Affected Zone Tactics
- November 17, 2015
- Light Vision Interactive
- 8h median play time
Get on SteamWelcome to Affected Zone Tactics, a tactical online game with cooperative turn-based PvP combats. Travel through the Tesla portal to a dangerous parallel world, lead the squad of reckless mercenaries, and outrage mighty corporations and cliques.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features enjoyable turn-based tactical gameplay reminiscent of XCOM, with various soldier types and abilities.
- Graphics are considered decent to beautiful, providing an engaging visual experience.
- The game is free-to-play, allowing players to try it without financial commitment, and it has potential for fun if players can overlook its flaws.
- The game suffers from significant pay-to-win mechanics, where players can gain substantial advantages through purchases.
- There are numerous technical issues, including poor optimization leading to low frame rates and server connection problems.
- Localization is poor, with many English translations being inadequate, making it difficult for non-Russian players to understand the game.
- gameplay20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a turn-based strategy that emphasizes tactical decision-making and stealth mechanics, reminiscent of the X-COM formula. While many players find the gameplay engaging and strategic, there are concerns about balance issues among classes, bugs, and a pay-to-win model that detracts from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game offers a solid foundation for those who enjoy deep tactical gameplay, though improvements are needed for a more enjoyable experience.
“The gameplay is solid and it left me wanting to play more.”
“It's tactical, not just run, spot, and kill; you need to learn each unit's gameplay and ways to counter it.”
“Strategic turn-based gameplay allows for deep tactics and proper team co-op.”
“I refuse to pay to win on the game, so my gameplay has been a slow learning curve (not much English help as all guides seem to be in Russian).”
“While other classes are so bad they're unplayable, such as the gunner (support) and heavy gunner (support), which take 3 turns to set up. Their range is okay, but they can use cover and just sit out in the open until they get shot to death in 1 turn. The RPG launcher (support) has a range/damage that is a joke, takes a full turn to reload, and the chance to hit is awful. In what world does a noob tube perform better in every single way than an RPG? The flamethrower (heavy infantry) isn't even a flamethrower unit; it just shoots rockets that deal 1 damage and then light the ground on fire, which you think would help, but nope, they just walk off of it and kill you while you waste your turn reloading. The sapper (commando) lays traps and mines, but I've never seen anyone play them in my 300+ games, so what does that tell you? These are all worthless when it comes to damage, combat skills, and overall gameplay.”
“All in all, this is a fun game, don't get me wrong, but right now it's too buggy. The gameplay and mechanics need a huge overhaul, and the pay-to-win aspect needs to be toned down a bit. Other than that, you guys have a fun and great game; it just needs a little more work and some love, and even I would spend money on this if it gets fixed up.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users praising the high detail of the 2D graphics and good optimization for smooth performance, while others criticize them as outdated and mediocre. Overall, the visual quality appears to vary significantly among players' experiences.
“2D graphics are high detail.”
“Good graphics and well optimized (60 fps on highest settings on most PCs).”
“The graphics are out of date.”
“Mediocre graphics.”
“2D graphics are high detail, but overall the visuals feel lacking.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game excessive and unbalanced, often requiring significant time investment to level up without sufficient rewards or incentives. Many describe the experience as tedious, likening it to a farming simulator focused more on profit than enjoyment.
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“But there is so much grinding involved to level up.”
“Feels a bit grindy... and not enough incentive to keep doing so.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely absent, with users noting a lack of engaging narrative content. While the instruction missions are well-executed, they highlight the overall deficiency in storytelling, leaving players wanting more depth and interaction.
“No story.”
“I only played the instruction missions, because there were no other players!”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is mixed; while some players report smooth performance at 60 fps on high settings with capable hardware, others experience significant frame rate drops, particularly on lower-end systems like the GTX 1060. Additionally, there are noted localization and UI issues that affect the overall optimization experience.
“Good graphics and well optimized (60 fps on highest settings on most PCs).”
“It's got localization issues and some UI issues in the area of optimization, but otherwise it's a pretty solid and fun tactical game.”
“Runs at 10 fps with a GTX 1060; very badly optimized.”
“It's got localization issues and some UI problems in the area of optimization, but otherwise it's a pretty solid and fun tactical game.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the irony of purchasing Steam packages that often fail to function as intended, which players find amusing given the game's reliance on these packages. Additionally, the occasionally humorous translations add to the lighthearted experience, despite the limited weapon selection. Overall, players appreciate the comedic elements woven into the gameplay.
“Although there aren't many players, the translation of the game is sometimes funny (just like my English :p). There's a limited selection of weapons, but all in all, I really enjoyed the game.”
“This one is hilarious! The game is intended to earn from those kinds of packages, but what you buy is just worthless.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is generally enjoyable, but players report significant stability issues, including bugs and gameplay mechanics that require substantial improvement. Additionally, concerns about the pay-to-win elements suggest that further adjustments are needed for a more balanced experience. Overall, while the potential is recognized, the game currently needs more work to enhance its stability.
“Overall, this is a fun game, don't get me wrong, but right now it's too buggy. The gameplay and mechanics need a huge overhaul, and the pay-to-win aspect needs to be toned down a bit. Other than that, you guys have a fun and great game; it just needs a little more work and some love. I would even spend money on this if it gets fixed up.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times. Stability is a major issue that needs to be addressed.”
“I love the concept, but the constant lag and server issues ruin the experience. Stability is a big problem that needs urgent attention.”
