9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far
- August 26, 2024
- Petroglyph
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamIn 9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far, players command military forces across diverse battlefields in this retro real-time strategy game, with enhanced features like airborne soldiers, bridge destruction, and superweapons. Team up with others in co-op campaigns or compete in online skirmishes for up to 8 players, and expand your experience with Steam Workshop integration for custom maps, mods, and more. This sequel now includes two-player co-op mode once again.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the nostalgic feel of classic RTS games like Command & Conquer, providing a fun and engaging experience.
- The art style and soundtrack are fantastic, with music composed by Frank Klepacki, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The gameplay is accessible yet challenging, with a good balance of unit types and mechanics that encourage strategic thinking.
- The campaign missions often have tight time limits for objectives, which can detract from the enjoyment and strategic planning.
- There are only two factions available, leading to a lack of variety and depth in gameplay options.
- The AI can feel unbalanced, often overwhelming players with large armies and making it difficult to enjoy the game at lower difficulty settings.
- story149 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered weak and generic, lacking depth and memorable characters, with many players feeling it fails to engage them meaningfully. While some appreciate the campaign's structure and mission variety, the overall narrative is often overshadowed by repetitive objectives and a lack of voice acting, leading to a feeling of disconnection from the plot. Despite its charm and humor, the storytelling is seen as a missed opportunity, with many reviewers suggesting that the game relies too heavily on familiar RTS tropes without offering a compelling narrative experience.
“The campaign pleasantly surprised me with its competent story, fun and varied missions, and unique upgrade system that 'levels up' your units based on your performance.”
“The story, while not groundbreaking, is charming and filled with humor.”
“The game features a story campaign which is well designed and has an interesting story.”
“The story is extremely generic and boring; if you're only interested in playing campaign mode, I'd skip this for now.”
“This plot throws you in without explaining anything, as if you already know these factions.”
“Missions felt like doing the same exact thing over and over again; the story was non-existent, while, most importantly, the whole thing came with a terrible free-to-play aftertaste.”
- gameplay88 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic RTS titles like Command & Conquer, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic or reliant on arcade mechanics. Players appreciate the smooth controls, diverse mission objectives, and the blend of old and new mechanics, but some find the core gameplay uninspired and lacking depth, particularly in terms of strategic options and AI behavior. Overall, it offers a fun and accessible experience for newcomers, though veterans may find it lacking in complexity and originality.
“Great art style, good gameplay, and a banger of a soundtrack by Frank Klepacki.”
“The gameplay is richly detailed, rewarding players who enjoy meticulous planning and resource management.”
“For RTS enthusiasts like myself, the gameplay is a true delight, providing ample opportunities for technical prowess in PvP encounters.”
“It's really too bad, this should have been right up my alley, except there are too many arcade mechanics in here to make it a worthy successor to the eternal classics.”
“The core gameplay feels uninspired, with blocky graphics and a reliance on unbalanced super weapons that overshadow tactical unit management.”
“If this game had any soul or well-written characters it might carry the generic gameplay, but it doesn't.”
- graphics64 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant, retro-inspired art style that evokes nostalgia while incorporating modern elements. Some players appreciate the crisp visuals and smooth performance, likening them to classic RTS games, while others criticize the simplistic graphics and blocky design, feeling they detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a charming blend of old-school aesthetics and contemporary design, though opinions on their execution vary.
“The graphics are crisp and modern.”
“The game’s 9-bit graphics are an absolute treat!”
“The pixel art graphics and chiptune soundtrack perfectly complement the retro feel, adding to the overall appeal of the game.”
“The graphics are a nostalgic nod to the golden age of gaming, but with a modern twist that takes it a bit too far – in a good way!”
“I never would have gotten this game if I'd realized it was voxels; the art style is totally abhorrent.”
“Good game with bad performance compared to the graphics it has.”
- music52 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game, composed by the legendary Frank Klepacki, has received widespread acclaim for its nostalgic and energetic quality, reminiscent of classic Command & Conquer soundtracks. While many players praise the soundtrack as a highlight that enhances the overall experience, some note that it can feel repetitive and would benefit from more variety. Overall, the music is celebrated as a significant aspect of the game, contributing to its charm and appeal.
“The soundtrack is a wonderful mix of retro chiptunes and modern beats, perfectly complementing the game’s aesthetic.”
“Having Frank Klepacki come back for the soundtrack really helps it hit home (and is now in my music rotation).”
“The soundtrack is a real highlight, which somehow manages to perfectly capture the industrial C&C soundtrack from the 90s, but in a modern 8-bit inspired sound.”
“It's an obvious no (even frank's music can't save it).”
“Music got a bit repetitive; I love what Frank Klepacki did with C&C, but here it doesn't feel super impactful somehow. Hopefully, whatever he composes for the future factions will have more variety.”
“Meh game, and devs are kinda scummy for not putting it on sale without its 'soundtrack,' which makes it slightly more expensive than the base game.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews; while many players report smooth performance even on lower-end hardware, some experience significant frame rate issues that hinder gameplay. Most users appreciate the game's ability to handle large battles without major drops in performance, but a few note that it struggles with optimization compared to its graphical demands. In general, the game is considered well-optimized for a variety of systems, allowing for enjoyable play across different setups.
“Even with 8 insane AI players on the map and large armies battling on screen, the performance stays superb!”
“The game runs smoothly on my GTX 2080 with everything on max settings.”
“The game is also really well optimized; playing on a 10-year-old laptop, I locked the game to 30 FPS and had zero frame drops in a 4-player FFA skirmish.”
“Poor FPS performance makes the game unplayable.”
“Good game with bad performance compared to the graphics it has.”
“There are occasional performance issues and so on.”
- humor7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- -29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a highlight, featuring witty dialogue and quirky characters that elicit genuine laughter, even amidst challenging gameplay. While the story may not be groundbreaking, it is charming and filled with amusing elements, including goofy enemies reminiscent of popular sci-fi tropes. However, some players find the mission timers detract from the humor, making certain aspects feel less enjoyable.
“The witty dialogue and quirky characters will have you laughing out loud, even when your carefully laid plans go a bit too far awry.”
“It’s a bit too far-fetched, a bit too challenging, and a bit too funny – and that’s exactly why it’s a must-play.”
“The story, while not groundbreaking, is charming and filled with humor.”
“You won't even find a casual break on easy mode; it's not funny at all, everything is on a stupid timer.”
“The jokes fall flat and feel forced, making the game more frustrating than entertaining.”
“I expected some lighthearted moments, but the humor is so stale that it detracts from the overall experience.”
- stability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant bugs and clunky mechanics, particularly in mission-specific tasks and unit interactions. However, others have praised its performance on platforms like the Steam Deck, highlighting that it runs well for an early access title despite some lingering issues. Overall, while there are notable stability concerns, many players still find the game enjoyable.
“It runs great on Steam Deck; the only downside is the lack of controls mapped to more than just the triggers and the right pad.”
“The overall quality of this game is good; it's not very buggy for an early access game, and aspects like art and pathfinding are also well done.”
“Also, for an early access title, it runs great!”
“The game is still poorly made and is clunky as heck, with many bugs. For instance, in one of the missions, I was unable to build a certain structure because the corresponding button was bugged.”
“It's buggy sometimes; once it loaded and I couldn't move units, and another time I couldn't kill a final enemy unit.”
“9ba is still a fun game overall, but version 1.0 was rushed with a slapped-together second campaign. Many obvious features that were present in RTS games from 30 years ago are still missing, along with several bugs and the same pathfinding glitches when loading units onto transports that were present in RA1 from 1996.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to repetitive combat across numerous maps and the need to grind for kills to progress in the veterancy system. While some appreciate the overall game experience, many express a desire for improvements to reduce the monotony associated with grinding.
“At the current stage, the game feels tedious to play.”
“This is very tedious and should be changed ASAP.”
“The player can obtain these through their veterancy system, but it requires grinding kills, aka grinding previous missions to level it up like an MMO.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through enjoyable game modes, diverse enemies in missions and survival mode, and a map editor that allows players to create and share custom scenarios. This variety enhances the overall experience and encourages players to return for new challenges.
“All game modes are very enjoyable, and the game overall has a good deal of replayability.”
“The unique aspect is that in missions and the survival mode (which I was looking forward to the most), there are different enemies that enhance both the missions and the replayability.”
“The unique aspect is that in missions and the survival mode (which I was looking forward to the most) there are different enemies that enhance the missions and improve replayability.”
“Multiplayer and replayability are lacking.”
“Additionally, the game features a map editor, which adds a significant amount of replayability as you can create and share custom scenarios with the community.”
