Big Ambitions
- March 9, 2023
- Hovgaard Games
- 22h median play time
In "Big Ambitions," players start with limited funds and an entry-level job, aiming to achieve success and control New York City through various business ventures. The game offers a vast sandbox experience, allowing players to build and grow multiple businesses, invest in real estate, and manage their personal well-being. The journey from humble beginnings to tycoon status is filled with opportunities for failure and rebuilding, providing a unique and engaging business simulation experience.
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay that allows players to build their own business empire from scratch.
- Frequent updates from developers that add new features and improve gameplay.
- Unique blend of business management and life simulation elements, providing a refreshing experience.
- Repetitive gameplay loop that can become tedious after a few hours.
- Driving mechanics are clunky and can lead to frustration.
- Lack of depth in mid to late game, with limited variety in business types and interactions.
- gameplay375 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Big Ambitions" is characterized by a blend of business simulation and life simulation elements, offering players a satisfying and addictive core loop of managing and expanding businesses. While the mechanics are generally well-crafted and engaging, some players find the early game tedious and repetitive, with a desire for more depth and variety in gameplay as they progress. Overall, the game shows significant potential for growth and improvement, particularly with future updates and content expansions.
“Big Ambitions is amazing; the gameplay loop is simple, satisfying, and gets increasingly complex as you earn more money.”
“The gameplay in Big Ambitions strikes a decent balance between accessibility and depth, making it engaging and rewarding.”
“The combination of open-endedness and deep gameplay mechanics offers a sense of satisfaction when your grand plans unfold to reap a profit.”
“The early game is unbelievably tedious and boring the second/third time; I shouldn't have to restart (which would require hours of boring setup) to disable a game-breaking mechanic.”
“Decent concept of starting your own business and 'working up the ladder', but by the 30-minute mark I felt like I had already experienced all this game had to offer with its gameplay loop: roam from point A to B and stock up on items to build up your business.”
“The gameplay isn't terribly deep right now, although the devs have a detailed roadmap, but it is engaging enough that I've put in over thirty hours and am not bored of it at all.”
- story146 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story mode serves primarily as a tutorial, guiding players through the basics of business management while offering a simple narrative about starting from scratch after a family loss. While some players appreciate the engaging storyline and the freedom to deviate from tasks, others find the progression tedious, particularly with missions that require managing numerous businesses. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, providing a foundation for gameplay but lacking depth and interactivity.
“Big Ambitions does a solid job in terms of storytelling, providing a very interesting narrative that keeps you involved in your business empire journey.”
“The story line and format to start from scratch to build an empire of modern business is very well put together and thought out to introduce someone to the game, but also allowing almost total freedom of gameplay.”
“With its beautiful graphics, engaging storyline, and focus on personal growth and development, 'Big Ambitions' is sure to keep you entertained for hours on end.”
“The story sucks, the gameplay also sucks and is kind of stupid too.”
“Game is great until you get to the giant gaping hole in progression/story and you get smacked with 'make 80 businesses and live to be 100', which is just 'time to tank the game and mass purchase shell companies'.”
“The tutorial, called 'story mode,' takes dozens of hours and offers little freedom.”
- grinding126 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 84 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, particularly in the early and mid-game stages, where players must manage numerous manual tasks such as setting up businesses and transporting items. While some players appreciate the depth and potential for automation as they progress, many express frustration with the lack of quality-of-life improvements that could alleviate the monotony of these tasks. Overall, the game appeals to fans of life simulation and management genres, but it may require a significant time investment to overcome its grindy nature.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“Not the tedious loop of running in and out with your hand truck to physically set the stuff up over and over again.”
“The game really needs a way to automate or, at least, speed up the process of furnishing stores and hiring people, because until then this isn't really a business sim, it's an interior decorating sim and most of your time will not be spent making a fortune, but instead running back and forth to the IKEA and decorating buildings utilizing the most tedious tools possible.”
“After setting up a few businesses, furnishing them becomes very tedious and some kind of blueprint system really needs to be added.”
“When you reach a point where you can open up numerous businesses, it becomes so tedious driving to one store, grabbing 4 items, loading it up over and over again, driving across the map, and then unloading it over and over again per new business.”
- graphics118 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the thoughtful design and immersive environments, while others criticize the visuals as smudgy, repetitive, or lacking polish. Many agree that while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are adequate for the gameplay experience, and some players find them charming in their simplicity. Overall, there is a consensus that improvements could be made, particularly in terms of performance and visual refinement.
“Graphics are really nice, nothing too crazy but very fitting to the game.”
“The graphics are great, and I can tell they took a lot of time in the development.”
“The game has some really beautiful environments, and the graphics are really well designed and laid out.”
“Visual aesthetics are decent but could be more polished, especially considering the genre.”
“Graphics are dry and repetitive.”
“The copy and paste exact same 5/6 businesses everywhere around you with the exact same simple graphics really killed it for me.”
- music89 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising the upbeat and energizing soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. However, some users express frustration over the limited variety, repetitive nature of the tracks, and issues with adding personal music, particularly on Mac systems. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, there is a strong desire for more diverse music options and better customization features.
“The soundtrack is also amazing; I usually listen to my own music and mute the games I'm playing, but this one has such bangers I find myself singing along while I build my empire!”
“The game's soundtrack is also worth noting - it's upbeat and energizing, which really helps to set the tone for the game.”
“I am completely blown away... this game has everything and the soundtrack is fire.”
“The game ships with DRM-free music, and you get what you pay for.”
“It's incredibly repetitive and just plays the same songs over and over and over.”
“I don't really care for the music in the game, but that's pretty much the only thing I don't like about it.”
- stability38 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with many players reporting frequent crashes and freezes, particularly during specific interactions like entering buildings or accessing menus. While some users experience minor glitches that do not significantly impact gameplay, others face persistent issues that hinder their enjoyment. Despite these problems, a portion of the player base finds the game relatively stable, especially on higher-end systems, and appreciates the developers' ongoing efforts to address bugs and improve performance.
“Great open world business/life sim game that runs great even on my old 1070.”
“For early access, this game runs great and has plenty of content available.”
“Ba has a great foundation and, performance-wise, runs great at 4K max settings.”
“But after the update, it crashes at the menu and freezes my PC.”
“Is not bad but a majority of the time I spent playing this game was me starting it back up because all this game does on my system is just crash randomly. Most of the time it is when the dialog pops up telling me how good I've been doing with my job sites, and also going into shops/stores. Pretty much anything that I can enter in a building besides somehow my own apartment just crashes, freezes, and stops working in general. I have an RTX 4080, with an Intel Core 13th Gen i9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and about 6TB of storage.”
“Game freezes constantly.”
- optimization31 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed, with some players experiencing smooth performance and minimal bugs, while others report significant issues, particularly on high-end and MacOS systems. Many users note that the game is still in early access, which may account for its performance inconsistencies, but some express hope for future improvements. While some players find it runs well even on older hardware, others struggle with sluggishness and graphical issues, indicating a need for further optimization.
“Excellent simulation game with smooth performance and no bugs encountered so far.”
“Despite being in early access, the game runs smoothly with minimal bugs or crashes, making for an enjoyable experience overall.”
“As far as optimization goes, it is pretty solid and the loading times are extremely fast which is very nice to see.”
“Although the game is in 0.5 EA, I somewhat expected it to be more optimized for macOS machines.”
“There are also other issues, with the game performing absolutely terrible on a 4070 Ti while looking like a 4-year-old mobile game, but it's early access so I won't dock points for that, especially since I primarily played this using Proton (but Windows performance was not much better).”
“This game has flaws, a lot of flaws; it is so repetitive, it looks ugly, it has optimization problems, and so on...”
- replayability30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits high replayability due to its variety of businesses, dynamic economy, and extensive customization options, making each playthrough feel unique. While some players note that the initial hours are engaging, concerns about long-term replay value exist, particularly if the gameplay becomes tedious after mastering it. However, ongoing development and the potential for community-driven content promise to enhance replayability further in the future.
“The variety of businesses, dynamic economy, and high level of customization provide a rich gameplay experience with plenty of replay value.”
“There's a ton of depth and a lot of stuff to do, and the replayability is nearly endless as the map is a bit different every time you start a new game.”
“The gameplay is incredible; the replayability is endless, and the amount of objects to place in your stores and offices is unbelievable.”
“Basically what I'm saying is it needs to be possible to fail and there needs to be a level of difficulty in starting a business; otherwise, the game will always just be a 150-hour game rather than an 'infinite' replayable game.”
“The gameplay is tedious after you master it, and it doesn't have any 'triggers' for replayability.”
“Just don't expect (at the moment) the type of replayability or infinite growth possible with a game like Factorio.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding joy in the absurdity of managing businesses and the comedic elements of gameplay, such as the amusing "funny number" mechanic and chaotic driving. Many users suggest that adding more humorous scenarios could enhance the experience, making mundane tasks feel more entertaining. Overall, the game successfully incorporates lighthearted humor that adds to its charm and engagement.
“It adds just that extra bit of humor when you're trying to race to buy some furniture before a store closes.”
“Not to mention the driving is hilarious; it is way too fun to drive like a maniac, dodging the oncoming traffic to get around slow drivers... my burger restaurant needs more burgers right now!”
“I start a gift shop, funny number go up.”
- monetization9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, which is seen as a positive aspect in today's gaming landscape, indicating a focus on quality and player experience rather than profit. Players appreciate the depth and detail of the game, viewing it as a passion project rather than a cash grab, although there are concerns about potential future monetization strategies. Overall, the monetization approach is well-received, contributing to a satisfying gameplay experience.
“While not without flaws, the game is satisfying, with no microtransactions, which is always a big win in today's gaming market.”
“Whatever you do, Hovgaard Games, don't turn into the studios that ruin what we love for the sake of cash grabbing.”
“At first, I thought that this was a scam like Mafia City ads (too good on video to be true, turns out to be garbage), but then I saw that these are the same guys who made Startup Company, which was a legitimately great game, so I purchased Big Ambitions and was never disappointed.”
“I was pleasantly surprised at the level of detail and micromanagement in this game. At first, I thought it was just going to be another cash grab by the devs, no offense to the devs of this game though.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its liveliness and immersive qualities, particularly in simulating a bustling city environment like Manhattan. While some players feel it could benefit from further enhancement to fully captivate them, the combination of smooth gameplay, impressive graphics, and a fantastic soundtrack contributes to a rewarding experience that encourages exploration and engagement.
“When it comes to simulating the atmosphere of a busy city, this is on point.”
“The atmosphere in the city is lively and there is a lot to discover.”
“The soundtrack is also fantastic, providing a calming and atmospheric backdrop to the gameplay.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of frustration and emotional investment in the game, highlighting the heartbreak of neglecting their stores after initial engagement. The challenge of balancing family and business adds depth and complexity, enhancing the emotional experience for players. Overall, the game evokes a sense of wholesome yet poignant emotional engagement.
“It's heart-breaking... this pisses me off...”
“Managing a family alongside a business could offer fresh challenges and decisions, adding a new layer of complexity and emotional investment for players.”
“Wholesome playing.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in Big Ambitions allows players to engage deeply with their character's personal life, managing aspects such as health, sleep, and finances alongside business operations. Players express a desire for future updates to enhance customization options, indicating that personalizing characters and stores is a key aspect of the game's endgame enjoyment.
“Big Ambitions introduces character development, allowing players to manage not only their business but also their character's personal life, including health, sleep, and finances.”
“I hope for updates (cosmetics/character design, more furniture) to have more fun customizing your stores, which is really the fun of the endgame in my opinion.”