Cavalry Girls
- October 20, 2023
- 中子星游戏研究所
- 30h median play time
Get on Steam"Cavalry Girls" is a top-down shooter game where players protect their city with a team of girls and their Mecha. The game features a variety of equipment modules for each weapon, enabling strategic deployment based on enemy characteristics. Players must manage resources and choose between risk and safety in rougelike combat, with the goal of surviving an increasingly hostile battlefield.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a deep and satisfying mech customization system, allowing players to create unique builds and strategies.
- The gameplay loop is engaging, combining resource management with fast-paced top-down shooter mechanics, making it addictive and fun.
- The developers are actively updating the game and listening to player feedback, which enhances the overall experience.
- The English translation is often poor, leading to confusion about mechanics and story elements.
- The user interface can be clunky and overwhelming, making it difficult to navigate through the various systems.
- Some players have reported issues with game progression being blocked due to character traits, which can be frustrating.
- story256 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of the game is set in a dystopian world where players control a squad of young women mech pilots fighting against an oppressive regime, exploring themes of psychological strain and resilience. While the narrative unfolds gradually through comic-style cutscenes and character backstories, it is often criticized for its simplistic execution and translation issues, leading to a mixed reception regarding its depth and engagement. Overall, the story is considered decent, with multiple endings and replayability, but it may not stand out as particularly unique or compelling.
“The game approaches its storytelling in a gradual way, feeding you more and more bits about the characters' backstories and the game's world and setting as you progress and raise your affinity with the characters.”
“The primary focus of the story is the psychological drain that oppressive regimes and endless violence has on the main characters, with spots of hope if the main character spends enough time with her squadmates.”
“The little story about doomed girls huddling together for emotional warmth as they're ground into dust by the people in charge of them is a compelling narrative.”
“Story is kinda non-existent; it's more like the world has bullet points on how it's made up and works.”
“So part of me feels bad about scoring the story a 65, but I feel I have to; the translation gets quite spotty, and the cutscenes presenting the story are - while stylistically nice in concept, essentially as manga panels - often executed in a rather dull and simplistic way.”
“The story is serviceable but more of a side note and mainly told with snippets of dialogue and text.”
- gameplay188 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its depth and engaging mechanics, offering a blend of fast-paced mecha combat, strategic resource management, and extensive customization options. Players appreciate the gradual introduction of complex systems that keep the experience fresh and enjoyable, leading to a compelling "just one more turn" feeling. While some find the initial learning curve steep and the interface occasionally confusing, the overall consensus is that the game delivers a satisfying and addictive gameplay loop that balances action with tactical planning.
“The gameplay is really fun with a decent amount of options for customizing exactly what type of mech you want to play with unique crews that gain skills depending on your choices.”
“The gameplay loop of mecha combat and light squad/mecha management works way better here than it has any right.”
“The amount of strategic and tactical depth in this seemingly frivolous production is worthy of an early XCOM game, and the 2D battles while conceptually quite simple are extremely fun and mechanically gratifying.”
“I'm not sure I have the motivation to play it again - all the mouse clicking each turn, of every little mechanic they threw in, is too much.”
“Some mechanics & stats are explained really wonky.”
“Feels like a mobile game, in the sense that graphics are kind of simplistic and the mechanics don't really stand out in the first hour compared to other games, but I do like the ability to customize units.”
- graphics52 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Cavalry Girls" feature a subjective anime art style that some players find appealing, while others may not connect with it. The visuals are generally described as serviceable, with beautiful character artwork and unique hand-drawn story sequences, though the simplistic graphics and UI issues detract from the overall experience. While the game offers a decent level of immersion, it lacks the graphical depth seen in more visually ambitious titles.
“Aside from the interesting gameplay systems, I've noticed that the artwork for the game looks to be made with lots of passion.”
“The artworks are beautiful and the story is told in a sort of manga/comic way which surprised me at first, but I really like it actually.”
“The graphics are good enough to give a nice immersion, kudos for the devs.”
“Feels like a mobile game, in the sense that graphics are kind of simplistic and the mechanics don't really stand out in the first hour compared to other games, but I do like the ability to customize units, and hey, the first DLC is free.”
“But there is a bit much fan service done in sometimes somewhat crude ways (though there is no full nudity), and outfitting the mechas doesn't change them visually (for instance, you won't actually see that the mecha is carrying the correct weapon); none of these things are major downsides, but keep the game from a score higher than 70 for visuals.”
“The art style conflicts with itself; the UI could be improved (probably because of translation issues).”
- replayability24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, enhanced by various alternate modes, optional modifiers, and a unique system that allows players to apply campaign modifiers to new saves using points earned from achievements. With multiple game modes, a story featuring multiple endings, and a vast customization system, players are encouraged to explore different strategies and character backstories. While the game offers a substantial amount of content for its price, some players hope for future updates to further enrich the experience.
“Not only does the nature of the game invite replayability to begin with, but between all the alternate modes' optional modifiers and a further special system for applying campaign modifiers to new saves by distributing points earned through achievement unlocks, this game's replayability is truly something.”
“Game features several game modes, a story with multiple endings that earns the replayability, a vast and very open customization system, and characters that, while not exceedingly charismatic, do have their own personalities and backstories worth exploring.”
“If you're looking for an inexpensive game that offers a high degree of replayability, then I strongly suggest you check out the game.”
“The game indeed could use a bit more optimization and more content to keep the players hooked in - possibly adding more playable characters in the future and increasing the mech limit in city defense would be nice.”
“Game features several game modes, a story with multiple endings earns the replayability, and the customization system is vast and very open. Characters, while not exceedingly charismatic, do have their own personalities and backstories worth exploring.”
“Achievements unlock points to upgrade your team for the next run, adding to the replay value. I've found myself starting over in the middle of the run just to use all the points I've collected to give myself more advantages.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised for smooth performance and responsive controls, allowing players to feel the impact of their customization choices. However, some users noted that the preparation for in-game days can be cumbersome and suggested that additional content and optimizations, such as more playable characters and increased mech limits, would enhance the experience. Additionally, while weapon modifications are effective, players must navigate the complexities of combat mechanics like armor penetration, which can affect performance.
“Those controls are smooth, sensible, and you can really feel the difference made by your customization choices to the ladies' mechas' performance and stats.”
“There are many optimizations and modifications; players' weapons became much more powerful than the original.”
“The game indeed could use a bit more optimization and more content to keep the players hooked in - possibly adding more playable characters in the future and increasing the mech limit in city defense would be nice.”
“There are many optimizations and modifications, players' weapons became much more powerful than the original.”
“Meanwhile in combat, there actually are factors such as armor penetration to be aware of, and the fact that too much armor penetration can also be a net negative on your performance.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a compelling emotional narrative, particularly highlighted by the poignant backstories of its characters and the touching themes of vulnerability and connection. However, the emotional impact is often undermined by inconsistent storytelling and poor translations that strip scenes of their intended weight. Overall, while the emotional appeal is present, it is not consistently executed throughout the game.
“The story is good and the characters all have touching pasts, except one.”
“The little story about doomed girls huddling together for emotional warmth as they're ground into dust by the people in charge of them is a compelling narrative.”
“They make an emotional appeal for her in the opening but then sideline that.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying its quality and fit within the gameplay, often getting lost in the rhythm during combat. However, there are some minor complaints regarding the soundtrack, though it does not detract significantly from the overall positive experience.
“I have exactly one complaint and that's the soundtrack, but otherwise, it's a very nice experience and a bargain at $10.”
“A couple of times during the streams, I forgot to comment because I was catjamming to the music during combat.”
“Sound design fits, music is solid.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a rebellious and dystopian tone, where players engage in humorous and defiant actions against oppressive forces. The use of a black-and-white comic style effectively enhances the storytelling and overall ambiance, immersing players in its unique world.
“In terms of atmosphere, this is a game in which you tell your waifus to get in the $%#@ing robot, and also commit tax evasion because your dystopian overlords can go screw themselves.”
“The black/white comic conveys the story and atmosphere a lot better.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game "Cavalry Girls" demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting smooth performance at 1080p60 on mid-range PCs, experiencing no frame drops, crashes, lag, or glitches. Overall, the game appears to run reliably across various setups.
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the character designs and appearances, although opinions on the overall art style vary.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
