Anyone else picked this up? I hadn’t realised it was out so soon, and there’s no reviews anywhere yet. RPS’s hands-on preview was a bit skeptical, but it’s cheap enough at £6.29 that I’m just going to buy it anyway.
Looking forward to your thoughts, as this looks intriguing.
I have no idea what you’re talking about. If only there were some sort of internet technology that could have alleviated this problem at the outset.
I’ve only seen the customer reviews on gog, so yeah not a game i was aware off, and it sounds interesting enough that i’m keeping an eye on those gog reviews to get a fuller picture (i’m slightly concerned about one review that says it is a puzzle game rather than a pure god game).
I met the devs–three guys from the Netherlands–at a conference three weeks ago and got to play the game. Checked it out for 30 minutes or so and found it fascinating and quite polished. I have no idea how well it motivates in the long run though. Some people might need to get used to the time-limit first - initially 30 minutes, can be extended later on. They mentioned The Binding of Isaac as one of their sources of inspiration in that the game doesn’t consist of one or two long sessions in which you immediately unlock everything in the skill-tree.
I’ve only seen the customer reviews on gog, so yeah not a game i was aware off, and it sounds interesting enough that i’m keeping an eye on those gog reviews to get a fuller picture (i’m slightly concerned about one review that says it is a puzzle game rather than a pure god game).
I’ve played through the tutorials and the best part of an era now, and yes there is definitely a strong puzzle feel to it. So far at least, it’s very much about creating synergies between “patches”, ie arcs on the surface of the world. Each patch can only have one type of thing on it (eg animal, plant, mineral, project, village), but these can be upgraded and transmuted to vary their effects and expand the possibilities. It’s hard to describe, but it’s a bit like a hybrid of Doodle God and, say, Populous 3.
I grabbed this off of Steam yesterday, and am enjoying it, but the tutorial is pretty bare-bones and a lot is not properly explained. I know there is a wiki, but does anyone know where a proper manual can be found?
Never mind. I found a two-part video that makes everything crystal clear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giDFdSjvMwo
It’s a puzzle game? Auuuggh. Why do all god games turn into puzzle games these days. So frustrating. I realize that it takes some decent design chops to create a systemic and open god game, but this is the third god game in a row where they threw up their hands and just made puzzles.
I wouldn’t call it a puzzle game at all. Yes, certain resources and projects are unlocked over time, but you have access to all four giants from the very beginning, and it’s up to the player to decide which goal he/she wants to attempt and how to go about doing it.
To me a puzzle game means fixed scenarios with limited resources and only one or two optimal ways to win.
It’s definitely not a puzzle game, but like I say there’s a puzzly feel to the strategy. For a given village, there’s a very limited amount of space and hence, yes, there is likely going to be only one or two optimal ways to get to a given goal with that village. But you do have (relative) freedom to choose that goal.
Do you need to complete all goals in the time allotted or can you complete just one goal and when time runs out, that goal is satisfied so the next time you play it you have the benefits of having achieved that goal?
Yeah, after the allotted time it just gives you all the achievements you’ve earned in that time and all the unlocks are available from then on. It’s clearly designed for you to pick a few goals each game and progressively unlock everything.
Timed missions? No thanks.
First of all, there is a sandbox mode that has no time limit. Projects are probably still timed, however. Aside from that, you can stop the clock to evaluate and issue orders whenever you want. You can also save anywhere. So even though a scenario may only be “30 minutes long”, you have an indefinite amount of time to complete it.
Believe me, I hate timed stuff more than the next guy, but it’s done with a very soft hand here and I didn’t feel the pressure I usually do in timed games. It’s basically: do as well as you can in 30 minutes, and then keep on playing if you want. You only earn achievements on things you did in the mission time, but you are otherwise allowed to do what you want. There’s also longer missions that unlock as you gain levels.
Is there a way to speed up time and/or skip to the end of the era? When I played this morning, I hit the goals I wanted at about the 20 minute mark, but I didn’t think I had enough time to hit any others in the last 10 minutes. I’d like to be able to skip to the end so that I can get my unlocks and start a new era.
I ran into the same thing and couldn’t find a way to speed things up.
So does it feel rushed (as in trying to get things done in time missions) or appear to have any kind of longevity in replaying?
I’ve only played one 30-minute era so far, and I was able to get 4 achievements in that one without too much sweat. I suspect it will feel rushed when attempting the higher-level achievements, but I believe you can eventually unlock a 60-minute mode and then I think 120-minute mode.
As far as longevity, I’m not sure how to answer that. The game is all about obtaining achievements which unlock new abilities which in turn allow you to get the higher-level achievements. There aren’t any missions per se - I believe you always start with the same barren land. So I suppose it depends on if you like that style of play. It reminds me a little of the way Simcity Societies worked, though the achievements in Reus are smaller and more numerous.
Thanks Peter,
By longevity, I was thinking is this a game that could entertain me for a weekend, or something I might go back to month after month for a little while. 30 minutes sounds a bit rushed, and while I will play time management frantic kind of games, i prefer the slower paced sit back and enjoy kind of rides.