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.
Reviews
- The game features deep mech customization with a wide variety of weapons and upgrades, allowing players to create unique builds.
- Gameplay is engaging and addictive, combining top-down shooter mechanics with resource management and character interactions.
- 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 the various systems.
- Some players may find the game repetitive after extended play, particularly in the combat scenarios.
- story128 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is set in a dystopian world where players control a squad of young female mech pilots fighting against an oppressive regime, with themes of psychological strain and survival woven throughout. While the narrative is described as minimalist and somewhat simplistic, it features character backstories that unfold as players progress, offering multiple endings and replayability. The presentation, using comic-style cutscenes, has received mixed reviews, with some praising its charm while others criticize its execution and translation issues.
“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 story focuses on a squad of young women mech pilots who are fighting for an oppressive empire in a dystopian setting that seems trapped in a forever-war with no 'good' sides.”
“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 kind of non-existent; it's more like the world has bullet points on how it's made up and works.”
“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.”
- gameplay94 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its depth and engaging mechanics, offering a blend of mech customization, tactical combat, and resource management that keeps players invested. The gradual introduction of new systems prevents overwhelming players, while the combination of strategic planning and fast-paced action creates a satisfying loop. Despite some minor issues with localization and clarity of mechanics, the overall experience is described as fun, addictive, and reminiscent of classic top-down shooters with modern refinements.
“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 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.”
“This game can easily surprise anyone with how many mechanics it has stored inside and they are used in an amazing way; the gameplay is fun as well.”
“But compared to other arcade games, you will need patience, especially since your guns will run out (or maybe the mechanic is more like overheating where there's a cooldown) and it's not always clear what loadouts 'command' is offering you as an alternative.”
“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 and stats are explained really poorly.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game feature a subjective anime art style that some players find appealing, while others feel it may not resonate with them. 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 may not be the most graphically impressive on the market, it offers a pleasant aesthetic that complements its gameplay mechanics.
“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 art style looks nice and the game feels nice to play and watch.”
“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.”
“The art style conflicts with itself; the UI could be improved, probably because of translation issues.”
“But there is a bit much fan service done in sometimes somewhat crude ways, and outfitting the mechas doesn't change them visually; none of these things are major downsides, but they keep the game from a score higher than 70 for visuals.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game boasts excellent replayability, enhanced by various alternate modes, optional modifiers, and a unique system for applying campaign modifiers to new saves through achievement unlocks. With multiple story endings, a vast customization system, and the potential for future content updates, players are encouraged to revisit the game for new experiences. Overall, it offers significant value for its price, making it a strong recommendation for those seeking a game with high replay potential.
“Game features several game modes, a story with multiple endings that earns the replayability, a vast and open customization system, and characters that, while not exceedingly charismatic, 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.”
“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 open customization system, and characters that, while not exceedingly charismatic, do have their own personalities and backstories worth exploring.”
“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.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised for smooth performance and responsive controls, particularly in relation to customization choices. However, some players note that the preparation for in-game days can be cumbersome and suggest 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 balance factors like armor penetration to maintain optimal performance in combat.
“Those controls are smooth, sensible, and you can really feel the difference made by your customization choices to the ladies' mechas' performance and stats.”
“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.”
“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.”
“There are many optimizations and modifications; players' weapons became much more powerful than the original.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a compelling narrative with emotionally resonant themes, particularly in the portrayal of characters with touching backstories. However, the emotional impact is sometimes undermined by unclear upgrades and poor translations that strip scenes of their weight. Overall, while the emotional appeal is present, it is inconsistently executed throughout the experience.
“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.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % 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 is at least one noted complaint regarding the soundtrack, though it does not significantly detract 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 cat jamming to the music during combat.”
“Sound design fits, music is solid.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a rebellious and irreverent tone, where players engage in absurd actions like commanding waifus and evading taxes against a dystopian backdrop. The use of a black-and-white comic style effectively enhances the storytelling and overall ambiance.
“In terms of atmosphere, this is a game in which you tell your waifus to get in the robot, and also commit tax evasion because your dystopian overlords can go screw themselves.”
“The black and white comic conveys the story and atmosphere a lot better.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players report excellent stability while playing Cavalry Girls, with no frame drops, crashes, lag, or glitches experienced on a mid-range PC setup. The game runs smoothly at 1080p60, indicating strong performance across various hardware configurations.
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and stuttering, which ruined the gameplay experience.”
“There are numerous bugs that disrupt the flow of the game and cause frustration.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is generally well-received, with users appreciating the character designs and appearances, although opinions on the overall art style can vary.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“I spent hours grinding for minimal rewards.”
