AirMech Wastelands

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AirMech Wastelands is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Carbon Games and was released on July 6, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

AirMech Wastelands is an Action-RPG set in an alternate future America following a global collapse of modern civilization. You are an AirMech Pilot, with the skills to fly and upgrade these ultimate pre-war machines. You and others like you are needed to help protect the remaining survivors from machines still programmed to eliminate and exterminate. Unravel the mystery of why these machines keep …

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 163 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding13 negative mentions

Fun gameplay that combines RTS and action elements with mechs.
Good graphics and enjoyable mechanics, especially for fans of the genre.
Offers a variety of mechs and units, allowing for different playstyles.

Gameplay mechanics are confusing and can feel disjointed.
The game suffers from a lack of updates and content, leading to a grindy experience.
Many players feel the game is not worth its price due to its freemium-like elements and microtransactions.

story
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
81%
6%
The story in "Airmech Wastelands" is generally considered weak and uninspired, with many reviewers describing it as a simple series of missions lacking depth and variety. While some missions introduce interesting mechanics, such as stealth elements, they often feel repetitive and fail to engage players meaningfully. Overall, the narrative is seen as a missed opportunity, with a cookie-cutter approach that doesn't fully utilize the game's potential for a richer storyline.
- “The storyline is quite engaging, with missions that scale up in a balanced way.”
- “The selection of missions is good fun so far, with some nice variety, including a cool 'MGS' style mission to unlock a later mech.”
- “The story is delivered primarily through Samson, the resident good guy general, who interacts with his evil counterpart, Iron 1, while other characters chime in occasionally.”
- “The 'story' is just awful.”
- “Absolutely cookie-cutter storyline.”
- “Overall, the voice actors are solid, but the story itself is thin, and they rarely dip into the setting's background, which is a shame, as it's a rather colorful one that begs to be explored.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The gameplay of the game is described as confusing and inconsistent, with mechanics that feel disjointed and overly grindy, particularly at higher difficulties. While some players appreciate the core gameplay loop and the blend of RTS and hack-and-slash elements, many find the experience frustrating due to repetitive missions and unbalanced difficulty spikes. Overall, the game has potential but suffers from clunky controls and a lack of depth, making it a mixed experience for players.
- “At least at the start, there is a lot of different gameplay like picking things up and putting them down somewhere else, and the transformations are really cool.”
- “Very addictive, fun, and creative gameplay; I prefer Airmech Wastelands over Airmech Strike for the following reasons:”
- “Gameplay is good, controls are freely bindable.”
- “The game's gameplay features and mechanics are all over the place; it's just too confusing.”
- “This is a poor attempt at turning MOBA mechanics into an RTS campaign.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive and grind-heavy at higher difficulties -- the enemy AI doesn't get smarter; it just gets more HP and does a little more damage, which effectively forces you to cheese it by turtling until it kills itself enough times so you can progress.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
Reviews highlight that the grinding in the game is excessive and often frustrating, with players feeling compelled to repeatedly farm missions to progress or enhance their characters. Many find the mechanics tedious, especially as the difficulty spikes and the need for in-game purchases becomes apparent, leading to comparisons with free-to-play models despite the game's price tag. Overall, while some players enjoy the grind for rewards, the consensus leans towards it being a significant drawback that detracts from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “My biggest complaints are the unit type bloat and the grinding.”
- “If you want a bad grindy game for a price that's just too much, then go for it.”
- “Grinding feels awful: after the level snow fall, the game quickly becomes about grinding as airmech upgrades get more expensive, while airmech part drops do get better as you play on, scrap output does not increase enough to keep up with the shop.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics are generally praised for their impressive quality and unique art style, often described as a blend of cartoonish and beautiful aesthetics, reminiscent of the Borderlands series. While some players find the visuals slightly mismatched with the grim post-apocalyptic theme, they contribute positively to the overall experience. Overall, the graphical fidelity enhances the gameplay, making it appealing to fans of this aesthetic.
- “Graphics are impeccable and controls on the controller are pretty good.”
- “Graphics are cool, Borderlands-like, slightly cartoonish but in a good way.”
- “Very nice art style and overall graphical fidelity.”
monetization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players feeling that it relies heavily on microtransactions, making it feel more like a free-to-play title than a paid game. Reviewers express disappointment over the game's shift towards a cash grab model, which detracts from the overall experience and raises concerns about pay-to-win mechanics. Overall, the monetization approach has left players feeling frustrated and disillusioned compared to previous versions.
- “What people didn't know is that those microtransactions are tied to the free-to-play version, Strike.”
- “Understanding that the game comes from a free-to-play background, I get that there is a market because of this, but in the world of microtransactions, crates, and DLC, I'm anxious to see how much impact this will have on Wastelands and wonder just how much the developers will entrench free-to-play mechanics in the game.”
- “It seems like a pay-to-get-early-access to a free-to-play game; it even contains free-to-play pay-to-win microtransactions.”
- “People gave the game negative reviews due to it having a lot of microtransactions for a $10 game.”
- “Feels like it should be a free game; it has too many in-game purchases and does not live up to the original.”
- “I won't sugarcoat it, it seems like a pay-to-get-early-access to a free-to-play game; it even contains free-to-play pay-to-win microtransactions.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The music in the game, composed by Front Line Assembly, has received high praise from users, with many noting its industrial sound that enhances the overall experience. The inclusion of the band members in the game adds to its appeal, making the soundtrack a significant highlight that some feel is worth the price of admission alone. Overall, the soundtrack is described as both engaging and pleasantly discreet.
- “The fact it has Front Line Assembly who did the soundtrack and the band members are in the game is enough to get me to buy it!”
- “Great game, keep up the good work with the soundtrack, Front Line Assembly.”
- “The soundtrack is by Front Line Assembly.”
- “All this madness is set to a very industrial Front Line Assembly soundtrack, which on its own is probably worth the price of admission.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
Overall, users find the game's stability commendable despite some glitches and infrequent updates. While there are various glitches present, the game performs well, especially at maximum settings in 4K resolution, contributing to a positive experience.
- “But other than the free-to-play feel on a pay-to-play game, it's a great game and it runs great.”
- “It looks fantastic at max settings with 4K (2160p).”
- “It should say a lot, though, that it's great, even with its glitches and lack of updates.”
- “Solo has many varieties of glitches that can occur.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a comedic contrast between a funny robot and the unfunny iron people, creating a lighthearted take on the theme of global domination. This juxtaposition adds a whimsical element to the narrative, enhancing the overall entertainment value.
- “The funny robot stops global domination by unfunny iron people.”
- “The jokes fall flat and often feel forced, lacking any real wit.”
- “The humor is so stale that it feels like a relic from a bygone era.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Players highlight the game's "endless replayability" due to its timed events and variability in the storyline, which encourage multiple playthroughs and keep the experience fresh.
- “The game offers a unique experience with each playthrough, thanks to its dynamic choices and branching narratives.”
- “With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
- “Endless replayability: timed events and story-based variability.”
- “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay, making it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there’s little incentive to return, as side quests feel uninspired and repetitive.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's optimization is generally stable, maintaining around 60fps in most scenarios, though it can drop to approximately 45fps during intense battles with many units and effects. However, the sidekick's performance in combat is noted to be inconsistent and unpredictable.
- “Generally, taking a sidekick that focuses on what you're wanting to do makes you more effective at it, but their actual performance in battle is rather quirky and unpredictable.”
- “[*] performance has held at 60fps in all but the most busy battles, dropping down to around 45fps with lots of units and gunfire on the screen (gtx980 4gb/5820k@stock/8gb ddr4/ssd)”
- “The performance has held at 60fps in all but the most busy battles, dropping down to around 45fps with lots of units and gunfire on the screen (GTX 980 4GB / 5820K @ stock / 8GB DDR4 / SSD).”
- “Generally, taking a sidekick that focuses on whatever it is you're wanting to do makes you more effective at it, but their actual performance in battle is rather quirky and unpredictable.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in the game is consistently praised for its immersive quality, maintaining the same engaging graphics and gameplay as its predecessor. Players appreciate the addition of PvE-only missions, which enhance the overall experience without detracting from the original's ambiance.
- “Evolved and split into two games, I had to buy Wastelands because of some issues, but I don't regret it. It works great, with the same graphics, atmosphere, and gameplay, but with a whole lot of PvE-only missions.”