Tag Archives: rts

EDYN: The Interesting MMO Strategy Game With Potential

November 13, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

I got to play in the EDYN Alpha this weekend and have some thoughts on the game. I will be slightly lenient with my review because the game is still in development. That said, these will be my honest impressions.

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What is EDYN?

EDYN is a unique MMO strategy game coming to Steam.

Build your empire against the ever changing backdrop as you compete for land and resources. Make your alliances, build your army, fortify your defenses, and do what ever you can to stay alive. How strong will your empire become?

Gameplay

EDYN is a massive strategy game where content is player driven. While there are NPCs to farm and expand against, the real fun is surviving against other player driven empires. The full game will allow players to build and upgrade bases, expand and colonize neighboring areas, make key alliances, and go to war with anyone who gets in your way. The alpha was missing a few key features like science and colonization, so I only go a taste of base building and combat.

Everything in EDYN works on a timer. Building, recruiting, and raiding all take time to do. The full game may have more animation, but the main loops seems to be waiting on timers as you try to build efficiently. Depending on the state of the world, it is beneficial and encouraged to make alliances to survive what could be an unforgiving landscape. The full version of the game will have challenges to complete and rankings to change as something for players to work towards.

Impressions

EDYN is an interesting take on the genre, but I fear it might be a bit too ambitious. Having player driven content, especially in a game as PVP reliant as EDYN, is a great idea, if there are players. Of all the times I logged into this game, I only saw people once. Granted, I keep weird gaming hours, but that shouldn’t matter for a game like this.

When people were online, I had fun talking to strangers and most of the community seemed friendly and eager to help newcomers. There was urgency to build my defenses, invade others, and attempt to forge alliances. When there were no people online, it felt like I was just waiting on timers.

The game does have potential, especially with some of the promised missing features, but I’d have to see their implementation first. The game might still be too niche since it only seems to cater to fans of a more IDLE form of RTS. Even then, unless it can pull in a decent population of players dedicated to driving the content, I don’t see this game seeing much success. I would check it out if you’re a fan of RTS and try to get into the alpha, otherwise I would wait for a more complete version of the game.

I enjoyed bits of the game, but lost interest when it seemed like I was the only one playing. I’ll have to see a more complete version for a more detailed review, but I am interested. The game does seem to have a few friendly and passionate players, a growing Discord channel, and dedicated devolpers tirelessly working on improving the game. Make sure you check out EDYN on Steam, and don’t forget to Wishlist!

video game reviews

Empire of Ants Isn’t the Epic Ant RTS you Think it is, but It’s not Bad

November 9, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent a free copy of Empire for Ants to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

What is Empire of Ants?

Empire of Ants is a unique 3rd person RTS out now on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam and Epic Games.

You are an industrious scout ant tasked with expanding the empire for your beloved queen. But this is no easy task, even for the mighty ant. Enemies lurk around every corner, and it is up to you to hold them back. Command your legions of ants and fight your way through the forest floor all in the name of the queen. Will you fulfill your role and successfully expand the mighty ant empire, or will you be another nameless drone lost in the cycle?

Gameplay

Players get to experience the world from a third person view of a mighty scouting ant. Players will complete quests and command legions of ants to gather resources, attack and defend against enemies, and expand the might ant empire. Players will essentially pick up missions, platform across the wilderness, and command units to attack enemies or gather resources.

Review

Empire of Ants does not work on the Steam Deck, at least not without some tinkering. This isn’t a deal breaker, but I would keep away if the Steam Deck is your main source of gaming.

When booting up Empire of Ants, players will be greeted with a beautiful world and design. The graphics and art in this game are beautiful, and I spent a lot of time on exploration because of it. The combat animation for the ants is pretty good, but there is some jank. Ants other insects will randomly fly out in every direction. Other than that, the sounds, the plants, and ants all look really good.

The game itself performs well, with a few performance issues that can be a bit hard to ignore. Sometimes the ant doesn’t move in the direction you want it because it starts climbing a random branch you didn’t notice, and other times the camera doesn’t respond how you need it to. It doesn’t make the game unplayable, but they do get in the way of the immersion.

The gameplay is where this game becomes a difficult sell. The game works well, but the loop is a little repetitive. If you’re looking for a competitive RTS about ants, you might get it from multiplayer, but you won’t get it from the story. The game feels a little easier than your traditional RTS, which is fine for the casual or kid, but not for the veteran looking to pad their library. I am terrible at RTS games and found this game too easy. A lot of the game does feel like an ant platformer, which is fine, but not what some people are looking for.

This game is cute, and has some cool ideas, but I would wait for a sale. I think the gameplay is a little too repetative to be worth the $40 and most people looking to play this as their RTS will be disappointed. Empire of Ants isn’t a bad game, it just doesn’t do enough to earn its price.

You can buy Empire of Ants on on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam and Epic Games for $39.99, but I would wait for a sale.

video game reviews

Guardians of Holme is an Adorable Deck Building Tower Defense

December 25, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent Guardians of Holme for free to review on my site. While I am grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Guardians of Holme is a tower defense deck builder available now on PC. Demons and monsters are making their push toward Royal City in their campaign to destroy humanity. The fate of the world falls in the hands of a few skilled artisans. Build traps to stop the attacking forces before they can get to the city. Can you stop them before it is too late?

Players start each run of Guardians of Holme with a randomized deck of traps. This deck is upgraded and expanded throughout the run, and the cards players have access to expand over time. The longer you play, the more diverse your card pool becomes. The goal of the game is to set up traps to prevent the hoards of monsters from destroying the core. This makes for a soothing and relaxing gaming experience, but it can also be a bit repetitive. There are a few features that mitigate the monotony like being able to speed up rounds, the RN, and different heroes you can play, but the loop will always be the same.

I loved Guardians of Holme because it combines two of my favorite genres well. Other than a few reworks, the deck building is solid. The game is cute and relaxing, but the repetitive loop makes it hard to recommend, especially at the price point. I find the repetition soothing, and I enjoy the genre enough to justify the price, but it isn’t going to be for everyone. If you are looking for a relaxing game that isn’t much of a commitment, Guardians of Holme is an option. If you love Tower Defence games and want a cute one to fill your downtime, this is a solid choice.

You can pick up Guardians of Holme for $12.99.

video game reviews

Dungeons 4: A Wonderful Blend of Humor, Strategy, and Evil

November 15, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent Dungeons 4 as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions about the game. This will be my honest review of Dungeons 4.

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Dungeons 4 is a quirky and unique RTS out now for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and the official Kalypso store. The Absolute Evil is back to claim victory over the last remaining bastion of good. With your trusty servant Thalya captured, it is up to you to raise an army, spread your evil across the land, and get her back eventually. Do you have what it takes to finally defeat the forces of good?

This is the 4th installment to the Dungeons, but you don’t need to have played any of the Dungeons games to understand what is going on. Aside from a few references to the previous games, Dungeons 4′s story is self-contained and fantastic. Dungeons 4 is fun, quirky, and meta in a way that you need to play once to appreciate. It has a fantastic cast of voice actors, and a magnificent soundtrack to get you in the mood for evil.

Most importantly, the gameplay is fun. Dungeons 4 is a wonderful blend of the village management, tower defense, and RTS genre. The game will frequently switch between genres as you move through the camping.

Underground, you will build a dungeon where you gather resources and defend them against the forces of good. The game plays like the usual village builder, except the build phase won’t be endless. Eventually, you’ll build a strong enough force to clear the rest of the dungeon or make your way above ground where you’ll attempt to rescue your evil assistant Thalya.

Heroes will occasionally attempt to raid your dungeon to steal your resources, kill your minions, and destroy the heart of the dungeon. You’ll be responsible for setting traps, building an army, and keeping them happy. I found this part of the game extremely relaxing and my favorite loop. It was fun trying to design a dungeon that was both functional and well-defended. I wish there were a way to speed up the levels, but the wait isn’t long enough for it to be a huge problem.

The RTS portions of the game are a bit simple, but I found them perfect for my skill level. I am not good at RTS games, so I appreciated that it provided enough challenge to keep things fun. There are ways to make this game more challenging, and there is even a co-op mode for added insanity, but I enjoyed the normal solo experience well enough to recommend it.

I loved this game and see myself replaying it in the future. It’s cute, it’s quirky, and everything I want from a casual RTS game. If you a looking for a wacky, relaxing experience in any of the mentioned genres, do yourself a favor and pick up Dungeons 4.

You can pick up Dungeons 4 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, or Epic Games for $49.99. You can also get it directly from Kalypso for $47.99. It’s free on Game Pass if you have a subscription.

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Spasms of Stupidity is a spiritual successor to DragonForce that you might want to look into

October 7, 2023 josechurape 5 Comments

Spasms of Stupidity fell into my inbox, and I thought I would share it because it is a neat concept. Spasms of Stupidity is a roguelike wargame for pc reminiscent of the DragonForce game for the Sega Saturn. The game is still in its early stages, but I can see the potential.

You command a legion of demons on a campaign to take over the world. There are skill trees, item crafting, and a campaign to complete. You will arrange your troops, set your orders, and watch as your army does battle. As you play, you will unlock new characters, skills, and items to help you with future runs, which is to be expected from any roguelike. If you enjoy war simulators, especially ones on a large scale, this project might be worth supporting. There are some complexities and mechanics I am I am brushing over, but the video does a better job of showing them in action.

The game is still in its early stages, and looking for funding on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter launches on November 1st. It isn’t going to be for everyone, but with diligence, I can see it satisfying in its niche. Always be mindful of backing a Kickstarter, but someone has to bid on the little guys.

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You should try the Songs of Silence Beta

September 19, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

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I’ve been playing Songs of Silence since the beta went live. Sign-ups are still open, and I suggest you try it for yourself. The game offers an interesting and unique experience that I am excited for. I recommend you join the official Discord if you want to stay up to date on all the news. I’ve also written about Songs of Silence in a previous post, so make sure you read that as well. I won’t be reviewing the game this time around because it isn’t finished yet. This will be an update based on my impressions of the beta.

Songs of Silence combines the deck builder and strategy genre and creates something I can see myself being addicted to. The game combines two of my favorite concepts and plays them against a fantastic soundtrack. It is still rough, and that roughness does create some frustration, but once I got the hang of the mechanics, it became hard to step away.

The game has a similar action economy to games like CIV. Each turn you earn your income, move your units, plan your attacks, and expand your empire. The story mode can switch up this flow based on the scenario, but the loop remains the same. What makes the game unique are the heroes that run your squad. Each hero has special abilities based on the cards you collect throughout your campaign. As your hero levels, you gain access to new cards or you can level existing abilities. The abilities you play are on a timer, so use them wisely! The size of your squad and hand are based on your hero’s level. I had a lot of fun learning the strengths and limitations of each unit and hero. I am sure there is an optimal way to build each hero and their squad, but I always went with what was fun.

The game offers you a lot of choices. You can choose where to move your character, what mobs to attack, what villages to annex or pillage, and what units to recruit. The only control over the combat you have is where your units start in the formation and when you use your abilities. It may sound a little passive, but you can easily lose a deceive battle if you aren’t playing smart or paying attention.

The beta includes a story and scrimmage mode. The story isn’t finished yet, but there was enough of it to get me curious. I spent most of my time in the scrimmage mode, and the scrimmage mode becomes addicting once you get the hang of it. There isn’t enough content available for me to no-life this game, but I can see it getting there. I will say that the RNG involved in scrimmage mode can be frustrating, but it never became a deal breaker.

If you haven’t done so already, sign up for the beta and add it to your wishlist. Songs of Silence is an interesting concept that you should try at least once. It has beautiful art, a fantastic soundtrack, and fun mechanics. It is still a little rough, but the devs are working hard to make it better.