Art of War: Red Tides

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Art of War: Red Tides is a multiplayer strategy game with a violence theme. It was developed by Game Science and was released on December 22, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Art of War: Red Tides is a real-time strategy game with simple yet engaging mechanics. Set up a troop of ten units from a selection of over 120, and use 12 seconds of preparation time per wave to outsmart enemies and overwhelm their turrets and base. The game prioritizes teamwork, supporting over 300 units in battle, and offers a strategic experience across various devices."

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,054 reviews

gameplay52 positive mentions

monetization5 negative mentions

The fighting system is engaging and makes players feel like tactical geniuses.
The game is fun and has a unique blend of strategy and quick gameplay.
The graphics are impressive and the game is easy to pick up and play.

The game has a dwindling player base, making it hard to find matches.
There are significant balance issues with certain units being overpowered.
The tutorial is lengthy and can be frustrating, with some players experiencing bugs.

gameplay
190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, often reducing strategy to simply massing units and overwhelming opponents. While some appreciate the variety of units and the potential for strategic play, others criticize the unbalanced mechanics and simplistic design, likening it to mobile games with minimal engagement. Overall, the game offers a casual experience that can be enjoyable for short sessions, but it struggles to maintain long-term interest due to its repetitive nature and design flaws.
- “The gameplay is straightforward and simple, with a few sections the game will introduce you to after a bit of playing, like the rune system which grants buffs for your entire army, from more health/armor to increased damage and movement speed. The factions are relatively well balanced, with a mix of ranged, balanced, and melee units, and each faction has plenty of support units to aid others.”
- “Absolutely brilliant game with an extremely interesting and deep gameplay and art that is simple in look, yet oh so complex and captivating, making it an absolute pleasure to play and enjoy.”
- “The gameplay reminds me a bit of the Warcraft 3 game mode 'castle fight', in which you keep spawning units in waves until one team destroys the other base.”
- “After such a promising cut-scene, we were involved in tedious gameplay where you have to buy, buy, and buy units.”
- “There's no 'strategy' here; the gameplay consists of one strip of land that goes from your base to the enemy's, and you just keep producing units that behave on their own.”
- “The gameplay is straightforward and simple, with a few sections the game will introduce you to after a bit of playing, but overall, it feels repetitive and lacks depth.”
graphics
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
36%
5%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the art style and visual effects as "good" or "fantastic," while others note that they are not particularly impressive or suffer from optimization issues. Some users highlight the game's beautiful graphics and smooth gameplay, while a few criticize the graphics as subpar or reminiscent of lower-quality mobile games. Despite the varying opinions, the consensus leans towards the graphics being decent to good, with potential for improvement.
- “The graphics are beautiful too.”
- “Good gameplay, real-time strategy, great (and I mean surprisingly great) graphics, and the playability whether against AI or other players is enthralling - you'll find time pass extremely fast with this game, which is always an indicator of a good game.”
- “Superb graphics and smooth gameplay!”
- “The game is pretty bad, graphics are rubbish, gameplay is quite poor; it's like one of those games you find on Google, you type 'war games' and it shows up some terrible games that are so small they don't need to be installed, that's where this game belongs.”
- “The graphics aren't amazing, but the amount of characters and creatures in it and the way they mix sci-fi with fantasy really makes it a strong title; I can't wait to see the full game.”
- “Poor optimization, no options to modify the graphics, resolution problems (my monitor uses 1366x768, guess what, the game doesn't have it), buggy, the menu and game look like a mediocre mobile game.”
story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
76%
12%
The game's story is described as rich in themes but lacking depth, primarily serving as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a central focus. Players express a desire for a more developed narrative, particularly a dedicated story mode, as the current missions feel more like tutorials with minimal storytelling elements. Additionally, some story content is hindered by language barriers, leaving players eager for improvements in future updates.
- “Rich in story and themes from the most competitive genre of video games.”
- “But it is free to play and I can only imagine it getting better and better; could use more units, to be honest, and maybe a story mode of some sort as DLC. I would buy it for sure.”
- “And the story is also behind a language wall, but it was in beta. I'm sure they will fix it in time, then we can see what juicy story we have between Terrans, ice people, and animal people. I didn't play much, but I enjoyed it.”
- “No story element.”
- “It's a few missions, each with their own loading screen and this crappy introduction that shows your units before they're destroyed.”
- “- some info bars and story texts are still not translated.”
monetization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
60%
25%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the presence of microtransactions that can lead to a pay-to-win scenario, while others appreciate that current in-game purchases are primarily cosmetic and do not affect gameplay. Many users express concerns about the game's player base and suggest that better advertising is needed to attract more players, as long wait times for matches detract from the experience. Overall, there is a desire for a more straightforward pricing model, with some players wishing for a one-time purchase instead of ongoing microtransactions.
- “The monetization practices here remind me more of an online trading card game.”
- “Thoroughly enjoying it so far, the microtransactions are cosmetic-based, so there's nothing in here to affect the outcome of a game!”
- “While the game is in beta, there are no microtransactions, and when microtransactions are implemented for the game's full release, the developers have portrayed that the game will not transform into a pay-to-win title.”
- “That requires either a huge amount of playing time and daily logins or in-game purchases.”
- “It's sad to see a solid game be stripped down and left with nothing while the developers add in all the typical microtransactions because they feel you now owe them money.”
- “Could have been great, but I hate half-assed cash grabs being passed off as a game.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring significant time investment to earn in-game currency or unlock units. While some acknowledge that the game improves after initial grinding, many express frustration with the pay-to-win elements and the sheer volume of grinding needed to progress effectively. Overall, the consensus is that while grinding is a common feature in free-to-play games, it can detract from the overall enjoyment and pacing of this particular title.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The runes are costly and require a lot of grinding to earn.”
- “Boring, repetitive, way too much grinding, unless you decide to go pay-to-win.”
- “To give you an idea of how much grinding this added, the reward from winning a game is around 100 gold, so to earn the same amount of currency you would need to play 50 games a day, or give them $20 a day.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the catchy intro music while others criticize the menu and lobby tracks for not fitting the game's serious tone. Users note that the soundtrack feels out of place, likening it to arcade-style music, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, concerns about the use of plagiarized music assets have been raised, overshadowing some of the positive aspects of the game's audio.
- “Intro music 10/10 gets stuck in my head all day.”
- “I also have to say that the best of the game is the lore, the music, and the optimization, and I had fun playing this game until now.”
- “If you play a stressful game, leave it and open Art of War, then listen to your favorite songs while playing.”
- “Menu music is horrible as it does not fit the game.”
- “Interesting game, fun to play and chill with subtle tension, but one thing that really does not fit is the music.”
- “Music doesn't fit the theme of the game.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
8%
71%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting minor bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, such as freezing during matches and poor matchmaking. While some players experience smooth performance with minimal issues, others highlight significant instability and server problems, leading to frustration and loss of rank. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further improvements to enhance its stability.
- “10/10 looks great, runs great, and plays great.”
- “113 minutes, or 1 hour and 53 minutes, and I really like this game; it runs great, not a single bug that I've run into yet.”
- “Haven't tried anything else out yet, but I've already recommended it to a couple of friends for the fact that it's fun, runs great, is free, and has multiplayer.”
- “Why is everything in this game so absolutely buggy and inconsistent?”
- “Not recommended because of poor matchmaking, delayed gameplay, a buggy game, and sometimes crashes.”
- “I do not recommend it right now though, second time it freezes the screen on a ranked match, so having to force quit results in a loss of rank, time, and a penalty before playing again for something which is not my fault.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players praise its performance, especially for a free open-beta, noting that it handles graphics and numerous units well, others criticize it for not being fully optimized and lacking in certain areas compared to its inspirations.
- “I also have to say that the best of the game is the lore, the music, and the optimization, and I had fun playing this game until now.”
- “The biggest plus is the optimization; for a free open beta, the optimization is great.”
- “In addition, performance is exceptional, even when there are 300 units on the screen at one time.”
- “That can also be a con as that makes it less like Desert Strike, and shows how unoptimized the game is for what it was trying to copy.”
- “My only complaint is the optimization.”
- “- not optimized fully.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it amusing and entertaining, particularly in the context of gameplay and interactions with friends. However, some users noted that spelling errors contribute to the humor, while others mentioned that the fun diminishes after reaching higher levels. Overall, the game is described as funny and enjoyable, especially in multiplayer scenarios.
- “This game is easy, but it makes me feel funny.”
- “Really fun game... although there are a lot of spelling errors which make it funny at times.”
- “Interesting game, fun to play with friends, it's funny when you make 200+ units of troops swarming the arena.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find "Art of War" to evoke strong emotions through its intense combat, leading to a sense of satisfaction even in defeat, as they feel outplayed rather than cheated. The game successfully engages users on an emotional level, enhancing their overall experience.
- “Goddamn, I was looking for a new game and Art of War, aka Chinese Masterpiece®, gets my heart racing through intense and emotional combat.”
- “Can't think of a single loss that made me feel cheated, just outplayed.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Players find the game highly replayable, particularly when enjoyed with friends. However, there is a desire for regular updates, such as new units, to maintain long-term engagement and enhance replay value.
- “Awesome game, heaps of replayability, especially fun with friends.”
- “The game is good; if it has at least new units every month or two weeks, it can be very replayable.”
- “The game is good, but it would be more replayable if it had at least new units every month or every two weeks.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of diverse gameplay options makes it hard to find reasons to replay the game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers note that while the game's atmosphere is impressive, the overall presentation, including the font and main screen design, does not align with the high-quality ambiance created within the game.
- “This game deserves a better font and main screen that matches the brilliant game atmosphere.”