A Year Of Rain
- March 13, 2020
- Daedalic Entertainment
Get on Steam"A Year of Rain" is a real-time strategy game set in a harsh, war-torn world where players must fight for survival. Choose from three factions and build, gather resources, and recruit units to conquer enemies in campaign or skirmish modes. The game emphasizes team play, with each player selecting a role to unlock unique technologies and coordinate with allies. Work together to break the cycle of violence and create a paradise amidst the desolation.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful art style and solid voice acting, creating an engaging atmosphere.
- The campaign has a good story and offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic RTS games like Warcraft 3.
- The game has potential for fun co-op gameplay, allowing players to team up and strategize together.
- Horrible pathfinding leads to units getting stuck and creates frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The lack of a save function means players must restart long missions if they fail, which can be very discouraging.
- The game has been abandoned by developers, leaving many bugs and issues unresolved, making it feel incomplete.
- story82 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of "A Year of Rain" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its engaging narrative and character development, while others criticize it for being uncreative and poorly paced. Many users express frustration over the lack of a save system during missions, leading to repetitive gameplay when mistakes occur, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, the game is noted to feel unfinished, with only a portion of the story available and unresolved plotlines, leaving players wanting more.
“The story definitely had a lot of love put into it, but I feel the pacing was weird at times and some of the acting wasn't the greatest.”
“The style, the story, and overall art of 'A Year of Rain' was really interesting.”
“The story is good, and it would be a blast at a LAN party or with friends.”
“The story seems competent at first, but while playing, you get the feeling there is something missing, like they just made a skeleton and forgot to put on the meat.”
“Just be aware that while the presentation of 'A Year of Rain' is spot-on (graphics, full voice acting, cutscenes, soundtrack, gorgeous artwork), the bad pathfinding, bad AI, and lack of a save system tend to ruin the experience: the bad AI makes interestingly designed missions blander than they should be, the pathfinding is a constant bother, and the lack of any save system whatsoever means you'll play a multi-stage mission for 30+ minutes, only to have one of your hero units get killed, resulting in mission failure.”
“The game is not enjoyable enough to tolerate the shallow story, nor is the story deep enough for me to tolerate the unenjoyable game.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and aesthetic reminiscent of classics like Warcraft 3 and Torchlight. However, players frequently note performance issues, such as lag and poor pathfinding, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are considered polished and appealing, they are often criticized for not being fully optimized, leading to frustrating gameplay moments.
“I like the setting, the factions, the graphics.”
“Visuals are really polished as well with a nice variety of different environments and occasional cutscenes in key moments.”
“The graphics are pretty slick and have a nice aesthetic to them.”
“I don't think the graphics justify the poor performance either.”
“The graphics are terrible on my 1920x1080 monitor.”
“Among other things, the graphics seem laggy; pathfinding doesn't work correctly (units remain standing or block each other), grouping units and switching between groups has some issues, and so on.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has been widely criticized for being unrefined and plagued by technical issues such as poor pathfinding, input delays, and a frustrating control scheme, which detracts from its potential. While some players appreciate the fun storytelling and unique mechanics reminiscent of classic RTS games like Warcraft 3, many feel that the game remains unfinished and lacks the polish expected from a completed title. Overall, despite some enjoyable elements, the gameplay experience is marred by significant bugs and balance issues, leading to a mixed reception.
“The gameplay has some potential.”
“Fun gameplay, enough for me to finish the campaign on hard.”
“Gameplay felt smooth and polished and the plot developing in the background and character dialogues definitely made it interesting to progress.”
“Gameplay-wise, it's the dumpster fire behind your local Denny's.”
“While it apes the same basic gameplay premise of a hero-led army limited by supply and the pretense of base-building, the absolutely abysmal control scheme, input delay, intolerable pathing, and terrain occlusion issues mean that a year of rain is nothing short of a chore to play at the best of times.”
“The bad: the game has very unrefined gameplay, which can be expected from an early access title.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly in performance and pathfinding, which detract from the overall experience, especially during larger-scale scenarios. Many players report choppy performance and difficulties handling multiple NPCs, indicating that the current graphics do not justify the poor performance. However, there is some optimism as the developers have prioritized addressing these issues in their roadmap.
“Okay, so as it is in its current state today, the game needs a lot of optimization to be anywhere popular or competitive.”
“That said, when I checked the roadmap, I am happy to see that both pathing and optimization are on the 'top priority' list, so this brings comfort.”
“Things that need to be addressed are indeed the pathfinding (characters and minions tend to block each other pretty easily, so going melee with lots of units makes not a lot of sense) and the performance of bigger-scale scenarios.”
“I don't think the graphics justify the poor performance either.”
“Poor optimization also appears to be another issue in the campaign specifically.”
“As others mentioned, the pathing needs work and performance is quite choppy to say the least, especially if you run the game for a while and get into a mid/end-game.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with multiple users reporting it as "buggy" and "incomplete," leading to a frustrating experience reminiscent of early access titles. While some players found potential in the gameplay, the overall consensus highlights a lack of polish and a dead community, making it difficult to recommend until improvements are made.
“The game is a buggy mess and the community is dead.”
“Played a few games and even though it's buggy or incomplete, the gameplay is there, so what a waste of a game with potential.”
“I know the game just came out but it's too buggy.”
- music6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with many users praising the soundtrack as enjoyable and well-integrated into the overall presentation, which includes good voice acting and artwork. However, some players noted that despite the strong musical elements, the game's unfinished state and gameplay issues detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack stands out as a highlight amidst the game's shortcomings.
“A great game which had lots of potential... sadly it's abandoned... even though it's always worth trying games out and checking what they have to offer, for this game surely has an amazing campaign, with great voice acting along with music!”
“Good soundtrack”
“I like the overall presentation of the game: clear interface, good voice synchronization, the soundtrack”
“While the presentation of the game is spot-on (graphics, full voice acting, cutscenes, soundtrack, gorgeous artwork), the music fails to leave a lasting impression and feels repetitive throughout the gameplay.”
“The soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't enhance the overall experience; it feels like background noise rather than an integral part of the game.”
“Despite the beautiful visuals and engaging story, the music lacks variety and fails to match the intensity of the gameplay, making it feel disconnected.”
- humor2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as generic and unfunny, particularly in the campaign, which feels unfinished and lacking in depth. However, some players found moments of surprising humor, making it enjoyable for casual play with friends, complemented by a nice soundtrack.
“Surprisingly good and funny game, although it's sadly visible that the game is unfinished. When you finish the campaign, you find that there are no other modes and the story remains incomplete. However, it's great for some weekend playing with friends, and it has a nice soundtrack.”
“The humor in this game feels generic and unfunny.”
“The jokes fall flat and lack originality.”
“I expected more laughs, but the humor just didn't land.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, although they appreciate the co-op approach and the developers' efforts to simplify certain elements of traditional RTS gameplay.
“Tedious.”
“I love their co-op approach, and how they want to simplify some aspects of RTS games that are a little tedious.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting that its short duration of around 8 hours significantly diminishes the incentive to play again.
“The game has no replay value and is way too short for its own good; 8 hours for an RTS?”
“Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
“The lack of diverse endings makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a strong concern about predatory monetization practices, with users warning against developers known for prioritizing profit over player experience, labeling their releases as "cash grabs."
“Keep this in mind and stay away from some of the worst developers in the industry when they release their next cash grab.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game shows potential, players express frustration with technical issues like poor pathing and low framerates during larger battles, which detracts from the overall emotional experience. Despite these setbacks, some users remain hopeful for future improvements.
