Artillerists
- January 2, 2017
- SolarLance
Get on Steam"Artillerists is a turn-based strategy game with modernized mechanics from the classic Battleship. Command an army, capture territories, and manage resources for upgrades while using special ordnance like air strikes. The game offers a variety of weapons and unlimited troops, with the added challenge of an arms race and economic planning."
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Mac OS
PC
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Reviews
- Simple yet addictive gameplay that combines elements of Battleship and Minesweeper, making it a fun casual experience.
- Offers a satisfying progression system with upgrades and special abilities that enhance the gameplay.
- Great for short gaming sessions, providing a light strategy experience that can be enjoyed without a significant time commitment.
- The game heavily relies on luck, making it frustrating when the AI seems to have an unfair advantage and can pinpoint player units easily.
- The campaign lacks depth and coherence, with poorly written dialogue and unnecessary cutscenes that disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- Repetitive gameplay and limited strategic options can lead to boredom, especially in later missions where the difficulty spikes unfairly.
- story32 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in the game is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for the mission-based gameplay, which revolves around capturing an island through basic military objectives. Players noted that while the campaign offers some connection between missions, it lacks depth and can feel repetitive, with a focus on grinding for upgrades rather than a compelling narrative. The optional missions are crucial for progression, as skipping them can lead to increased difficulty and a lack of resources, further emphasizing the game's reliance on gameplay mechanics over storytelling.
“Missions are pretty simplistic, destroy the enemy or die trying, but different missions introduce new tech/abilities, keeping gameplay fresh and enjoyable.”
“Don't miss the extra missions, you'll learn valuable strategies that allow you to win the campaign.”
“(My favorites are 'narrative missions' with preselected forces and conditions.) Also, the game symbolically represents the Russian military philosophy, because 'artillery is the god of war'.”
“Why there's any story involved is a mystery to me.”
“It's a single player game but the story/campaign isn't really a thing.”
“I haven't made it past the third mission of the main campaign (as of this review) because this is just a pitiful waste of my time when I could be watching paint dry instead.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily inspired by the classic game Battleship, featuring grid-based mechanics where players bomb tiles to sink ships, with an element of luck involved. While missions can feel simplistic and repetitive, the introduction of new technologies and abilities keeps the experience fresh and engaging. However, some players find the NPC dialogues during battles to be generic and detracting from the overall enjoyment.
“Game like paper Battleship but with active skills that make gameplay more interesting.”
“Missions are pretty simplistic, destroy the enemy or die trying, but different missions introduce new tech/abilities, keeping gameplay fresh and enjoyable.”
“The game's entire mechanic is based on the game Battleship, in which you bomb tiles on the grid to sink ships.”
“Mechanics are overly simple.”
“Extremely repetitive gameplay.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the simplicity and satisfaction of the visuals, particularly in relation to explosions, while others criticized them as outdated and lacking in detail compared to modern standards. There is a desire for further development and more choices in graphics to enhance the overall experience.
“I'd love to see a further development of this idea, with updated graphics and more choices along the way.”
“I am satisfied with the graphics and the explosions.”
“Poor graphics that look slightly better than the original Tropico (which came out in 2001).”
“A battleship-like game with small graphics.”
“It's battleship with graphics.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find the NPC dialogues amusing despite their repetitiveness and poor translation, others criticize them as generic and cringe-worthy. The attempts at humor, particularly from a female reporter character, often miss the mark, leading to mixed reactions about the overall comedic value. However, some players appreciate the light-hearted tone, especially in the context of a casual gaming experience.
“Simple, funny, nice casual game, actually a battleship with aesthetics of modern land warfare.”
“I saw that someone scolded in-game dialogues, but I find them funny :)) Yep, it's a little bit annoying when you're replaying a mission again and again, but overall - it's not a problem.”
“Hilariously bad ending”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the imbalance between the AI's powerful abilities and the player's slow progression in acquiring underwhelming skills. This leads to a sense of unfairness, especially early on, as players feel compelled to grind for expensive upgrades that do not match the AI's capabilities.
“Yes, it's a bit tedious for most people and yes... it's essentially a clone of Battleship.”
“The AI also has abilities to hit multiple blocks, whereas you are stuck grinding to buy lesser abilities early in the game. They are really expensive and underpowered, particularly when the AI has some abilities that can hit like 5 blocks at once, as well as at least one airstrike that hits 2 blocks by this third mission.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is straightforward, as it does not include microtransactions; however, players feel that the AI exhibits unfair advantages, suggesting a potential imbalance in gameplay. Originally a free mobile game with in-app purchases, it seems to have shifted to a more straightforward pricing approach.
“Note: Artillerists was originally a free mobile game with in-app purchases.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to progress.”
“The game is riddled with paywalls that hinder enjoyment and make it hard to play without spending.”
