Bulwark Evolution: Falconeer Chronicles

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,270 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Bulwark Evolution: Falconeer Chronicles Game Cover
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"Bulwark Evolution: Falconeer Chronicles" is a sandbox building game where you design and expand your fortress into an empire, carving your path onto a challenging ocean landscape. Your goal is to grow various factions' populations to unlock new commanders, captains, ships, units, and abilities. The game continuously evolves based on player feedback, offering a dynamic and engaging experience.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,270 reviews
gameplay86 positive mentions
grinding22 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique and innovative building mechanic that allows for creative city design.
  • The art style and atmosphere are stunning, providing a visually appealing experience.
  • The game is relaxing and casual, making it a great choice for players looking to unwind.
  • The controls can be clunky and unintuitive, especially for mouse and keyboard users.
  • There is a lack of clear direction and explanation of game mechanics, leading to confusion.
  • The gameplay can feel shallow and repetitive after a few hours, with limited endgame content.
  • gameplay358 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by its relaxed, sandbox-style city-building mechanics that prioritize creativity and aesthetics over complex strategic depth. While many players find the building mechanics enjoyable and intuitive, there are frequent complaints about a lack of direction, poorly explained mechanics, and limited content that can lead to repetitive gameplay. Overall, it offers a visually stunning experience with a chill vibe, but may not satisfy those seeking more engaging or tactical gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is something I can always come back to and enjoy no matter the mood I am in.”
    • “Once you get all the mechanics and features (which aren't too complicated), the game becomes one of those 'one more turn' type of games; it's just so satisfying to build, upgrade, and expand and to explore and find new captains and crew to join you so you can set up new trade routes and ports.”
    • “The style and gameplay are great; it's easy to pick up but tough to master, you can play a bunch of different ways and there are enough units and factions to make it interesting for hours.”
    • “Can't recommend yet, as there isn't much gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is so janky and restricted.”
    • “I want to like Bulwark, but I find myself frustrated and bored by the gameplay, and unfortunately I don't think it'd get any better.”
  • graphics198 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style and unique aesthetic, creating a visually appealing and immersive experience. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals that enhance the atmosphere, making city-building enjoyable and relaxing. However, some reviewers noted a desire for more visual variety among factions and buildings, suggesting that while the graphics are impressive, there is room for further development in this area.

    • “This game has just the right amount of abstraction combined with compelling world-building and a gorgeous art style.”
    • “The art style is fantastic; it's very easy to build beautiful cities.”
    • “The game has beautiful art style, nice music, and seems reasonably bug-free.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is great, the visuals stunning... but damn it, it's so clunky to play!”
    • “Lack of visual variety: I quite like this game's visuals, I just wish that there was a bit more variety. When I first saw this game, I thought there was going to be a lot more visual variety. For example, I thought every faction would have a different design for the surveyor (the player airship), which is not the case.”
    • “As someone who values gameplay and mechanics over atmosphere and graphics, I personally don't enjoy it much.”
  • music76 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its fantastic quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. The soundtrack is described as immersive and beautifully composed, contributing significantly to the game's unique aesthetic and emotional depth. Players find the music to be a major selling point, making the gameplay experience both relaxing and engaging.

    • “There’s no lyrics, but the vocals and general feel of the soundtrack make it seem like it’s a part of the world, like those singing it are the sailors on my surveyor as we sail through the skies.”
    • “The music and the gameplay are both very compelling and fun.”
    • “The atmosphere is really inspired, as I said, and so is the music; I just wish there were even more tracks with throat singing.”
    • “While it lacks meaningful endgame, the novelty and music alone make it worthwhile.”
    • “Cozy, relaxing, and beautiful game made by a one-man team (sans music and voice actors).”
  • story58 mentions

    The game's story is a mix of engaging world-building and character-driven narratives, with players experiencing a seamless progression through missions that unlock new units and lore. While some players appreciate the immersive universe and the organic storytelling, others criticize the lack of a clear narrative structure and meaningful challenges, leading to a perception of the story as either underdeveloped or overly simplistic. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy exploration and sandbox elements, but may leave players seeking a more defined storyline wanting more.

    • “The setting and story of the world got me intrigued, and it's a huge plus that all characters you meet are fully voiced with their own little stories to share.”
    • “Awesome immersive universe and story.”
    • “The world of Bulwark has so much story behind it, a war that devastated the land.”
    • “Tedious, crappy controls and just plain boring - no real story, bad voice acting.”
    • “Otherwise the story is about as bare bones as it gets and the tutorial has way too much hand holding.”
    • “There is no story, no challenge and no task or milestones to achieve.”
  • atmosphere54 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, engaging art style, and immersive sound design, creating a unique and emotive experience. Players appreciate the blend of lore and thematic mechanics that enhance the overall ambiance, making it a relaxing and enjoyable environment to explore and build within. While some note gameplay clunkiness, the overall sentiment highlights the game's strong atmospheric appeal, making it a standout in the city-building genre.

    • “The meticulous design is impressive and blends seamlessly with the game's relaxed yet engaging atmosphere.”
    • “If you played Falconeer then you will be somewhat familiar with the aesthetic - but the whole art direction, sound design, and overall atmosphere is very emotive, all accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack that perfectly fits the style and taps into the game world.”
    • “The atmosphere is great, the visual design is distinct and fun, and everything just makes me want to spend more time in the world.”
    • “As someone who values gameplay and mechanics over atmosphere and graphics, I personally don't enjoy it much.”
    • “The rest is mainly there to provide atmosphere, lore, and a bit of meaning.”
    • “If you played Falconeer, then you will be somewhat familiar with the aesthetic - but the whole art direction, sound design, and overall atmosphere is very emotive, all accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack that perfectly fits the style and taps into the game world.”
  • grinding22 mentions

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious and poorly balanced, particularly with the new splinter currency and navigation mechanics. While some players appreciate the lack of excessive grinding for endgame buildings, many find the overall experience marred by frustrating controls and repetitive tasks. Despite these issues, some still find the game enjoyable and worth the price, appreciating its creative elements.

    • “The new splinter currency is a grindy mess and feels poorly balanced.”
    • “Tedious, crappy controls and just plain boring - no real story, bad voice acting.”
    • “There's only so much pretty you can build before it becomes either tedious or inconsequential or both.”
  • optimization20 mentions

    The game's optimization has received positive feedback, with users noting its solid performance and stability, even when handling complex constructions. However, there are concerns regarding the lack of optimization for mouse and keyboard controls, as the game seems more tailored for gamepad use. Overall, while the game runs smoothly with minimal stuttering, some players feel it leans more towards an open-ended sandbox experience rather than a fully optimized RTS.

    • “In terms of performance, Bulwark impressed me with its stability.”
    • “Clearly, significant effort has been put into optimization, especially considering the complexity of some of the constructions I managed to build without encountering significant performance issues.”
    • “With an almost constant stable performance with only the rare stutter, it's surprisingly well optimized for its scope even with more complex and large constructs, something even other games in the genre struggle with.”
    • “I must say: I am entirely unaware of what plans the devs have or whether or not content will follow or be optimized, but as of now, there is very little reason to buy the game.”
    • “Why even release this for PC with the complete lack of any optimization for mouse and keyboard?”
    • “A word to those who prefer a more structured approach: be warned this game is more open-ended sandbox than optimized RTS.”
  • stability8 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it runs well on the Steam Deck and has moments of smooth performance, many users report significant bugs and a lack of polish, particularly when using mouse and keyboard. Some players have experienced issues that were resolved through reinstallation, but the game still feels unfinished.

    • “The game has a beautiful art style, nice music, and seems reasonably bug-free. A reinstall fixed the achievement issue.”
    • “Also runs great on Steam Deck, so perfect for some laid-back couch gaming.”
    • “The game has a beautiful art style, nice music, and seems reasonably bug-free. A reinstall fixed the achievement issue.”
    • “The game as it stands right now is rather buggy and doesn’t feel finished.”
    • “Just not a lot of fun and it is quite buggy with mouse and keyboard.”
    • “The game as it stands right now is rather buggy and doesn’t feel finished.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game offers significant replayability due to its multiple play styles and ongoing development, which promises additional content. However, some players express concerns about potential similarities in gameplay across different playthroughs, suggesting that it may feel short or repetitive for some.

    • “The game is still being actively developed, bugs are being fixed and lots of content will be added, but it's already a very replayable piece of art.”
    • “I suspect it would be quite short, and replayability-wise maybe a bit too similar to previous playthroughs.”
    • “Almost endless replayability.”
    • “There are several ways you can play the game and it has a lot of replay value as well.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization model is praised for being fairly priced and offering great DLC, reflecting a developer's commitment to creating a game that resonates with players.

    • “Fairly priced, great DLC and monetization model, and a developer who truly cares about creating a game for people to love.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the engaging personality of the developer, who is described as a "funny good man" with a "crazy beard," adding a lighthearted and entertaining touch to the overall experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements found in community interactions and developer insights.

    • “I read a few notes on a forum, YouTube, and even the dev himself with his beautiful crazy beard, lol! A funny good man!”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players find the game to be visually stunning and emotionally impactful, often reflecting on their experiences with a sense of beauty and depth. The emotional resonance of the gameplay leaves a lasting impression, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “And boy is it pretty... just looking at what I'd done at the end of this session, beautiful and emotional.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

8hMedian play time
14hAverage play time
5-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 22 analyzed playthroughs

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