9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far

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In 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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 498 reviews

story21 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game captures the nostalgic feel of classic RTS games like Command & Conquer, providing a fun and engaging experience.
The addition of naval combat and new gameplay mechanics enhances the overall strategy and variety in gameplay.
The game features a solid campaign with enjoyable missions and a good level of challenge, along with a robust multiplayer mode.

The AI can be overly difficult, making it frustrating for casual players, especially with tight time limits on objectives.
There are issues with unit pathfinding and responsiveness, particularly when loading and unloading units from transports.
The game lacks variety in factions and units, leading to repetitive gameplay and a reliance on spamming units to win.

story
131 mentions
16 % positive mentions
76 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered weak and generic, with many reviewers noting a lack of memorable characters and repetitive mission objectives. While some appreciate the campaign's structure and the challenge of unlocking upgrades, the absence of a compelling narrative and the reliance on timed missions detract from the overall experience. Overall, the campaign feels more like a series of challenge missions rather than a cohesive story-driven 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 campaign is fulfilling with progression across missions, and unlocks from future missions that give you incentives to return to previous missions to steamroll with new units and upgrades.”
- “The story is extremely generic and boring; if you're only interested in playing campaign mode, I'd skip this for now.”
- “The characters are not memorable; missions are all the same; units are just flat and boring.”
- “Every mission is just kill specific buildings, defend specific buildings, or build buildings in certain areas.”
gameplay
76 mentions
29 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its fun mechanics, nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic RTS games like Command & Conquer, and a variety of mission challenges that keep it engaging. However, some players criticize certain mechanics as broken or overly simplistic, leading to a reliance on spam tactics rather than strategic depth. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable and smooth gameplay with new features, it may not satisfy veterans seeking more complexity.
- “Fun gameplay, interesting campaign mission challenges, and neat art style.”
- “The gameplay is fun; it is pretty much similar to Command and Conquer, but the campaign can lag quite a bit.”
- “The core mechanics of base-building, resource management, and tactical combat are well-executed.”
- “Broken transport ship mechanics pissed me off several times - can't pick up or offload properly, always some units left on the ground and you click again and again and again.”
- “How can you copy 20-year-old existing mechanics and make them broken? You had one job.”
- “The core gameplay feels uninspired, with blocky graphics and a reliance on unbalanced super weapons that overshadow tactical unit management.”
graphics
54 mentions
31 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the nostalgic 9-bit and voxel art style that evokes classic RTS games while adding a modern twist. Some players appreciate the charming retro aesthetic and smooth performance, while others criticize the simplistic visuals and lower production values compared to contemporary titles. Overall, the graphics are seen as a subjective aspect that may not appeal to everyone, but they effectively complement the gameplay experience.
- “The 9-bit aesthetic is charmingly retro, yet refreshingly new, making you feel like you’ve stepped into a digital time machine.”
- “The pixel art graphics and chiptune soundtrack perfectly complement the retro feel, adding to the overall appeal of the game.”
- “I like what they did with the graphics, very vibrant and crisp!”
- “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.”
- “I love the concept, but the graphics quality is just too low.”
music
47 mentions
60 % positive mentions
34 % 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. Many players appreciate the blend of retro chiptunes and modern beats, although some note that the soundtrack can feel repetitive and limited in variety. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, enhancing the gameplay experience and evoking fond memories for fans of the genre.
- “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.”
optimization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report poor FPS performance making it unplayable, others have experienced smooth gameplay even on older hardware. Overall, many users find the game well-optimized, with decent performance across various systems, though occasional issues persist.
- “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.”
- “So far all good, graphics are fine, performance also, music is phenomenal (Frank Klepacki strikes again!)”
- “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.”
humor
7 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 frustrating, detracting from the overall comedic experience.
- “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 humor feel more like a chore than a laugh.”
- “I expected some lighthearted moments, but the humor is so dry that it barely registers.”
stability
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being clunky and buggy, with players experiencing issues such as unresponsive controls and pathfinding glitches reminiscent of older titles. However, it performs well on the Steam Deck, indicating that while there are significant stability concerns, the overall experience remains enjoyable for many users.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The game is buggy sometimes; once it loaded, I could not 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.”
replayability
4 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.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and in need of improvement, with some expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of grinding for kills to progress in the veterancy system. Despite this, many still enjoy the overall gameplay and are hopeful for future updates.
- “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.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the campaign suffers from a lack of voice acting, which contributes to an overall deficiency in atmosphere, detracting from the immersive experience.
- “My only complaint is the lack of voice acting and the overall absence of atmosphere in the campaign.”
- “The game feels lifeless; the atmosphere is flat and doesn't draw you in.”
- “I expected a rich environment, but the atmosphere is dull and uninspired.”