A.W.O.L.

About

A.W.O.L. is a single player tactical shooter game. It was developed by Shotspark Studios and was released on September 15, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A.W.O.L. is a first-person, mil-spec shooter developed using the Build engine (Duke Nukem 3D, Ion Fury), specifically a modernized version of the Build Engine based on the "EDuke32" source port which allows for modern hardware acceleration and modern controls while retaining the original 2D pixel sprite graphics. Originally conceived as a passion project by a small Build Engine mod team in the ea…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 700 reviews

story19 positive mentions

optimization10 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic shooters, effectively blending retro aesthetics with modern gameplay mechanics.
The gunplay is satisfying, with powerful weapon feel and enjoyable combat mechanics, making it fun to shoot enemies.
It's free to play, providing a decent amount of content and entertainment without any cost.

The AI for both enemies and squadmates is poorly implemented, often getting stuck or failing to engage effectively in combat.
Level design can be confusing and frustrating, particularly in the Dubai level, which is overly large and lacks clear navigation.
The game suffers from performance issues, with significant frame drops and bugs that can hinder the overall experience.

story
119 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
75%
9%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it uninteresting and poorly presented, often feeling like a distraction from gameplay. While some appreciate the attempt at a deeper narrative involving a special forces soldier on a quest, the execution—characterized by fast-paced text and comic-style cutscenes—leaves much to be desired, making it difficult for players to engage with the plot. Overall, the story is seen as a weak point, lacking clarity and emotional impact, which detracts from the overall gaming experience.
- “A good tactical boomer shooter with an interesting storyline.”
- “Unlike most boomer shooters and their modern imitators, this game strives to have a story with more depth to it than providing a simple premise of who we're shooting and why before leaving it at that.”
- “The story is decent, the gameplay is really fun.”
- “The story is presented horribly.”
- “The story is unremarkable and forgettable, with a plot revolving around chasing a drug lord and looking for the origins of a street designer drug from Russia to Dubai.”
- “These interminable plot dumps are not only unwelcome, but also impossible to follow, since they scroll past way too quickly for anyone to read them.”
gameplay
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
54%
10%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the fun and nostalgic shooting mechanics, while others criticize the clunky controls, poor AI, and lack of depth in squad mechanics. Many noted that the game feels unfinished, with limited level design and repetitive enemy behavior, though some appreciated the blend of retro and modern elements. Overall, while the core shooting experience can be enjoyable, significant improvements are needed in AI, level design, and gameplay mechanics to enhance the overall experience.
- “The gameplay itself is extremely fun.”
- “The core gameplay and shooting are fun, but the orientation and map design could use a fix!”
- “This game is very fun; the first episode is an action game with some stealth mechanics, and later on, it gives you your own squad to command.”
- “The movement mechanics and limited level geometry make it hard to design levels with good cover, and enemies have hit-scanning weapons, so you are guaranteed to take damage.”
- “Buggy companions, large and pointless maps, secrets that barely even work, a truly awful stamina mechanic with limited sprint making traversal so much more painful, and shooter mechanics that sort of just fall short.”
- “The controls in this game feel wonky, and the AI for your squad is somewhat terrible when they just stand and do absolutely nothing instead of shooting enemies. The game is poorly optimized for modern hardware and it lags for no reason at all when you get to certain areas.”
graphics
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
44%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the charming art style and visual effects that evoke nostalgia for classic shooters, while others criticize the overall execution as bland or poorly drawn. Some players appreciate the updates to visuals and the comic book cutscenes, but note performance issues and AI problems that detract from the experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point for the game, particularly for its use of the Build engine, though there are calls for improvements in detail and environmental ambiance.
- “Very good art style, lovely graphics.”
- “The team has talent and the visuals look beautifully charming.”
- “The graphics were good, I liked the visual style of the cutscenes with the comic book look.”
- “There's retro graphics, and then there's calling 'laziness' retro.”
- “As it is, it's a buggy mess that chugs on my computer that has no issues running games 100x more graphically intense.”
- “Unfortunately, the graphics are broken on AMD hardware, so I can't play this the way it's intended.”
optimization
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
67%
25%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and lag, particularly in larger levels like the Dubai map. While some users noted that the game can be enjoyable despite these technical shortcomings, the overall consensus is that it requires significant optimization and bug fixes to enhance playability. A few players experienced no major issues, but the majority agree that the game's performance detracts from the overall experience.
- “Honestly, if they ever fix the performance issues in the game, I'll concede that it's an amazing experience.”
- “This game would be solid if it were optimized and patched.”
- “I might try it again if it gets some performance updates because from what I saw, there's a lot of potential for this to be fun but it's mostly down to technical issues that ruin it.”
- “The performance, despite this being a 2.5D styled game running on a 30-year-old engine, is awful.”
- “Unfortunately, the developers were too ambitious starting at the Dubai level and created a massive maze level which is poorly optimized, glitchy, and absolutely terrible to navigate.”
- “I want to give this game a chance, but it is so horribly optimized that it's too hard to play.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
48%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchiness and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, particularly in specific levels. However, others criticize it for being repetitive, not matching the game's tone, and suffering from audio glitches, leading some to disable it entirely. Overall, while there are standout tracks, many feel the soundtrack could benefit from more variety and refinement.
- “Very nice music!”
- “The music is also super catchy, such as on the jungle level which features no more than a 3 second loop which I would gladly listen to a 10 hour YouTube version of.”
- “The music is absolutely fantastic and the gunfights feel as chaotic as F.E.A.R.'s, including the destruction left behind (to a lesser extent here as it is running on an older engine after all).”
- “The music doesn't match the tone at all.”
- “L looks great, the guns sound great, but where it drastically falls short is with its irritating audio glitching and its rather mediocre, if not subpar, soundtrack.”
- “The music is the one thing I absolutely can’t stand about this game, and so I disabled it a few seconds into the first mission.”
stability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
96%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs affecting gameplay, AI behavior, and level design. Players note issues such as unresponsive squad commands, visual glitches, and broken mechanics that hinder progression. While some find enjoyment in the game's core elements, the overall consensus is that it requires significant updates and optimization before being considered ready for a mainstream release.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck, really fun.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a stable gameplay experience.”
- “Still a buggy mess that hasn't been updated after the 2023 promise that 'they will do updates in the future'.”
- “Buggy companions, large and pointless maps, secrets that barely even work, a truly awful stamina mechanic with limited sprint making traversal so much more painful, and shooter mechanics that sort of just fall short.”
- “As it is, it's a buggy mess that chugs on my computer that has no issues running games 100x more graphically intense.”
monetization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
88%
The monetization model of the game is generally well-received, as it is free-to-play without heavy reliance on pay-to-win mechanics or gambling microtransactions. Players appreciate the focus on delivering a quality experience rather than resorting to exploitative practices, contributing to the game's enjoyable and nostalgic feel.
- “Buggy but free (but not full of pay-to-win/gambling microtransactions) and fun!”
- “You can tell they wanted to make something good, as opposed to the soulless cash grabs and lazy Unity asset flip shooters.”
- “Ads controller sensitivity is bad.”
- “The monetization feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its chaotic AI, which leads to absurd and comical situations, such as NPC allies exhibiting erratic behavior and failing at basic navigation. Players find the glitches and nonsensical actions of both enemies and allies to be entertaining, contributing to a lighthearted and humorous experience throughout gameplay. Overall, the game's comedic elements stem from its intentional and unintentional absurdities, making for a uniquely funny experience.
- “Duke 3D was funny exactly because it was nothing like that.”
- “A final mention should go to the AI, which is a hilarious mess, both on the enemies and especially on your NPC allies, whose massive health pools fail to distract from the fact that they're a few rifles short of a platoon if you catch my drift, leaning towards spastic freakouts in place of functional pathfinding, speeding around corridors like they're on a sugar rush, falling off ledges, glitching behind walls and never quite understanding how to use stairs.”
- “The amount of times these dumb characters decide to jump off a cliff or a tall building is hilarious, and luckily there's no mission failed for it since they always reappear later on anyways.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and tedious, often requiring significant effort to progress through levels that lack fluidity and are filled with repetitive enemy encounters. The experience can feel monotonous, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “All the levels look pretty cool, especially for build, but don't really flow and more often than not get tedious with endless hitscanner corridors, where enemies often can't see far enough to react to you.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its well-placed effects and sound visual design, creating a varied and enjoyable experience. The use of bespoke sprite and texture art enhances the nostalgic feel, contributing to a captivating environment. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be a strong point of the game.
- “The atmosphere is good, effects are well placed, and the visual design is sound.”
- “It has a very good atmosphere and is also varied; the gameplay is enjoyable.”
- “The game employs bespoke sprite and texture art, creating environments that are both nostalgic and atmospheric.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted as a strong point, with engaging writing and diverse character designs that enhance the overall experience. While there are minor frustrations, they are overshadowed by the impressive level design and tactical elements that contribute to the characters' depth.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character as their stories unfold.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly impact their growth and relationships.”
- “The writing and depth of each character make their journeys feel personal and engaging, enhancing the overall experience.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight that a compelling story, even a simple one, significantly enhances the gaming experience by fostering emotional investment in characters and events, leading to a more immersive and impactful journey. This emotional connection is often described as wholesome, enriching the overall gameplay.
- “A good story, even a basic one, can alter the gaming experience in a uniquely positive way, adding to the immersion and emotionally investing the player in the characters and events that take place, generating a much more connected and impactful experience.”
- “Something about this just feels incredibly wholesome.”