

Should I buy Vital Shell?

Buy it if you like
  • Gameplay: 135 reviews raised it, mostly praise
  • Audio: 88 reviews raised it, mostly praise
  • Graphics: 68 reviews raised it, mostly praise
Think twice if you dislike
  • Difficulty: 28 reviews raised it, mostly criticism

Based on 2k player reviews · updated

What players think

The recurring themes across 300 analysed reviews: what players praise, what divides them, and what to know.

Why players love itThings to know
75% of themes are praise17% are divided8% are complaints
Gameplay
Players who bring up Gameplay mostly praise it.
135 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
Gameplay is fun, although I feel the 20 minute mission setup this game goes for is sort of restrictive.
Audio
Players who bring up Audio mostly praise it.
88 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
using an Etheral Breakcore OST that creates feelings of nostalgia & simplicity of a time that has long passed.
Graphics
Players who bring up Graphics mostly praise it.
68 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
The meta progression for unlocking new upgraded stats, weapons, gems feels great due to the UI visuals that pop up after a run when you have unlocked something.
Combat
Players who bring up Combat mostly praise it.
57 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
This allows you to experiment with different builds and tune your weapons and upgrades to best meet your current run's needs.
Interface
Players who bring up Interface mostly praise it.
17 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
Being able to look up anything from the pause menu was a feature I didn't know I wanted but used a ton, plus its sick as hell opening virtual game instructions.
Steam Deck
Players who bring up Steam Deck mostly praise it.
15 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
This is definitely a game I see myself coming back to over and over to unwind with, especially since it works great on my Steam Deck.

+3 more players loved

Theme by theme

Scored on what reviews say about each topic, not the thumbs.

Players love
Gameplay135 reviews
Audio88 reviews
Graphics68 reviews
Combat57 reviews
Interface17 reviews
Steam Deck15 reviews
Characters13 reviews
Co-op10 reviews
Controls6 reviews
Divided opinion
Story
89% still recommend
Multiplayer
100% still recommend
Players complain
Difficulty
96% still recommend

What you get

Can you play it alone, does a controller work, does it run on your machine.

Play modes

  • Co-op
  • Multi-player
  • Shared/Split Screen
  • Shared/Split Screen Co-op
  • Single-player

Controller

  • DualSense Controller Support
  • DualShock Controller Support
  • Full controller support

Store features

  • Camera Comfort
  • Color Alternatives
  • Custom Volume Controls
  • Family Sharing
  • Keyboard Only Option
  • Playable without Timed Input
  • Remote Play Together
  • Steam Achievements

Platforms

  • Windows
  • Linux

Valve device support

Steam DeckVerified
SteamOSPlayable
Steam MachineVerified

Should I buy it now?

Based on Steam price history.

On sale, not the lowest
$4.49$5.99−25%

The lowest we've tracked is $4.19.

8 points recordedtoday · $4.49

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No recommendations for this game yet.

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