Age of Apes
- September 29, 2020
- Tap4fun (Hong Kong) Limited
- 3h median play time
Age of Apes is a strategy game that combots an intriguing story, phenomenal game mechanics, and perfect graphics with lots of grinding, frequent ads, and bugs. As a war monkey, your goal is to conquer space and build your own empire among the stars. While the game is undoubtedly funny and entertaining, players should be prepared for its drawbacks. The official description is: "War Monkey and Conquer the Space!"
Reviews
- monetization604 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players feeling misled by advertisements that depict a vastly different gameplay experience. While some users appreciate the lack of intrusive ads and the ability to progress without mandatory in-game purchases, others highlight the prevalence of microtransactions and the perception of the game as a cash grab. Overall, the consensus is that the game's monetization strategy, combined with deceptive advertising, detracts from the overall experience.
“Doesn't seem like you need to make any in-game purchases to get far in the game.”
“No ads makes it very enjoyable.”
“Although in-app purchases are available, you don't need to pay to win.”
“Everything costs micro pay. Tried to give the game a chance after the misleading representation of advertisements... terrible choice to download. Trust me, you have played this type of game before. You use some event as advertisement instead of advertising the 99% of the game you left out. Seems like that's because people will think this game is trash... which you're right, it is trash. Thanks for the experience!”
“The game is completely different, is a game of construction and build economy, with either watching ads for money or pay-to-win options. The advertisement showed apes collecting bananas for power and smashing your way through other apes to win.”
“The game play in the ads is nothing like the downloaded game. Ads are extremely misleading as to the game play.”
- graphics367 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game have received a mixed reception from users. Many praise the visuals as "amazing," "beautiful," and "smooth," highlighting the artwork, animations, and character designs as standout features. However, some players express disappointment with the actual gameplay graphics, noting inconsistencies compared to promotional materials, and suggesting that improvements are needed in detail and performance.
“The artwork and animations are fabulous, and the fact that there are voice overs is a nice, unexpected touch.”
“Great modern and stylish graphics and a fun storyline as the game teaches you and unlocks new features.”
“The graphics are amazing compared to other mobile games; it has good dialog, and it is overall a great game to have.”
“Instead I played a silly mini game with terrible graphics.”
“The cutscenes are nice but the actual gameplay graphics are bad.”
“Terrible graphics, bland boring gameplay, and overall waste of time and space.”
- story365 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging plot, high-quality cutscenes, and good voice acting. However, some users express disappointment that the gameplay does not align with the advertised fighting elements, often feeling more like a city-building puzzle game. While the storyline is described as interesting and creative, there are concerns about repetitiveness and the lack of meaningful gameplay progression, which can detract from the overall experience.
“This game is not like others and actually includes an interesting storyline, high-quality cutscenes, and good voice acting.”
“The storyline, voice of characters, and graphics are so nice and fun.”
“I love the creativity and story about it, but it can move a little bit better and be a little bit bigger.”
“Do not play this game. Although it has its moments, it's not worth the grind to get quest locked after numerous times messaging support. No solution was ever found, and I was only lied to and told the quest lock is my fault.”
“The storyline is just a bunch of clicking. It feels repetitive and lacks depth, making the game boring.”
“The game has a solid story, but the gameplay is dull and doesn't match the army battling that was advertised. It feels more like a simple puzzle game.”
- gameplay255 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the significant disparity between the advertised gameplay and the actual experience. While some appreciate the graphics and certain mechanics, others criticize the gameplay as repetitive, dull, and overly simplistic, often likening it to generic city-building games. Additionally, concerns about pay-to-win mechanics and misleading advertisements have further marred the overall perception of the gameplay experience.
“I love the gameplay! This game has literally everything I need to not be bored.”
“The gameplay, graphics, and controls are well thought out! The graphics are so smooth, the gameplay is great!”
“Overall, Age of Apes is a very fun game that is just good for passing time and with the gameplay combined with the sprinkled cutscenes every now and then, I just love it so much.”
“But the gameplay is nothing like what's advertised.”
“The gameplay advertised is just a minigame that makes up a very small fraction of the game, the rest of the game is just another painfully generic city builder where you harvest resources and build units and do the same boring gameplay as all these other games with misleading ads.”
“Terrible graphics, bland boring gameplay, and overall waste of time and space.”
- stability106 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of glitches, freezes, and crashes that severely impact gameplay. Many players express frustration over persistent bugs that disrupt their experience, particularly after updates, leading some to uninstall the game altogether. While a few users note that the game runs smoothly at times, the overwhelming sentiment is that the stability issues detract from what could otherwise be an enjoyable experience.
“Early days but so far everything looks and runs great.”
“Good overall, no glitches as of yet.”
“Cool, always got stuff to do and most of all, no glitches. 10/10 👍”
“Now as for all the glitches that never get fixed, it's just ridiculous.”
“Constant glitches, every update has more and more.”
“It's a fun game pretty simple but freezes and crashes constantly when you're trying to do things at your town or even mid-game lags really bad.”
- humor59 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many players finding it both hilarious and engaging, often highlighting the funny storylines, character interactions, and animations that contribute to a lighthearted experience. While some users wish for more vibrant visuals to match the comedic tone, the overall consensus is that the game successfully incorporates humor in a way that sets it apart from others in the genre. However, a few players express disappointment with certain aspects, such as monetization and misleading advertisements, which detract from the comedic enjoyment.
“This game is both hilarious and amazingly fun.”
“It's easy to understand and follow; the animation and story almost had me on the floor laughing.”
“Great game, it's very interactive and has an insanely funny storyline; it's great!”
“Not funny, this is a pay-to-win game. It had a bank to store credits for 'high interest,' so I stored most of my credits in the bank. Now the entire bank building is nowhere to be found. Where is that high interest?”
- grinding35 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the ability to progress through grinding without excessive pay-to-win mechanics, others find it tedious and repetitive, leading to frustration. Some users enjoy the variety of gameplay elements and the long-term engagement, but issues like lost progress and a lack of strategic depth in farming detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a solid grinding experience, but it may not be for everyone due to its repetitive nature and potential technical issues.
“Very fun, nice story and not too grindy.”
“The game is a blast for a week and a half if you spend $20, but then it grinds to a screeching halt and becomes tedious.”
“Gameplay is gated by tedious gathering and upgrading.”
“It's mind and soul-suckingly boring; tediously and repetitively repeating tasks nonstop.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some users reporting smooth performance and enjoyable gameplay, while others highlight significant issues such as overheating devices, inconsistent performance, and a confusing user interface. Many players feel that the game requires substantial optimization to improve responsiveness and overall experience, especially given the frequent updates that seem to introduce more pay-to-win features rather than enhancements. Overall, while the game has potential, its optimization needs considerable attention.
“Fun game, very optimized and well designed.”
“Seems to run smoothly and has lots of things to do.”
“Also good performance.”
“However, it needs a lot of optimization; it heats up the phone with just 10 minutes of gameplay.”
“Worst game optimization; no quick response to gameplay.”
“Every update makes it worse as no optimization occurs; rather, they are used to add additional pay-to-win features.”
- music9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the soundtrack and its integration with the storyline, others express a desire for more background music options and criticize the game's reliance on outdated free-to-play mechanics. Overall, the graphics and music are generally well-received, but there are calls for improvements in the music settings and variety.
“Nice graphics and soundtrack.”
“I love the storyline, the music, and the graphics between game stages.”
“It has good music, but it uses the outdated method of 'free-to-play' gaming.”
“Just found your game and I have to say I love it, but why can't you just have the background sound on without the music? Do all the buildings change as you level them up? They all still look the same and the same color.”
“Maybe you forgot to set background music.”
“The music is not very engaging and feels repetitive.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the character development is marked by beautiful and unique character designs, complemented by impressive graphics and animation. Overall, the aesthetic quality of the characters is a standout feature.
“Character design is beautiful.”
“Wonderful graphics and unique character design.”
“Very nice animation and character design.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express a sense of heartbreak as they witness the game's decline, feeling that repetitive tasks and a lackluster story detract from the overall experience. The emotional weight of the game's nearing end resonates strongly, highlighting a bittersweet attachment despite its shortcomings.
“But seeing the game almost finish is heartbreaking.”
“The repetitive tasks and side quests made it hard to feel any emotional connection to the story.”
“The boring story and lack of character development left me feeling indifferent throughout the game.”
“The city-building aspect overshadowed any potential emotional depth, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is unique and evolves over time, creating a sense of immersion that gradually captivates players.
“The atmosphere is unique and immersive; it truly grows on you.”
“The game's atmosphere envelops you, making every moment feel alive.”
“There's a haunting beauty to the atmosphere that lingers long after you stop playing.”
“The atmosphere feels empty and lifeless, lacking any real immersion.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is dull and uninspired.”
“The environment is forgettable, failing to create any sense of tension or excitement.”