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8-Bit Hordes

A wonderful title for all skill levels, 8-Bit Hordes is sure to delight gamers of all ages.
8-Bit Hordes Game Cover
74%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
stability, monetization
80% User Score Based on 510 reviews
Critic Score 65%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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8-Bit Hordes Game Cover

About

8-Bit Hordes is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game with fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by Petroglyph and was released on August 12, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"8-Bit Hordes" is a real-time strategy game with a retro 8-bit art style. Players can choose between two factions, lead troops, gather resources, and build bases to defeat their enemies. The game features a single-player campaign, multiplayer mode, and a variety of unit types with unique abilities.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
8-Bit Hordes screenshot
+10
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80%
Audience ScoreBased on 510 reviews
story20 positive mentions
monetization4 negative mentions
  • The game is simple, fun, and well polished, making it a great addition for fans of classic RTS games.
  • It features a charming 8-bit aesthetic and nostalgic gameplay reminiscent of Warcraft and Command & Conquer.
  • The multiplayer aspect allows for cross-play with other 8-bit titles, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from balance issues, particularly between factions, leading to a lack of strategic depth.
  • The campaign lacks a compelling story and can feel repetitive, with missions often boiling down to similar objectives.
  • Technical issues such as AI pathfinding problems and server instability in co-op mode detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • story
    130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "8-bit Hordes" is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many missions feeling disconnected and offering only brief text descriptions. Players note that the campaign consists of repetitive objectives across skirmish maps, devoid of engaging narratives or cutscenes, which diminishes the overall experience. While some appreciate the humor and unique mission designs, the consensus is that the game falls short in delivering a compelling story, making it feel more like a series of tasks than a cohesive campaign.

    • “Very fun to play, humorous little story throughout the game.”
    • “The threadbare 'story' is even slightly more interesting this time around, acknowledging the weirdness of the series and breaking the fourth wall a bit.”
    • “The campaign in 8-bit hordes is a lot better compared to 8-bit armies; the missions are a lot more unique.”
    • “The story consists of one paragraph to read per mission.”
    • “The campaigns for each faction are a bit lackluster, with no real story, voice acting, or cutscenes, just a series of skirmish maps with different scenarios to play through.”
    • “The story, again, lacks coherence and when you're done there's just 'nothing', which makes every achievement seem somewhat trivial.”
  • graphics
    79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming 8-bit pixel art style that evokes nostalgia while remaining accessible and visually appealing. Many reviewers appreciate the simplistic yet beautiful animations and level designs, likening the aesthetic to classic RTS games like Warcraft and Command & Conquer, though some criticize it for being overly simplistic or repetitive. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for fans of retro-style visuals.

    • “The art style is just beautiful and animations are simplistic yet add to the game so much.”
    • “The graphics are just beautiful and the gameplay is a lot of fun.”
    • “Excellent graphical styling, music, and sound effects.”
    • “This game is basically a watered down version of Warcraft 3 with pseudo-8-bit graphics.”
    • “They're just copy pastes with little cutesy graphics, and all 3 games are laid out in the exact same fashion, with the exact same interface and resource gathering.”
    • “The graphics are designed to be fairly simple to reduce the strain of the game on your PC, particularly with the army sizes the game can reach.”
  • gameplay
    71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "8-bit Hordes" is characterized by its straightforward and addictive real-time strategy mechanics, allowing players to build bases, gather resources, and command large armies in a fast-paced environment. While the game features a unique multiplier system for unit production and supports up to eight players, some players find the mechanics a bit simplistic and the campaign repetitive. Overall, it appeals to fans of classic RTS games with its charming aesthetics and engaging gameplay, despite some calls for improvements in unit management and mechanics.

    • “8-bit Hordes commemorates the first Command & Conquer game, features addictive gameplay, and has a great chance to charm the community.”
    • “The main thing that makes the gameplay unique is that building additional buildings provides a multiplier bonus that stacks infinitely, allowing you to grow armies to ludicrous sizes quickly.”
    • “The graphics are just beautiful and the gameplay is a lot of fun.”
    • “Mechanics that this game does not have are just some things that either need to be added through another game (or update) that would make it a little less confusing to get used to the game by improving the mechanics. No offense to the people who made the game; this is a good game, just needs a few improvements.”
    • “This is just not a good way to handle building or training units. Something I like to do in Dawn of War or Age of Empires 3 is building units while building my defenses, and this mechanic just does not help me because it drains too much money. Having something drain my money while building troops and not warning me when I can't make more units because I'm out of money is frustrating.”
    • “While I didn't like the gameplay for personal reasons, I can see this as a great game if you like the style: as the name implies, you 'control' hordes of troops against other equally big hordes.”
  • music
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music, composed by Frank Klepacki, receives mixed reviews; while many praise its quality and nostalgic appeal, particularly its medieval themes, some feel it lacks the excitement of his previous works. Critics note that the soundtrack can be loud and occasionally overshadowed by gameplay, leading to a less immersive experience. Overall, it is recognized as a solid contribution to the game's atmosphere, though opinions vary on its standout nature compared to Klepacki's earlier compositions.

    • “This game is really fun, great selection of units, nice setting, fun tongue-in-cheek style and an awesome soundtrack (it's Frank Klepacki, of course it would be awesome, and he went all in on the fantasy sound here).”
    • “The maps just look gorgeous with the new props and Frank did a remarkable job (as usual) with the music!”
    • “Excellent graphical styling, music, and sound effects.”
    • “Good lord, f2p crap with the music from Frank Klepacki himself... the man who composed Act on Instinct, Hell March and one of my most favorite VG tracks of all time – Huline Jungle from Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny... good grief...”
    • “The music is quite loud sometimes and it's retro style.”
    • “Music: it's Frank Klepacki again, but the 'medieval themes', while suitably 'epic' and '8-bitty' aren't really that outstanding compared to his other work.”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game's humor to be a standout feature, describing it as genuinely funny and satisfying despite its straightforward gameplay mechanics. The comedic elements are enhanced by amusing graphics and entertaining scenarios, such as overwhelming enemy bases with a massive airship attack, which adds to the overall enjoyment.

    • “Not terribly complicated, but funny and ultimately satisfying.”
    • “The goals are pretty much the same: destroy this, build this, collect this, which is always funny, when you just bum rush the enemy base in the final mission with 20 air ships and instantly win by destroying their HQ... lol.”
    • “- funny graphics”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game is reported to be "pretty much bug free," indicating a stable experience for players. However, issues with simplistic AI and the need for extensive micromanagement can detract from the overall stability, making gameplay more challenging than intended.

    • “Pretty much bug free.”
    • “With buggy and very simplistic AI, you have to micromanage everything in the game, which is not the easiest thing in the world to do with the simplistic control schemes.”
  • monetization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for resembling a cash grab, with some users pointing to the presence of pay-to-win microtransactions and low-quality offerings that feel exploitative. Overall, the approach to in-game purchases has left players feeling frustrated and skeptical about the game's value.

    • “The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure players into spending money.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of ways to earn in-game currency without spending real money.”
    • “The balance between free content and paid options is well done, making it enjoyable for all players.”
    • “From ultra-cheap games that felt almost like a scam (Guardians of Graxia is a nice example of that) to F2P nonsense with pay-to-win microtransactions.”
    • “Making this its own game feels like a cash grab.”
    • “This is just a cash grab DLC cloak and dagger.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the well-designed missions and the variety in difficulty levels and objectives, contributing to a strong sense of replayability. Overall, the game offers a good replay value that encourages players to revisit its content.

    • “The missions are well designed, and I really like what they did with the difficulty levels and objectives; the replayability is excellent.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players have criticized the grinding aspect of the game, particularly in the Deathsworns campaign, describing it as a tedious and time-consuming experience. Many levels require excessive grinding to progress, often due to imbalanced matchups against stronger enemies, leading to prolonged battles and repetitive unit production. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant detractor from the gameplay experience.

    • “I completed the Deathsworns campaign and frankly it was a horrible grindfest. Several levels took way too much time to finish due to the fact that against Lightbringers, the Deathsworns really didn't match up. The last level, after losing tons of troops and hopelessly getting blown up by the Lightbringers, I deadlocked over half of the map with watchtowers to prevent as much enemy harvester movement and gather as much as humanly possible for myself. When finally all the money nodes on the map were exhausted, I was able to move on the assault. Otherwise, the enemies were able to build too many troops to resist invasion, and mostly I was forced to rely on masses of balloons to destroy their key structures. I kept having to make new units of balloons to be able to clear every objective on the map. It took me an hour of grinding to be able to clear it because frankly the Deathsworns aren't a match.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that the game features improved optimization and balance, enhancing overall performance and gameplay experience.

    • “The improved optimization and balance have significantly enhanced my gameplay experience.”
    • “I really appreciate the improved optimization and balance; it makes everything feel smoother.”
    • “The game's improved optimization and balance have made a noticeable difference in performance.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is praised for its nostalgic blend of classic Warcraft and Command & Conquer aesthetics, successfully modernized for contemporary systems while retaining the charm of the original titles. This combination creates a compelling and immersive experience for players.

    • “The game captures the classic Warcraft 1 and 2 look and atmosphere, combined with elements from classic Command and Conquer, all tailored for modern systems with contemporary RTS features. It's a match made in heaven!”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is marked by quirky and humorous designs, such as skeletons with amusing traits, but is overshadowed by issues like faction imbalance and a challenging co-op campaign that may frustrate players.

  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with users noting that while the gameplay is enjoyable and the campaign is lengthy, the story is perceived as boring and repetitive, detracting from the overall emotional engagement.

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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

8-Bit Hordes is a real-time strategy game with fantasy and historical themes.

8-Bit Hordes is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

8-Bit Hordes was released on August 12, 2016.

8-Bit Hordes was developed by Petroglyph.

8-Bit Hordes has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

8-Bit Hordes is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include 8-Bit Armies, Grey Goo, 9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far, Forged Battalion, Kingdom Wars 2: Battles and others.