Atlas Reactor
- October 4, 2016
- Trion Worlds
- 63h median play time
Atlas Reactor is one of a kind. An incredibly inventive, addictive and compelling online fast-paced turn-based tactical game. It looks fantastic, plays great and has so little to bring it down that it's well worth anybody’s time.
"Atlas Reactor" is a competitive PvP game with 4v4 team battles and fast-paced combat. Choose from a variety of customizable Freelancers and compete in modes such as Solo, PvP, Ranked, and Custom games. The Recruit-a-Friend program offers bonus loot and access passes for new players.
Reviews
- Unique blend of turn-based strategy and team-based gameplay, reminiscent of XCOM and MOBAs.
- Fast-paced matches with simultaneous turns keep the gameplay engaging and exciting.
- Diverse roster of characters (Freelancers) with distinct abilities, allowing for various playstyles and strategies.
- Limited player base can lead to long matchmaking times and unbalanced teams.
- Free-to-play model restricts access to characters and game modes, making it feel more like a demo than a full game.
- Occasional technical issues, such as crashes and UI glitches, can disrupt the gaming experience.
- gameplay142 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is highly praised for its unique blend of turn-based strategy and fast-paced multiplayer mechanics, reminiscent of both XCOM and MOBA games. Players find the mechanics engaging and easy to learn, with a rewarding depth that encourages strategic thinking and teamwork. While some concerns about monetization and resource intensity exist, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is addictive, well-designed, and offers a refreshing experience in the competitive gaming landscape.
“The gameplay was addicting, fast, and a joy to play through.”
“Once it clicks, you get to some extremely gratifying chess-like gameplay that requires you to outsmart your opponent and think a couple of turns ahead.”
“The core gameplay is good, but if you're the kind of gamer that constantly needs new experiences to enjoy a game, this isn't for you.”
“While the game itself is pretty fun, I won't recommend playing it, since gameplay always relates to the time you have to spend on your moves.”
“This is basically pay to win as you lock out essential core mechanics behind a massive paywall.”
“However, once you decipher how it works and learn to read the movements of your allies and predict the movements of your enemies, it quickly opens up into a refreshing, cerebral blend of chess and MOBA-like mechanics.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a vibrant, cartoonish art style reminiscent of Borderlands, with engaging character designs and animations that enhance the overall experience. While many players appreciate the colorful visuals and immersive atmosphere, some criticize the graphics as dated and poorly optimized, particularly on older hardware. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, though there is room for improvement in optimization and visual fidelity.
“Amazing gameplay, amazing graphics, amazing teamwork!”
“The art style is quite a mix of Overwatch with Borderlands, it gives a carefree and fun look to the game.”
“Graphics are clear, everything is color-coded, and the UI is pretty easy to figure out.”
“The biggest negative is definitely the visuals.”
“The game uses a cartoony art style, but it looks extremely dated.”
“The graphics options in the game are bare bones as well, so older machines may have serious issues running the game because it is poorly optimized.”
- monetization17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is primarily based on cosmetic microtransactions, which many players find fair and non-intrusive, as it avoids pay-to-win mechanics. However, some users criticize the aggressive push for in-game purchases and advertising, suggesting that the game feels designed to extract money from players despite being initially free or low-cost. Overall, while the monetization is not seen as overly grindy, there are concerns about the balance between free content and paid features.
“The monetization method is fair and rarely feels grindy.”
“In my opinion it's entirely worth the money, and in comparison to other games that encourage microtransactions (this doesn't - it's really just, 'buy the game and you're good') you get a hell of a lot for your $30.”
“The game has microtransactions, but they are all cosmetic.”
“You can tell that the game was developed cheaply in order to sell skins and make money from people who dump cash into microtransactions (League of Legends players, for example).”
“The microtransactions are ridiculous.”
“The only problem I have is their current advertising model dilemma.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and uniqueness, with players enjoying the quirky character designs and funny voice acting that contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to create hilarious moments through gameplay and character interactions, making it both entertaining and engaging. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the experience, enhancing the game's appeal.
“Not only was this game stylish and wacky in its presentation, but I found it to be very charming and funny.”
“All in all, this is a beautiful game with a good sense of humor, fairly balanced characters, and a community that wants the game to thrive.”
“The voice acting in particular is full of humor, and each character has his or her (or its) own personality driven by this excellent voice acting.”
- story13 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is shaped by player-driven events from the closed beta, featuring an original narrative and lore that connects characters, though some players feel it lacks depth and coherence. While there are daily missions and special game modes that tie into the story, many reviewers express a desire for a more robust story mode and additional content. Overall, the narrative is seen as secondary to gameplay mechanics and character variety, with some players appreciating the action-oriented approach over traditional storytelling.
“There is an in-game story and events, and special game modes coincide with these events.”
“+ an original story with some decent lore that connects all the characters.”
“The game even has a story, which was written by the events that occurred in closed beta by players who bought the founders pack.”
“Look, I've played on Defiance; it was great and then it went downhill, got boring, so spare me the bleeding heart sob story about being let down.”
“There is no story.”
- music11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and immersive quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and character personalities. Players appreciate the dynamic soundtrack that intensifies during key moments, such as taunts, and the effective voice acting that complements the gameplay. However, some users find certain tracks repetitive, particularly in tutorial stages, which detracts from the experience.
“I adore the music in Atlas Reactor; the main menu really pumps you up for the next match.”
“The music in particular is catchy and not too repetitive, even after several hours of play, and the sound effects and voice acting are quite good.”
“The music in specific is catchy and not too repetitive (even after several hours of play, though this will be up to personal opinion), and the sound effects and voice acting are quite good.”
“[Tutorial stages are a waste of HDD/SSD space, the music is annoying and repetitive, the free-to-play options are insufficient and, by some strange logic, paying for the game unlocks microtransactions.]”
“The characters are full of personality with chirpy music and voice acting to suit.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be manageable and fair, with a focus on in-game currency rather than pay-to-win mechanics. While some users note that grinding for specific heroes can be time-consuming, many appreciate the balance of daily missions and rewards that make the experience enjoyable rather than tedious. Despite some reports of bugs, the game is generally praised for its engaging gameplay and rewarding challenges.
“This, on the other hand, won't be a problem if you plan to grind the freelancers out, because it will take a bunch of time anyway.”
“It's buggy and grindy as hell, but it's a great chess-like game.”
“10/10 just a little grindy but solid game.”
- stability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate its lack of game-breaking bugs and enjoy its unique gameplay, some report experiencing minor glitches, lag, and occasional freezing issues. Most users find the game playable and enjoyable despite these hiccups, with some noting that certain bugs may be related to their own systems. Overall, it seems that while the game is mostly stable, there are still areas that could benefit from further refinement.
“The game runs smoothly with nearly no glitches or bugs at all.”
“Stability is impressive; I rarely encounter any issues during gameplay.”
“Overall, the game feels very stable, making for a seamless experience.”
“After a few days, I ran into a bug where my computer freezes, and it harms Windows, so I would recommend this game as long as it works.”
“So the game feels a bit laggy and buggy.”
“Had some minor audio glitches, and that weird ragdoll mess after dying.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance and good optimization with minimal crashes, others note that it struggles on older machines and has limited graphics options. As the game is still new, some users expect further improvements, particularly in addressing optimization issues and queue times. Overall, it appears to be well-optimized for most systems, but there are still concerns for those with less powerful hardware.
“It's got a large and interesting roster of characters, and is well optimized.”
“Also runs smoothly and is pleasing to the eyes!”
“The game is very well optimized, with only a few crashes here and there.”
“The graphics options in the game are bare bones, so older machines may have serious issues running it due to poor optimization.”
“Performance is so lacking that it barely runs on low-end hardware.”
- character development6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally well-received, with players praising the character designs, voice acting, and unique abilities that enhance gameplay. While some critiques mention a lack of originality in character design, the overall consensus highlights the fun and engaging nature of the characters, particularly in a multiplayer setting.
“So all in all, I highly recommend buying this game because it's simple (yes, it is a simple game; don't blame me or the devs for your lack of foresight and IQ required to be good in a game as simple as this), it's fun especially if you play in groups, great character design and roles, not a pay-to-win game (I'm serious, all you get from buying is purely cosmetics; mods are easy to get, so that's no reason to be salty).”
“It's pretty awesome and fun for the character designs, voice acting, and abilities that the characters can accomplish.”
“Turbo chess team brawler, awesome character designs and snappy soundtrack.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its impressive graphics, sound design, and overall production quality, creating an immersive experience. Players appreciate the well-designed environments and character interactions, which contribute to a satisfying and enjoyable gameplay experience, making it suitable for both competitive and casual play. The positive community vibe on platforms like Discord further enhances the game's inviting atmosphere.
“The graphics, sound, atmosphere, and overall production quality are very nice.”
“The game's atmosphere—graphics, character personalities, music, maps, etc.—all flow really well together to make the game more immersive.”
“Really cool game even for people who don't like strategy games; well designed, satisfying atmosphere. It's a game to play where you can be competitive and have fun at the same time. I usually play it as sort of a 'chill game' when I want to have fun and not get mad if I lose.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Atlas Reactor offers high replayability due to its easy-to-learn yet challenging mechanics, making it an engaging choice for fans of turn-based games. Players appreciate the depth and variety that encourage multiple playthroughs, suggesting it provides good value for money.
“Easy to learn but hard to master, and it offers a lot of replayability!”
“Atlas Reactor is a rich game with very high replayability. If you are into a supercharged turn-based game, then I think it's money well spent.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the idea that while exploration and observation are accessible, deeper engagement and connection may come with a cost, suggesting a layered experience that invites players to invest emotionally.
Critic Reviews
Atlas Reactor Review- The Exploding Chess Board
While the developers did not excel at capturing my attention until I had given it a few more chances than an average game, Atlas Reactor proves to be genuinely unique in it's style, and definitely suited for those looking for strategy without the clickfest.
70%Atlas Reactor Review – Watch-Com? X-Over?
Atlas Reactor shows that even if there are no new ideas anymore, there are still new ways to use the old ideas and make them interesting again. Continued support and a community will hold it up but we need some serious expansion to really make it great. Even still, what is here is very solid and worth the time of any strategy lover.
80%Atlas Reactor Review – Here I Go Again on My Own
Atlas Reactor is one of a kind. An incredibly inventive, addictive and compelling online fast-paced turn-based tactical game. It looks fantastic, plays great and has so little to bring it down that it's well worth anybody’s time.
85%