Airships: Conquer the Skies
- March 24, 2014
- Zarkonnen
- 15h median play time
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Reviews
- The game offers extensive customization options for building airships and landships, allowing for creative and unique designs.
- The combat mechanics are engaging and satisfying, with a mix of real-time strategy and tactical decision-making.
- The developer is actively updating the game and listening to community feedback, enhancing the overall experience.
- The AI can be unbalanced, often overwhelming players with large fleets even on easier difficulties.
- The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and ship management frustrating at times.
- The campaign mode lacks depth and can feel repetitive, with limited options for diplomacy and economic management.
- gameplay772 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Airships: Conquer the Skies" is characterized by its engaging ship-building mechanics and strategic combat, allowing players to design and customize their vessels while navigating a variety of tactical challenges. While the game offers a rich and dynamic experience with a blend of creativity and strategy, some players note issues with AI behavior, clunky controls, and a need for deeper campaign mechanics. Overall, the game is praised for its fun and intuitive gameplay, especially with the support of mods, though it may require patience to fully grasp its complexities.
“The gameplay is all fantastic, weapons are fun and impactful, crew members are very dead when a cannon shell goes through their face, campaign maps are lively and chaotic with lots to do, monsters will eat you, and the plague event will ruin your life.”
“The gameplay mechanics offer a wide berth for one's own creativity and imagination.”
“The depth and mechanics of building each ship is great and allows a lot of freedom on how you want to play the game.”
“As it currently sits, spy defense is very shallow gameplay-wise.”
“Game is genuinely fun; however, a couple of dumb mechanics ruin it. For instance, there are sometimes storms in battle which make you unable to climb above a certain altitude. During one game, I had a fleet that needed to operate at altitude, but I ran into a few storms and lost. I decided to reload, but no matter when I fought, there was always a storm. I don't know if it was a bug or what, but it was super annoying. No way to play around a mechanic = stupid.”
“The sideways combat and ship design keep giving me headaches because of how unintuitive they are. The campaign mechanics are overall fairly shallow, the music is best switched off, and the visuals are unimpressive.”
- graphics530 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that evokes a steampunk aesthetic, reminiscent of classic 8-bit games. While some players find the visuals simple and rough, many appreciate their unique charm and the depth they add to gameplay, emphasizing creativity and customization in ship design. Overall, the graphics are seen as fitting for the game's mechanics, with a focus on fun and engaging gameplay rather than cutting-edge visuals.
“Has arguably one of the most unique and detailed art styles; every area of content fits into the world of the game seamlessly.”
“The graphics are charmingly old-world, but it works well enough.”
“The graphics, while simple, show great detail and give some character to the game that I don't think fancier graphics could achieve.”
“The only negative I have is if you're looking for top graphics, this ain't it.”
“This game deserves more players and recognition, but is probably hampered by first impressions of its 2D graphics.”
“What that money goes into is beyond me as the graphics are basic and past the development of the diplomacy update very little has been done to the game for the last 2 years.”
- replayability228 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, with many players highlighting the extensive customization options, procedural generation, and active modding community that enhance the experience. While some reviews mention a lack of content in the base game, the overall sentiment is that the game offers nearly infinite replay value, especially through its conquest mode and various gameplay mechanics. However, a few users express disappointment with the replayability of the campaign mode, suggesting it could benefit from additional features.
“Awesome and unique art style, consistent updates, replayability only limited by your own creativity.”
“The vanilla game itself is infinitely replayable, but when you get into the modding scene, it opens up an even more vast realm of possibilities.”
“This game is phenomenal; it has near endless replayability, and the conquest mode is one of the best casual strategy campaigns I have ever played.”
“Because this one feels incredibly bland and runs out of replay value far too quickly.”
“It's an okay game with an interesting concept but very limited content and poor replayability.”
“This unfortunately kills any replayability of the campaign for me - it's just a generic sandbox.”
- music162 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as "amazing" and "phenomenal." While some noted that the music can be repetitive and occasionally too loud, the majority found it to be a perfect fit for the gameplay, contributing to an engaging experience during battles and ship-building. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, adding depth and enjoyment to the game.
“Fantastic gameplay in a 4x style, as well as absolutely wonderful music.”
“Most importantly: the music is a banger, from the legendary artist Curtis Schweitzer (the composer for Halo Infinite, Starbound, Earthlight, and Rift) the music really sets the tone for battles and while building your perfect fleet.”
“The music is amazing, and sets a perfect atmosphere for the game.”
“The music is too much in certain menus and you can't change the volume without exiting everything you're currently doing.”
“But, man the music is really loud!”
“The music is repetitive, but I play something else in the background.”
- story152 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of a traditional narrative, with many users noting that there is no significant story mode or cohesive plot. While some players appreciate the freedom to create their own narratives through gameplay and custom missions, others express a desire for more structured storytelling and lore. Overall, the game is seen as a sandbox experience where players can engage in conquest and design without a strong narrative foundation.
“Unbelievably deep and fun gameplay, detailed simulation, interesting world and story, lots to discover.”
“Amazing game, there are no limits to what you can create, even though this game has no plot it still feels like you're part of a story.”
“I personally love making vessels that tell a story, and that is easy to do with modules that fit together like Lego.”
“There is no story mode or missions that make sense.”
“If you are looking for great graphics, full control of the game, and a story... this game is not for you.”
“Storywise there is nothing and the conquest mode feels quite empty although it is playable.”
- humor86 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the absurdity of their ship designs and the often comical outcomes of battles. Many reviews highlight the fun of experimenting with impractical builds, leading to hilarious moments, such as ships exploding shortly after creation or engaging in ridiculous combat scenarios. The game's steampunk aesthetic and quirky mechanics contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere, making it a joy to play solo or with friends.
“Everything coheres so well that it's just a ton of fun to keep playing, trying out new builds and tactics that are by turns practical and wildly, hilariously impractical.”
“The combat itself is fun and satisfying, and the physics can lead to some really funny moments.”
“Watching the ship you just spent 30 minutes designing explode 15 seconds into combat is hilarious.”
- optimization70 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on lower-end systems and offers a complex building experience, players report significant performance drops during large battles and on expansive maps. Many users express that the game is still in early access, indicating ongoing optimization efforts, but current performance issues can detract from the overall experience, particularly for those with weaker hardware. Despite these challenges, the gameplay remains engaging and rewarding, with potential for improvement in future updates.
“The strategy and the building are both very well developed; I'm 28 hours in and still learning techniques, and I don't think I have made a pretty or optimized craft.”
“At first, it might seem like there are limited options with weapon variety, but there are a lot of great mods that expand the game greatly. The amount of possibilities for optimizations and designs you can create with even the most basic of modules is insane.”
“This game tickles the engineer part of your brain, trying to build the most optimized, most efficient ships, and the combat is rewarding and challenging at times as well.”
“The game isn't totally optimized and will lag on huge maps.”
“Only issue I have is in terms of performance; late game battles can become a literal slideshow due to so much happening on screen as massive fleets clash and blow each other into smithereens, but to be fair, my rig is on the weak side so it might just be a me problem.”
“Edit 2: As the game grew better and more complex, which is a good thing, I have experienced a tough drop in performance on my system even without mods, and I have already upgraded it.”
- stability56 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with many users reporting significant bugs, glitches, and crashes, particularly in multiplayer mode. While some players find it enjoyable despite these issues, others describe it as a "barely playable mess." Overall, the game is seen as needing substantial improvements in stability, especially given its age and the fact that it is still in early access.
“It's incredibly fun, almost bug-free for being in early access, and with swift development that introduces lots of cool features.”
“This game is a barely playable mess of bugs, glitches, and bad mechanics.”
“Given that it came out in 2018 and its current clunky/buggy state, I can't recommend it unfortunately.”
“However, there are some downsides; my laptop sometimes struggles to run the game, and on some occasions when I encounter a new structure/enemy, it freezes and crashes. Additionally, there are some glitches which can be annoying, for example, when you click to open the game, it crashes while in the loading screen.”
- grinding52 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 77 % negative mentions
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and time-consuming, often requiring excessive repetition that detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some find the initial gameplay engaging, the lack of advanced design tools and cumbersome UI contribute to a frustrating experience, especially during fleet management and defense building. Despite the potential for modding to refresh the game, many feel that the core mechanics lead to a grindy experience that can become overwhelming.
“If the game was simply a battle simulator, I'm not sure I would play it, but the conquest mode offers the most bare-bones of continuous gameplay, and it can be very challenging (if not grindy on large maps).”
“If the game was simply a battle simulator, I'm not sure I would play it, but the conquest mode offers the most bare-bones of continuous gameplay, and it can be very challenging (if not grindy on large maps).”
“This was once a very fun game, but now it's just tedious and there are much better versions of what this is trying to become.”
“It becomes tedious and expensive to post ships everywhere, move them, while also sending units to attack.”
“Menus will frequently still be accessible behind other menus, several clicks on the UI just didn't register, I couldn't find any way to delete old ship designs, inconsistencies in how left/right click functions in ship design, etc. it's all a bit tedious in the campaign.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 87 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its rich lore, superb sound design, and engaging visuals, which collectively create an immersive experience. Players appreciate the steampunk aesthetics and atmospheric soundtrack, although some find the visuals and certain mechanics less impressive. Overall, the atmosphere significantly enhances gameplay, making it a standout feature of the game.
“The atmosphere is superb, with nice sound effects and soundtrack too.”
“Fantastic atmosphere with a brutal combat system and complex ship designer.”
“The music is amazing and sets a perfect atmosphere for the game.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users expressing frustration over intrusive ads and comparing it to other perceived cash grabs in the industry. However, others argue that the game does not exploit players financially and offers a worthwhile experience, especially for those familiar with early access titles. Overall, while there are concerns about ad presence, many players appreciate the game's value and community support.
“Stop spamming my library with ads, please.”
“If you're into steampunk, pixel art, an active game community, naval battles, humor, retro futurism, light strategy, designing things, an active game developer, etc... but familiar with the gamble that comes with buying an early access title, you might be surprised to learn that Airships: Conquer the Skies is a very pleasant mix of all of the above minus the part where you flush your money down the toilet on yet another lousy early access developer cash grab that festers and dies in the EA quagmire.”
“At the time of writing, the dismal cash grab Fallout 76 has come out, NVIDIA's absurdly overpriced RTX range is out.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to "Airships: Conquer the Skies," highlighting its ability to reignite enthusiasm for gaming after periods of apathy. The game's engaging mechanics and the emotional investment in the fate of airship crews create a compelling experience, making players feel both joy and tension as they navigate challenges. Overall, it is described as a wholesome and evocative adventure that stands out in a crowded gaming landscape.
“This game made me feel sincere engaging fun for the first time over a long period of general apathy towards digital entertainment.”
“Airships: Conquer the Skies is enormous, evocative fun and, having been ground down by overpriced games like Civ 5 and Total War DLC, endless Dwarf Fortress clones and rude, terrible World of Tanks teammates, this gem has made me feel really enthusiastic about gaming again.”
“The wide choice of modules makes designing an airship an interesting challenge, and mine can go through several revisions before it's time to get overly emotionally involved in the plight of your poor air sailors, who run back and forth through the ship trying to stem the damage being wreaked on them by the other side's grenadiers, rockets, cannons, and marines, until eventually one ship or another explodes and carves a chunk out of the landscape.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that while the game's pixel art style is praised for its detailed and immersive design, there is no specific mention of character development, suggesting that this aspect may not be a focal point in the gameplay experience.
