8-Bit Armies

About

8-Bit Armies is a single player and multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by Petroglyph and was released on April 22, 2016. It received positive reviews from players.

8-Bit Armies is a retro Real-Time Strategy game. With a colorful, blocky voxel art style, 8-Bit Armies is Petroglyph's most fast-paced, friendly, and accessible RTS game to date. Featuring a campaign of 25 single-player missions, 10 co-op missions, multiplayer and skirmish modes.

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+12

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,296 reviews

gameplay98 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

story
544 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
84%
8%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with most missions feeling like generic skirmishes rather than a cohesive narrative. Players noted that the campaign consists of repetitive objectives with little context, relying on text briefings that fail to engage. While the gameplay mechanics and unlockable rewards provide some motivation, the absence of a compelling story or character development leaves the experience feeling shallow and unmemorable.
- “The campaign is story-free but has a nice system of stars and bonuses to give you a feeling of progression.”
- “The campaigns are not scripted and there are no cutscenes; in fact, the only shred of story comes from the mission briefing.”
- “The single player, while lacking in storyline, is a fun progression system that takes the Angry Birds star system that provides you with boons to your next mission or for backtracking.”
- “The campaign has no story at all; there are text blurbs for each mission, but without knowing who I am and what my faction stands for, it limits opportunities for deep tactical warfare.”
- “There is no story here, only a few lines of text before each map.”
- “The missions seemed more like skirmishes than actual missions - none of the objectives were particularly novel or interesting.”
gameplay
416 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
69%
7%
The gameplay of "8-Bit Armies" is a nostalgic homage to classic Command & Conquer titles, featuring straightforward mechanics that are easy to learn, making it accessible for newcomers to the RTS genre. While the fast-paced and enjoyable gameplay is praised, many players note its repetitiveness and lack of depth, with limited unit variety and strategic options leading to a feeling of monotony over time. Overall, it offers a fun experience for fans of retro RTS games, but may not satisfy those seeking more complex gameplay elements.
- “Extraordinary fun and flawless gameplay - didn't glitch a single time in 180+ hours of gameplay.”
- “Each game takes usually 10-20 minutes with fast, satisfying gameplay.”
- “If you love the classic command & conquer style RTS gameplay then this is the most fun you'll have with $15.”
- “The gameplay is boring.”
- “It gets boring too fast, the gameplay is too repetitive and it locks itself in a simple loop.”
- “Extremely simplistic gameplay with no depth of strategy.”
graphics
326 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
57%
1%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming 8-bit and voxel aesthetic, which some players find nostalgic and enjoyable, while others consider it simplistic and lacking depth. Despite the blocky visuals, many reviewers appreciate the game's fun animations and colorful design, noting that the graphics do not detract from the overall gameplay experience. However, there are mixed feelings about the art style, with some players feeling it is a gimmick that overshadows the gameplay's potential complexity.
- “Fun great graphics and really detailed despite the blocky look.”
- “The graphics are crisp, the presentation is coherent, and it is a lot of fun with friends.”
- “The visuals are bright and colorful, playing this is a blast.”
- “It does not have the storyline with videos that Command and Conquer had, it has very few different maps and the graphics are simple.”
- “The name 8-bit armies seems a bit misleading since this is not even vaguely reminiscent of 8-bit graphics beyond being blocky.”
- “My only real complaint is that I'm getting rather tired of the now very unoriginal block-based artwork that makes everything look like Lego.”
music
242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
3%
The music in "8-Bit Armies," composed by the legendary Frank Klepacki, is widely praised for its nostalgic ties to the classic Command & Conquer series, featuring catchy and memorable tracks that enhance the gameplay experience. Many players highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, often recommending it even if they find the game itself lacking in depth or variety. Overall, the music is considered a significant draw, with some players expressing a desire to keep the soundtrack even after uninstalling the game.
- “Frank Klepacki did an amazing job with the game's soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is great and very reminiscent of C&C/Red Alert (it's the same artist; Frank Klepacki) so I recommend getting the soundtrack edition if you like to listen to game music outside of the game.”
- “Nothing screams, 'C&C' like Klepacki music.”
- “It's fun for about 30 minutes and then you realize the AI is inexcusably stupid, the sounds are annoying and the music is repetitive.”
- “Also, Klepacki's music here sucks, I mean it.”
- “Well, aside from the music, you should look elsewhere.”
replayability
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
52%
6%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the bonus objectives and unlock systems that encourage multiple playthroughs, others find it repetitive and lacking depth. The campaign offers a fair amount of content and challenges, particularly in co-op and multiplayer modes, but many feel it doesn't reach the replay value of other titles in the genre. Ultimately, opinions vary widely, with some praising its replay potential and others deeming it insufficient.
- “These challenges give each level some replayability, since most of the time it is impossible to achieve the gold or even the silver challenge on the first try.”
- “The campaign has tons of replayability since it offers bonus objectives and cross-mission advancement in the form of starting resources.”
- “I had a blast running through the solo campaign, plan to complete the co-op campaign with a friend, and see a lot of replayability in terms of skirmish and online multiplayer.”
- “Too repetitive and too easy with low replayability.”
- “This would have been fine if more factions and replay value was added, but what you see now is probably what you're going to get.”
- “The game does lack depth though, which is something I think would add to the replayability.”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is characterized by its humorous pixel art and casual gameplay, featuring funny references and quirky details that add to its charm. While some players feel the jokes may fall flat at times, the overall silliness and colorful graphics contribute to a lighthearted experience, especially when played with friends. The presence of amusing easter eggs and unexpected scenarios enhances the comedic aspect, making it enjoyable for a few hours of play.
- “With casual gameplay, cute visuals, and funny references.”
- “Each level has some funny details to watch out for, such as animals hanging around or random skeletons.”
- “That game is fun, silly, and hilarious.”
grinding
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
10%
86%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking in variety, often requiring excessive repetition and minimal strategic depth. Many reviews highlight the monotony of using the same troops in battles, the cumbersome unit and building creation processes, and the frustrating nature of certain quests that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the nostalgic elements of classic RTS games, they feel the game fails to innovate or improve upon past shortcomings, leading to a grindy and sometimes boring gameplay experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Finally, some of the optional quests involve not being allowed to lose a single building, which can prove quite tedious and difficult for the wrong reasons.”
- “Now for campaigns, they are pretty grindy and boring, too many gold stars are timer based, the renegades campaign due to being longer but lacking content to acquire means it's pretty boring, and grinding those stars for so little stuff isn't all that good either. The guardians campaign is even worse; it's way too hard, it's the only time out of the 4 campaigns of armies & hordes that I failed a mission, also there are too many crate gathering missions too.”
- “While it pays homage to the RTS of days of old, it also failed to take note of where those games did poorly, and even shrugs off some of the innovations that would've made this game less tedious.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
56%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report it as "pretty much bug free," others experience significant issues such as frame drops, glitches, and problems with the lobby. Despite these bugs, many users feel that the gameplay remains enjoyable and that the glitches do not severely impact their experience.
- “The game runs great and is a lot of fun.”
- “It runs great.”
- “Pretty much bug free.”
- “It can drop frames, have weird shadow glitches, and I even had a time where it deselected half my units when I scrolled the map too fast.”
- “I've encountered a number of glitches and slowdown as well.”
- “I can't get past the buggy lobby.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
Overall, the game's optimization is described as moderately acceptable, with smooth performance on mid-spec computers, though some users noted areas like lobbies could use improvement. While the graphics are considered suitable for a budget title, expectations for performance could be higher given the simplistic style. The nostalgic elements and soundtracks are well-received, contributing positively to the overall experience despite some optimization shortcomings.
- “Graphics are okay if you like the style; everything runs smoothly.”
- “Personally, I'm just a fan of how the old Command and Conquer games play, and this is a more up-to-date, optimized, stylized version of that, with a few tweaks.”
- “This game not only provides all these aspects fully, its graphics are great as well as the music; it runs smoothly and does not require a $1000 PC to run it.”
- “It shows a lack of optimization.”
- “You would expect top performance from Minecraft-level graphics.”
- “This is one of the best RTS games I played in a long time, but there are things I don't like, like the lobbies; it could be optimized.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, reminiscing about their childhood experiences with classic titles like Command & Conquer. While the gameplay is enjoyable and evokes nostalgia, the repetitive and lackluster campaign story detracts from the overall emotional impact.
- “This game made me feel like how I felt when I was a little kid playing the Command & Conquer titles, like Red Alert 2, Yuri's Revenge, and Tiberian Sun.”
- “My first 8 player FFA online made me feel like I was 15 again, skirting responsibilities to stay up later to play.”
- “That also made me feel like I felt when I played the great old C&C games.”
- “Heartbreaking.”
- “Nice gameplay, long campaign, but the campaign has a very boring story and is repetitive.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
30%
60%
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the microtransactions for a good cause, while others criticize it as a rushed cash grab that prioritizes profit over quality. Many feel that the developers have abandoned the game in favor of releasing a re-skinned version, leading to dissatisfaction among the player base.
- “Microtransactions for a good cause! ”
- “Truth is, this whole game was rushed and is nothing more than a half-assed cash grab.”
- “Developers decided to go for the cash grab and abandon this broken game to release a re-skinned version.”
- “Does this game use real money for in-game purchases?”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its competitive vibe, enhanced by fitting music and effective sound effects that provide strong feedback. Players appreciate the immersive experience, noting that it contributes positively to their overall enjoyment.
- “The music is great and fits like a glove; the sound effects give good feedback and enhance the atmosphere.”
- “I've only started, but from what I've played, I really like what I see and feel from the atmosphere of the game.”