Acaratus
- May 25, 2017
- Nodbrim Interactive
Get on Steam"Acaratus is a historical turn-based strategy game with RPG elements, set in a medieval steampunk world. Assemble and customize your mechanized battle suits to help Adina, the leader of a slave rebellion, fight against the oppressing emperor Helios. Play in single-player mode with a randomized map and deep tactical gameplay, or battle it out against other players in the arena."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The mech customization is extensive and allows for a variety of builds and strategies.
- The turn-based combat system is engaging and can be enjoyable once players adapt to its mechanics.
- The game has potential and offers a nostalgic feel for fans of classic turn-based strategy games.
- The game is plagued by frequent crashes and technical issues, making it frustrating to play.
- The storyline is underdeveloped and often confusing, with many dialogue and narrative glitches.
- The overall presentation feels dated, with poor graphics and a lack of modern gaming amenities.
- story35 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of Acaratus is generally viewed as lackluster and confusing, with many reviewers describing it as "meh" and noting its simplistic and often nonsensical plot. Players have criticized the disjointed narrative structure, which can lead to accessing story chapters out of order, and the lack of engaging character development, making the overall experience feel forgettable. While some appreciate the game's attempt at a grand narrative, the execution is marred by bugs and a lack of depth, leaving many players unsatisfied.
“The story begins with a slave and their master Adina, who are fleeing the punishment of hiding a battlesuit from Helios forces. Now, in order to survive, they must fight back; however, their flight from penance stirs the warm coals of rebellion.”
“The story is simple yet works good enough.”
“Mech customization and the epic scope of the story (overdramatized) make this game similar to the recent Battletech game.”
“I won’t be playing again; the story was too light and the fights too long to do that.”
“But being forced to access story chapters out of order, buggy dialogue, randomly self-attacking mechs, and the inclusion of locked locations that you can't reach because there are no keys available is a bit annoying and may be a deal breaker for many.”
“The story also makes no sense as it doesn’t seem to be always told in order or even by the correct character.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay features an interesting mechanic centered around building and customizing mechs with various components, offering a unique blend of creativity and action card systems. However, many players find the mechanics underdeveloped and plagued by bugs, which detracts from the overall experience. While the combat is varied and enjoyable, the crafting system feels frustrating and some mechanics appear tacked-on, leading to a mixed reception overall.
“All very fun, if simple gameplay; finding different cores and equipping them with legs, arms, and such is all neat but the interesting bits are finding out you can do other things, like putting turrets on a core where the legs go so you can put a propeller and have it fly around harassing things (I called him air-raid) or a big mech that had a huge chest cannon with a ballista on top (I called him firebase).”
“The combat mechanics are relatively interesting and varied, although you don't really need to build and rebuild your mechs for every battle: a general assortment will usually do.”
“It has a unique blend of component builds for units matched with a supportive action card system in battles, which gives it a novel approach to this genre of gameplay.”
“A few mechanics seem to be tacked-on or underdeveloped.”
“The 'crafting' mechanic, which is basically just gambling slots, is somewhat frustrating, especially in the beginning when you have little money to spend on it.”
“The game also features a very confusing 'falling stones' mechanic in a few levels.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by significant stability issues, including frequent freezes during gameplay, particularly in the mecha-edit and garage modes, as well as various bugs that hinder progress and disrupt the user experience. Despite some enjoyable elements in mech customization and combat, the overall unpolished state, including glitches and erratic behavior, makes it largely unplayable and disappointing for many players.
“This game is perpetual winter...freezes all the time.....if this was the answer to a stable entertaining turn-based combat strategy....sorry, wrong answer...thought it was my computer....it's not....disappointing....”
“Game screen freezes on attempt to open the mecha-edit screen.”
“This game has some serious bugs, no jokes. I tried it one year later to check if they fixed them and it got stuck in the first mission. It's the same unplayable, buggy environment as one year ago. Can't refund it but also can't suggest it to anyone.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that they appear outdated and reminiscent of last-generation titles, lacking modern amenities and polish. While some appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and find the visuals serviceable, others criticize graphical glitches and a failure to meet expectations set by promotional images. Overall, the graphics seem to be a secondary concern for players who are more focused on gameplay elements.
“The core game is innovative, nostalgic of a 'tactics' game, and has enjoyable graphics, good customization, a lot of strategy, and pretty clever writing.”
“+graphics are good.”
“The game suffers from a few graphical glitches when a texture atlas flashes on screen or fonts become corrupted for a second inside combat, but I noticed nothing game-stopping.”
“But, with what appears to be a small budget and graphics that belong to last gen, does this game hold up?”
“Welcome to the 90s: the game lacks any real amenities that you’d expect in our current generation of gaming, no voice-overs, a serviceable but incomplete tutorial, and graphics that belong on a tablet.”
“Dated graphics, poorly implemented dialog system, simplistic combat, and an oversimplified world map.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by epic instrumental compositions and well-integrated sound effects that enhance the immersive experience, particularly during battles, creating an addictive and engaging atmosphere.
“The epic instrumental music, sound effects, strategic attacks, and counter melees all balance together smoothly to form a really addictive and immersive battle framework.”
