Alien Marauder
- November 17, 2021
- Vexan Studio
- 70h median play time
Get on Steam"Alien Marauder" is a sci-fi survival RTS game set in 2672 where Earth's resources have been depleted. Players must build and defend their base against Vexan attacks, managing technology and population growth while engaging in large-scale battles and hero development with roguelike elements. The game combines classic RTS gameplay with survival simulation for a challenging and immersive experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a solid gameplay experience with a mix of RTS and tower defense mechanics, appealing to fans of similar titles like 'They Are Billions'.
- It features unique heroes with distinct abilities, allowing for varied playstyles and strategies in both game modes.
- Despite being in early access, the game is visually appealing and has a good amount of content, providing hours of entertainment.
- The game has been abandoned by its developers, with no updates since June 2023, leading to concerns about its long-term viability.
- It requires a constant internet connection to play, even in single-player mode, which has frustrated many players.
- There are significant balance issues and bugs that detract from the overall experience, making it feel unfinished.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its depth, replayability, and engaging mechanics, blending elements of RTS, tower defense, and hero-based strategies in a sci-fi setting. Players appreciate the variety of maps, unique alien types, and the introduction of roguelike mechanics, although some find certain aspects, like resource management and defensive building logic, less intuitive. Overall, the game offers a solid and enjoyable experience, though opinions vary on pacing and certain gameplay elements.
“Really amazing game with great depth of gameplay and replayability.”
“Gameplay is entertaining, keeping you on your toes on higher difficulties.”
“I really dig the fusion of hero, RTS, and tower-defense type gameplay in a sci-fi setting, and thus far everything looks and feels pretty great.”
“An easier They Are Billions (exactly the same mechanics minus the train) with a sci-fi twist and heroes.”
“They Are Billions clone; I thought it was done by the same studio at first as it's the exact same gameplay loop, UI, and scenario just in sci-fi.”
“Very boring gameplay. Extremely!”
- graphics16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players praising their quality and aesthetic appeal, describing them as "amazing" and "stunning." However, some users noted issues with graphical optimization, particularly on certain maps, which affected frame rates. Overall, while the visuals are generally well-received, comparisons to other games highlight both strengths and weaknesses in the graphical presentation.
“Graphically it looks really good and the audio is well rounded up to the action.”
“But the graphics are amazing, stunning even!”
“Graphics are very clean and crisp, not to the level of SC2 but I'm sure they designed it to accommodate more units on the map.”
“Graphical optimization on the 4th map is bad, going from 80+ fps down to 30 for me.”
“Its graphics are just like those from 10 years ago.”
“Overall, if I compare it to Tab, then it's simply inferior in every sense (except maybe graphically, but I actually really like Tab's graphics).”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its slow pacing and lack of depth, with players expressing a desire for a more structured narrative and additional missions. While the unique hero abilities and skill trees offer some engagement, the absence of a dedicated story mode and variety in missions detracts from the overall experience. Players hope for future updates to enhance the storyline and gameplay variety.
“I wish they would add more maps and a solid story in future DLCs.”
“However, it would be better for the storyline in story mode and more variety of cool units, structured for more real-time strategy in this game.”
“The hero you choose for each mission offers unique abilities, buildings, and units to train.”
“The pacing is so far off the marker that even just doing the first couple of missions really makes you fall asleep.”
“Outside of the pacing issues and the incredibly slow development, there is a decent game underneath it. However, unless you have a week to sit and play a mission on normal time without forcing it over and over, I would say skip it.”
“The only downfall to this game is that it is too short, with not enough missions. I wish these developers would add a few more to make up for the $29.00 price tag we paid.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, optimization in the game shows a mixed response; while some users experience significant frame rate drops on certain maps, others praise the adjustments made to special effects, sound, and physical performance, resulting in a fluid gameplay experience. Despite being in early access and having some performance issues, many players find the game enjoyable and playable.
“Optimized the physical performance of the map environment.”
“It combines the best in RTS games like SC2, WC3, and TAB, and the game is very optimized.”
“There’s no stuttering or freezes as the last wave comes, and everything looks so fluid you can’t help but be in awe as your defenses start to crumble.”
“Graphical optimization on the 4th map is bad; my fps dropped from 80+ to 30.”
“The game is still in early access and has some performance issues, but it's still playable and addictive.”
“There’s no stuttering or freezes as the last wave comes, but the overall performance could use improvement.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, particularly during key moments like waves and the final wave, but it suffers from limitations and occasional abrupt cut-offs. Additionally, users note that the sound effects could use improvement to enhance the overall audio experience.
“The music that plays during the waves and final wave is really nice.”
“The music is good, but the sound effects could use some improvement.”
“The music is enjoyable, especially during key moments in the game.”
“Sound and music need improvement.”
“The music sometimes cuts off for no reason.”
“Music is limited, but the tracks that play during the waves and final wave are really nice.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing frustration over the perceived greed of the developers, particularly those from Shanghai, China. There are calls for better filtering by platforms like Steam to prevent such games from being released.
“So this game was actually a cash grab.”
“Cash grab !!!!”
“Steam really needs a better filter for game studios from Shanghai, China, because all those game studios seem to be only there for greed or cash grabs.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with reports of significant bugs affecting new heroes and defense mechanics, leading to clumsy interactions near walls. While there are no major stutters during gameplay, visual glitches and a lack of quality-of-life features detract from the overall experience. Players note that despite these issues, the game may still be enjoyable for casual play at its price point.
“The new hero is buggy and clumsy next to walls, and my own defenses freeze all the time.”
“There are a dozen visual glitches, like drills moving through rocks and enemy models going through debris. The game may be okay for its price if you want to kill some time, but the existing content is scarce.”
“The game has no stuttering or freezes as the last wave comes, but everything looks so fluid that you can't help but be in awe as your defenses start to crumble or, in my case, get destroyed.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its significant depth and engaging gameplay, contributing to high replayability and overall enjoyment. Players find that the variety of experiences encourages them to return for multiple playthroughs.
“Really amazing game with great depth of gameplay and replayability.”
“All this allows for a lot of replayability and it's just a lot of fun overall.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game successfully creates a compelling atmosphere filled with urgency and a sense of impending doom, enhanced by well-developed lore and engaging defensive maps.
“The other games have established some lore and an atmosphere of urgency and doom, leading to fun defensive maps.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, indicating that it feels tedious and unfulfilling, leading some to decide against purchasing the app.
“I will no longer buy this data farming app.”
