Cantata

About

Cantata is a single player and multiplayer tactical management game with warfare and science fiction themes. It was developed by Afterschool Studio and was released on August 15, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Crash-landed in the universe of Cantata, will you expand your empire or bring peace to the war torn planet? Grow your army, manage resources and discover the colourful planet of Shoal, its people, and the armed forces overrunning this land in this genre-defining Grand Tactics game.

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67%Audience ScoreBased on 97 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The art style is stunning and unique, creating an immersive atmosphere.
The game features interesting mechanics and faction asymmetry that can lead to engaging gameplay.
The developers are responsive to feedback and have shown commitment to improving the game over time.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and a poorly designed UI, making it frustrating to play.
The AI is largely ineffective, leading to unchallenging gameplay and reliance on arbitrary turn limits.
Many mechanics are poorly explained, and the lack of a comprehensive tutorial for all factions hinders player understanding.

gameplay
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The gameplay of the game is described as innovative and visually appealing, featuring unique mechanics like supply management and territory control, reminiscent of classic turn-based strategy games. However, many players find the gameplay slow, complicated, and hindered by a lack of tutorials and documentation, leading to frustration and difficulty in fully exploring its potential. Despite these issues, there is a consensus that the game has significant potential and offers a fresh experience for fans of the genre.
- “Really cool game with great art and deep gameplay.”
- “The gameplay feels fresh and I'm loving the art style.”
- “Innovative gameplay and interesting setting!”
- “Units have obscure mechanics that have little to no documentation; you can only really learn by trying to build everything and push all the buttons (tooltips frequently won't explain what a unit or ability is for), but because of the aforementioned turn limit, such exploration is heavily punished.”
- “The tutorials have been disabled for so long that it's very difficult to figure out any of the mechanics.”
- “The art style is sweet, but for me, the gameplay was a bit slow and dull; maybe it gets better with time, but I didn't want to go past the refund time period.”
story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its interesting plot and unique world, though some feel it lacks depth and could benefit from further development, particularly regarding the factions. However, the experience is marred by numerous bugs, unrefined gameplay, and frustrating mission design, including arbitrary time limits that detract from the overall enjoyment. While the art style and narrative elements are praised, the game's technical issues and clunky mechanics hinder its potential.
- “The single player campaign is focused on telling a story; the AI is just there going about their business and you're attacking them because they're in the way of your objectives.”
- “The story is interesting and enough to drive the gameplay, which is reminiscent of Advance Wars, with region-based infrastructure and resource building.”
- “As an early access game, it definitely is a little raw, but at the core of the game is a really interesting world and I can't wait to see how the story progresses.”
- “Many triggers that continue the level or even win the level are not specified by mission objectives but rather merely hinted at by exploration and dialogue.”
- “The threat of losing missions is the timer, not any sense of enemy threat.”
- “The maps are huge, story-driven, and unfortunately... an absolute slog-fest.”
graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
60%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and ambitious art style that enhances the overall atmosphere and storytelling. While some players find the visuals stunning and engaging, others criticize the game for being buggy and the gameplay lacking depth, suggesting that the impressive graphics cannot fully compensate for its flaws. Overall, the art style stands out as a highlight, but opinions vary on its effectiveness in elevating the gaming experience.
- “The artwork and atmosphere of the game are unusual and top notch.”
- “A somewhat buggy but artistically gorgeous and uniquely stylistic game in both visuals and gameplay.”
- “Fantastic visuals, surprisingly enjoyable writing and music.”
- “The art style sucks, by the way. It's like a children's fairy tale book illustration drawn by a hallucinating hippie in the late 60s or early 70s.”
- “Thoroughly mediocre in pretty much every aspect except for the art style.”
- “I really liked the artwork and the story, though they are not enough for me to play.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its ability to complement the themes and enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting its beauty and integration with the art style. The combination of excellent visuals and engaging music contributes to a captivating ambiance that players appreciate. Overall, the music is seen as a strong aspect of the game, adding to its appeal and enjoyment.
- “Great interface and music that mesh well with its themes.”
- “Excellent art style, ambience and music throughout.”
- “Fantastic visuals, surprisingly enjoyable writing and music.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its artistic visuals and unique style, but it suffers from significant stability issues, including bugs and slow performance. Many users recommend waiting for further updates before playing, as the gameplay experience is marred by these persistent problems.
- “It's still very buggy though, so if you're holding off for a complete game, I'd say to wait a bit longer.”
- “Buggy, slow, and all of the game is focused around storyline missions that aren't very good.”
- “A somewhat buggy but artistically gorgeous and uniquely stylistic game in both visuals and gameplay.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its exceptional artwork and unique style, creating a captivating and immersive experience. The pacing complements the moody audio, enhancing the overall ambiance and engagement.
- “The artwork and atmosphere of the game are unusual and top-notch.”
- “The pacing feels great, and of course, the most eye-catching feature of the game—the style, art, and atmosphere—is incredible.”
- “Moody atmospheric audio.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of Cantata is currently lacking, with users noting poor performance on larger levels, a noticeable absence of polish, and limited quality-of-life features. While it may still be worth a recommendation for some players, the overall experience is hindered by these issues.
- “If you can stomach bad performance on bigger levels, a serious lack of polish that allows some cheesy tactics, and a lack of quality of life features, then Cantata might be worth a recommendation at this point of development.”
- “The game's performance is not great.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is praised for its engaging and entertaining approach, complementing the advance wars-esque gameplay. Reviewers appreciate the tone and art style, indicating that the humor resonates well with fans of turn-based strategy games.
- “Really funny and an interesting way of doing Advance Wars-esque gameplay. I love the scenario; the graphics are neat too.”
- “I might wait for it to be more complete (remaining episodes) before fully diving in, but I am hooked on the tone, the art, the humor, and the gameplay resonates with me as a lover of turn-based strategy games.”