Athena Crisis

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 79 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Athena Crisis Game Cover
It’s not quite at the level of the games that inspired it, but Athena Crisis is a great effort with loads of customisation options.
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Athena Crisis is a modern retro turn-based strategy game, reminiscent of classics like Into The Breach and Advance Wars. Engage in single-player campaigns, sync and async online multiplayer, and utilize a full map and campaign editor. Gain resources by capturing structures, build more powerful units, and aim to defeat enemies, capture their bases, or escort them to escape zones. Your actions can impact other players' games, adding an extra layer of strategy.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Web Browser
  • Windows
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews
gameplay5 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Athena Crisis offers a fresh take on the Advance Wars formula with a variety of new units, mechanics, and a robust map editor, providing players with endless replayability.
  • The game features a seamless cross-platform experience, allowing players to continue their campaigns on different devices without losing progress.
  • The developer is highly responsive to community feedback, regularly implementing updates and improvements, which enhances the overall gaming experience.
  • The late-game maps suffer from poor design, often overwhelming players with excessive unit counts and frustrating mechanics that can lead to abandonment of playthroughs.
  • The save system is restrictive, with autosaves that prevent players from revisiting previous maps to improve their star ratings or strategies, making it feel punishing.
  • The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, with missing quality-of-life features such as an undo move option and unclear navigation, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
  • gameplay41 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is characterized by its diverse unit variety, unique mechanics, and a blend of traditional turn-based strategy with innovative features like a Dark Souls-style invasion system. While the game offers engaging and fast-paced tactical experiences, some players express frustration over the necessity of multiplayer for unlocking content and the lack of clear explanations for certain mechanics. Overall, it is praised for its retro aesthetic, solid balance, and potential for future updates, making it a compelling choice for fans of the genre.

    • “This is a well put together not-Advance Wars style game; it has a lot of really good pixel art, tons of unit variety and skills, multiple game modes, built-in map editors, and an optional dark souls invasion mechanic on a turn-based strategy game.”
    • “The true evolution of the Advance Wars formula, Athena Crisis vastly expands the unit and building roster of the game, while the property construction/destruction mechanic in addition to the existing capture mechanic adds a welcome dynamism to the battlefield and makes each match even more different.”
    • “The gameplay is snappy and the strategy is pretty well tuned.”
    • “I resent being forced to play multiplayer if I want all the unlockable gameplay content.”
    • “The game on its own would do a poor job of explaining the gameplay mechanics to those unfamiliar with this genre of game.”
    • “Cons: some gameplay mechanics aren't explained, like how to resupply aircraft.”
  • story17 mentions

    The story in "Advance Wars: Days of Ruin" and "Re-Boot Camp" is generally considered engaging but not particularly gripping, with characters lacking charm and some narrative elements feeling nonsensical. While the campaign offers a variety of missions and allows for replayability, players have noted issues with mission balance and map design, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the lighthearted tone of the prequel campaign is appreciated by some, contrasting with the more serious themes in other titles.

    • “The main campaign was tough but fair, with a nice variety of missions and some goofy enemies to fight.”
    • “The prequel campaign doesn't have any characters with inconsistent motivations or actions, and while I do understand it's a much more lighthearted story style so far, I vastly prefer Athena's Crisis' story over Wargroove's butchered potential.”
    • “The overall storyline of the campaign is not particularly gripping, but it certainly is engaging enough to follow along with the characters and see how it unfolds.”
    • “Characters lack any charm and its campaign story is nonsensical, and the maps are poorly designed.”
    • “Edit: I have since discovered that if you complete a campaign, unlock the ability to replay maps, and then find a new secret map, it will re-lock your ability to play previous missions until you clear it again.”
  • music13 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many finding it forgettable and lacking variety, particularly during gameplay transitions. While some appreciate the nostalgic retro art style and catchy melodies, others resort to personal playlists to enhance their experience. Overall, the soundtrack is described as decent but not particularly exciting, with limited song choices.

    • “Music isn't anything exciting, but it hits the right spots.”
    • “The soundtrack is decent as well.”
    • “Retro art style and catchy looping melodies in the background music really contribute to the nostalgia.”
    • “The music is very forgettable.”
    • “There are other things like how the music doesn't swap when the opposing side takes their turn, which is surprisingly noticeable as it makes all the gameplay just mush into one repeating soup.”
    • “The song choices are extremely limited.”
  • graphics9 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel art style that evokes nostalgia, appealing to fans of turn-based games like Advance Wars. While some players appreciate the engaging visuals and unique aesthetic, others find certain audio elements, particularly the attack sounds, to be grating and low quality, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully combines charming graphics with fun gameplay, though opinions on the sound design vary significantly.

    • “If you are interested in turn-based games and you like pixel graphics, do consider giving this gem a shot.”
    • “Really enjoyed the game so far, fun gameplay and engaging graphics.”
    • “Retro art style and catchy looping melodies in the background music really contribute to the nostalgia.”
    • “Not just in an aesthetically boring or underwhelming way, but in an actually grating manner; the attack sounds are so horribly bit-crushed that I didn't want to attack things with my basic infantry because the sound of their rifles was physically grating to hear.”
    • “I understand that the point is to present a lo-fi aesthetic, but the developer's ear must be very different from mine, because I think the sounds they chose are way too low quality.”
    • “The game is hard; don't be misled by the pastel colors and cute graphics.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by witty dialogue that is both entertaining and informative, although some players find the unskippable nature of lengthy tutorials to be a bit tedious. Memorable comedic moments, such as a T-rex chomping a tank, add to the overall enjoyment, while the gameplay features and visual style contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere.

    • “A T-rex chomping a tank is still so funny.”
    • “Dialogue has bits of fun humor.”
    • “It also means you can destroy your opponent's building and then build on top of it in the same turn, which is hilarious when you can pull it off.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability due to its numerous options, depth, and complexity in game systems. Players appreciate the infinite replay value offered by the scenario editor and community maps, despite the requirement for an online connection.

    • “It has a lot of options, some of which I haven't even explored yet, and has a lot of replayability.”
    • “There's enough depth and complexity to the game systems here that this will have plenty of replayability.”
    • “Although it always requires an online connection, there is a benefit in the way of infinite replay value thanks to the scenario editor and community maps.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised, with users reporting solid performance at 60 fps in online mode and smooth gameplay even on large maps in early access. While offline performance may vary by device, the game is considered polished and well-optimized, including a robust map editor that enhances user experience.

    • “Performance in online mode is a solid 60 fps, but in offline mode it depends on the device.”
    • “The game is also quite polished for an early access game, with smooth performance even on large maps, and a map editor much more powerful than Advance Wars', with everything you need to create anything from simple PvP maps to entire campaigns with scripted events, custom win conditions, and secret triggers.”
    • “Happy with the performance on the Steam Deck.”
    • “Performance in online mode is a solid 60 fps, but in offline mode, it depends on the device.”
    • “The game is also quite polished for an early access game, with smooth performance even on large maps, and a map editor much more powerful than Advance Wars' with everything you need to create anything from simple PvP maps to entire campaigns with scripted events, custom win conditions, and secret triggers.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting that extensive PvE grinding is required to access PvP content, and that certain objectives, like capturing properties for 3-star ratings, can feel tedious and overly demanding. This suggests that those averse to grinding may want to reconsider purchasing the game.

    • “I've already brought up two examples (gigantic maps and grinding PvE just to be able to play PvP); another one is the save system.”
    • “If you can beat it but found 3-starring it too tedious (you have to capture 15 properties as one of the conditions), don't buy this game either, because it will put you through far, far worse.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users report that the game's menus are confusing and buggy, making navigation difficult. Additionally, there are limitations such as the inability to choose team colors and adjust UI scale, which detracts from the overall experience. The lack of battle animations is also noted, though this is seen as a matter of personal preference.

    • “The menus feel a bit confusing or buggy in terms of navigation and design.”
    • “I can't choose my team colors, the menus are unpleasant to navigate and feel too utilitarian in design. In addition to being buggy, I can't change the UI scale and there are lacking battle animations (I admit this one's a personal taste for me).”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game primarily relies on advertisements, which some users find intrusive or excessive. Overall, players express a desire for a more balanced approach that minimizes ad interruptions.

    • “The constant ads are overwhelming and disrupt the gameplay experience.”
    • “I feel pressured to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
    • “The monetization model is frustrating and makes it hard to progress without paying.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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