Battlefleet Gothic: Armada

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,402 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada Game Cover
Armada is tactical, unforgiving and at times difficult, but incredibly fun and gives a great feeling of victory when things go your way. It's a side of 40K that I don't see explored that often, and it does so in an incredibly astonishing way.
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"Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is a real-time strategy game based on the tabletop game of the same name, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players can customize and command fleets from four factions, upgrading ships and crew through battles. The game uses the Unreal Engine 4 for visceral space combat with a focus on ship management and strategic decision-making."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,402 reviews
story280 positive mentions
stability92 negative mentions
  • Engaging tactical gameplay with a steep learning curve that rewards strategic thinking.
  • Beautiful graphics and sound design that capture the essence of the Warhammer 40K universe.
  • Variety of ships and customization options allow for diverse fleet strategies.
  • story1,922 mentions

    The story in "Battlefleet Gothic: Armada" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its adherence to the Warhammer 40,000 lore and the engaging narrative surrounding the 12th Black Crusade. However, the campaign is criticized for its repetitive mission structure, often forcing players to replay similar objectives, which can detract from the overall experience. While the cutscenes and voice acting are praised, the gameplay is marred by frustrating mission designs that can feel unbalanced and overly reliant on luck, leading to a mixed reception regarding the campaign's enjoyment.

    • “The campaign story is good and the gameplay itself is fun, but after the first few missions, you are up against ridiculous odds.”
    • “The story is well told and if you are looking for challenging gameplay that is rewarding, this is the game for you.”
    • “The campaign is a decent length, the story (full of Warhammer 40k biliousness) has some twists and surprises to keep you engaged, and the thrill of victory is all the sweeter for how much you have to sweat for it.”
    • “The missions are overly repetitive, because of the limited 2D environment in outer space and the AI that reacts the same way over and over again.”
    • “The campaign mode while it follows the gothic war story very closely is nothing more than a glorified skirmish mode, the map does not provide an area to match wits with the despoiler but is simply a menu for choosing which random encounter you want and given the inherent difficulty in some mission types you find yourself searching for the least offensive ones.”
    • “The campaign is a mix of shitty escort missions and 3-5 ship engagements where the enemies just warp out if they get below half health.”
  • gameplay728 mentions

    The gameplay of "Battlefleet Gothic: Armada" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its tactical depth and adherence to the Warhammer 40,000 lore, while others criticize its steep difficulty, repetitive mission design, and frustrating mechanics. The real-time strategy elements require significant micromanagement and strategic planning, but the game can feel punishing and unbalanced, especially for newcomers. Overall, while the visuals and atmosphere are well-received, the gameplay experience is often marred by clunky mechanics and a lack of variety, leading to a polarized reception among players.

    • “The gameplay is focused on real-time naval battles, where players must manage resources, issue orders, and make tactical decisions to defeat their enemies.”
    • “The game features a wide variety of ships to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, adding a layer of strategy to the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fantastic, with each race having its own strengths and weaknesses.”
    • “It took one mission to make me realize just how utterly busted and crushingly unfair this game is in comparison to other fleet combat games with unforgiving mechanics such as Homeworld 2 or Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock.”
    • “Things get tricky when the game mechanics decide to either make the objective unreachable or undefinable, or it puts a big stupid timed objective that if you don't complete, will make the game go 'wah wah you lose' as your ships are blown to pieces anyway trying to reach it.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely shallow - it's an RTS where you usually only control 4 units (2 capital ships and 2 escorts) with no base or building mechanics.”
  • graphics411 mentions

    The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and attention to detail, effectively capturing the grimdark aesthetic of the Warhammer 40k universe. Players have praised the beautiful ship designs, immersive environments, and impressive effects, which enhance the overall atmosphere of space battles. However, some users noted issues with performance and graphical glitches, suggesting that while the visuals are generally excellent, they can be hindered by technical problems.

    • “The graphics are simply superb, the sound and visual effects top notch.”
    • “The game's visuals are impressive, with detailed ships and environments that truly capture the epic scale of space battles.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous as well.”
    • “It is just a bad looking game with really bad voice acting, music, and graphics.”
    • “The graphics are quite outdated by some 10+ years, but I guess nobody would buy this game to be awed by the visuals.”
    • “The game takes far too long to load for the quality of graphics, and there are very few options for graphics settings.”
  • music114 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its epic and atmospheric qualities that enhance the Warhammer 40k experience, particularly during battles and cutscenes. However, some players noted the limited variety of tracks, leading to repetitiveness over time, and occasional issues with audio levels affecting dialogue clarity. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as fitting and immersive, its lack of diversity and some sound design flaws detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game's sound design is also noteworthy, with a dynamic soundtrack that changes to reflect the intense action on screen.”
    • “The music is glorious and the sounds of combat are engaging like no other.”
    • “The cutscenes, graphics, voice acting, and soundtrack are excellent.”
    • “Speaking of repetition, get ready to hear the same 'intense epic' score over and over because this game features one song with multiple replaceable parts repeating ad nauseam.”
    • “Music is alright until you realize there are only about five tracks in the entire game and this gets very grinding very fast.”
    • “The audio of the game is somewhat lacking, particularly in the music which is dull and unenthusiastic, practically all of the time.”
  • stability97 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players have managed to enjoy the game despite these issues, many express frustration over persistent technical problems, poorly designed missions, and an overall lack of polish. Despite occasional patches, the consensus is that the game remains unstable and often unplayable, particularly in multiplayer modes.

    • “Tindalos seems like a really great studio and it's just a really great game, and it's bug-free for me at 115+ hours.”
    • “It was at least not buggy; it ran well enough on my system.”
    • “For reference, I'm running Windows 8.1 Enterprise on my primary system with an i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and a GTX 980 Ti GPU, and the game runs great with no issues.”
    • “The game is buggy and it's broken.”
    • “This is a buggy, unfinished product that would need major bug fixing before it could be recommended.”
    • “It's buggy, lots of bad missions and crashes, but I still am going to play it.”
  • atmosphere79 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics, immersive sound design, and effective voice acting, all of which capture the grimdark essence of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a memorable and engaging experience through its art, music, and storytelling, making it a standout in the genre. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, drawing players into its richly detailed and atmospheric world.

    • “The atmosphere created in the game through its visuals, art, music, characters, and story is simply awesome.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is fantastic and is definitely one of the strongest 40k video games out there.”
    • “It captures the atmosphere and the darkness of the 41st millennium so well, and the amount of detail and effort that was put into this game is indicative of the developers' obvious passion for the universe.”
    • “The repetitive character makes it a bit boring and sadly there you lose the grip in the atmosphere.”
    • “Now you're probably wondering how this is a 'mixed' review when it sounds so bad... well I'm a major 40k fan and this game hits the atmosphere right... and in missions where you have a small number of ships and few or no goofy special conditions... the game can be quite fun.. here's hoping they spend some time on fixing this game up..”
    • “That being said, this does allow for a decidedly tactical level of gameplay, provides immense satisfaction when strategies are successful, and is conducive to maintaining the atmosphere of the player as an admiral responsible for conducting every key facet of the intricate ballet of void warfare between massive, kilometre-long vessels designed to utterly annihilate one another.”
  • grinding62 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in the later chapters and during mission retries. Many reviews highlight the lack of variety in missions and enemy types, leading to a drawn-out experience that feels more like a chore than engaging gameplay. While some acknowledge that there is a degree of fun in the battles, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game suffers from poor design choices that make progression feel like a grind without meaningful rewards.

    • “This game is frustrating and grindy.”
    • “Tedious, boring, repetitive, slow, and overly difficult.”
    • “The whole thing feels like they were prototyping a digital version of the tabletop game as a free-to-play and then were told a month or two before release it needed singleplayer modes and to pull out the microtransactions so they grabbed whatever voice actors they could find to do one take each on some lines, hid the buttons to pay real money to skip grinding profiles up, and cut the optimization from the schedule entirely.”
  • replayability48 mentions

    Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while the single-player campaign primarily focuses on the Imperial Navy and offers limited replay value, the skirmish and multiplayer modes provide significant opportunities for varied gameplay through different factions and strategies. Players appreciate the randomness and progression elements that enhance replayability, but some feel that the campaign lacks depth for multiple playthroughs. Overall, the game is seen as having decent replayability, especially in offline modes and skirmishes, but it could benefit from more diverse campaign options.

    • “Game is a very fun space combat, filled with an engaging campaign and almost endless replayability through the skirmish and multiplayer, when using each of the 4 (6+ if you have the DLCs) factions.”
    • “There's a ton of replay value and the developer seems to be set on producing more and more content and adding features, so what's not to like?”
    • “You level up fleets for each of the factions individually, so there's a lot of replay value.”
    • “The single-player campaign only allows you to play as the Imperial Navy, and, while compelling, has little-to-no replayability.”
    • “At its current price of £29.99 with very limited singleplayer replayability and a bungled multiplayer causing the multiplayer presence to be very low; I simply can't recommend it.”
    • “When in this game you can defend only 1 system out of 2 and you have to choose what you don't want to lose more - more expensive upgrades or less renown earned - it's not replayability in my book.”
  • optimization42 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting smooth performance on lower-end systems, while others experience significant issues such as crashes, long loading times, and poor menu responsiveness. Many users noted that the game struggles with optimization, particularly in multiplayer modes, and highlighted the need for further updates to address these performance problems. Overall, while some players found the game well-optimized and enjoyable, a substantial number expressed frustration over its technical shortcomings.

    • “During the gameplay, each customization you made directly affects the ship’s performance.”
    • “Game is well optimized and has a decent learning curve, well thought out mechanics and the different tactics to employ are satisfying and viable in single-player.”
    • “Performance is great.”
    • “Buyer beware, the game is probably great when it runs, but it might not run on your machine due to poor optimization and likely bad coding.”
    • “The game is terribly optimized with very slow startup and lots of unskippable cutscenes.”
    • “The game often crashed for no reason, making single-player unplayable. I don't know if it is just poorly optimized for AMD or Intel, but I was really looking forward to the game and it let me down.”
  • humor25 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding the orks particularly hilarious due to their silly and bumbling nature, contrasting with the elitist tone of the eldar and the serious demeanor of humans. Many reviews highlight the cheesy voice acting and melodramatic dialogue as both amusing and engaging, contributing to the overall comedic experience. Players also enjoy the absurdity of gameplay moments, such as unexpected glitches and overpowered factions, which add to the game's charm and humor.

    • “I really wanted to play Orks because they're hilarious!”
    • “The voice acting and characters in the single-player campaign strike the best balance yet between ridiculous melodrama, funny moments, and swashbuckling epicness!”
    • “A very funny and artistically well-done space battles game, set in the world of Warhammer 40000, in one word: epic.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    Players highlight the game's emotional depth, particularly through its impactful cutscenes and storytelling, which evoke strong feelings despite a relatively straightforward plot. The experience resonates deeply with fans of the genre, creating a sense of nostalgia and connection to past experiences, while also providing a relaxing gameplay environment that allows for personal engagement and strategy.

    • “I wasn't even worried about dialogues and blah blahs between characters, and I can't even reiterate the plot, but still, the cutscenes and emotional touch of this galactic game are superlative.”
    • “Being a 40k fan and a video gamer (and there has to be like a 90% overlap) puts one in an emotionally fragile position.”
    • “That said, human emotional response is tied quite intrinsically with connections to past, pleasant events.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that it was rushed and poorly executed, leading to a lack of enjoyment. Many reviewers noted that the game seems to prioritize microtransactions and PvP elements, which were not clearly communicated in its marketing, resulting in disappointment for players seeking a more engaging experience. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to detract from the game's potential and enjoyment.

    • “The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel intrusive, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers a variety of ways to earn in-game currency through gameplay, making it accessible for everyone.”
    • “The cosmetic items available for purchase are reasonably priced and do not affect gameplay, which keeps the experience balanced.”
    • “Warning: this was abandoned early on and is now just a cash grab.”
    • “Just overall no fun involved at all, just a quick cash grab.”
    • “The whole thing feels like they were prototyping a digital version of the tabletop game as a free-to-play and then were told a month or two before release it needed singleplayer modes and to pull out the microtransactions so they grabbed whatever voice actors they could find to do one take each on some lines, hid the buttons to pay real money to skip grinding profiles up, and cut the optimization from the schedule entirely.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy Battlefleet Gothic: Armada

Play time

19hMedian play time
42hAverage play time
10-80hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 28 analyzed playthroughs

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