Cavalry Girls

99%
Game Brain Score Based on 290 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Cavalry Girls Game Cover
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"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
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

99%
Audience ScoreBased on 290 reviews
story24 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game offers deep customization options for mechs, allowing players to experiment with various builds and strategies.
  • The gameplay loop is engaging and addictive, with a mix of resource management and combat that keeps players invested.
  • The art style and character designs are appealing, adding charm to 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.
  • The story is somewhat lacking and can feel disjointed, with character backstories buried under gameplay mechanics.
  • story153 mentions

    The story in the game is generally considered serviceable, featuring a dystopian narrative centered around young mech pilots fighting against an oppressive regime, with themes of rebellion and personal backstories that unfold as players progress. However, many reviewers noted that the English localization is lacking, which detracts from the overall experience and makes it difficult to fully grasp the plot. While the storytelling is presented through comic-style cutscenes and character interactions, it often feels minimal and could benefit from more depth and polish.

    • “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 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 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.”
    • “The only real detractors I have are that the English translation is lackluster and the story is practically nonexistent.”
    • “The story is minimalist but gets the point across, as you experience the hopelessness of fighting through hordes of enemies while your own side is slapping on tax after arbitrary tax onto you.”
    • “The translation gets quite spotty, and the cutscenes presenting the story are - while stylistically nice in concept - often executed in a rather dull and simplistic way.”
  • gameplay117 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a deep and engaging loop that combines management, customization, and combat mechanics, making it surprisingly addictive despite some initial complexity. Players appreciate the gradual introduction of mechanics, which keeps the experience fresh and allows for extensive customization of mechs and strategies. While some users noted issues with translation and UI, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is fun, challenging, and offers a satisfying blend of tactical depth and action.

    • “The gameplay loop is surprisingly addicting as well.”
    • “There's an endless mode, starting bonuses you can get by unlocking achievements, various challenge modes, a survival mode, even a side story for one of the characters that allows stealth gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is exceptional.”
    • “The only other con I've come across is the gameplay does indeed get repetitive if you get stuck for too long.”
    • “It's just plagued with translation problems, a clunky UI translation, and some game mechanics that just aren't explained well.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, you're mostly just defending a gate from hordes of enemies while back at base you're managing resources and your pilots.”
  • graphics30 mentions

    The graphics of "Cavalry Girls" feature a distinctive anime art style that, while simplistic, effectively conveys the game's dark and immersive world. Many players appreciate the passionate artwork and unique comic-style storytelling, though some find the visuals hit-or-miss and note issues with the UI and fan service elements. Overall, the visuals are deemed serviceable and enjoyable, contributing to the game's charm despite not being graphically groundbreaking.

    • “The artwork for the game looks to be made with lots of passion.”
    • “There's several pieces of uncolored artwork that is hand-drawn in between certain story sequences, something I've never really seen before in a game.”
    • “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.”
    • “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 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).”
  • replayability13 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability, with multiple game modes, a story featuring various endings, and a robust customization system that encourages players to explore different strategies. Players can enhance their experience through optional modifiers and a unique achievement-based point system that allows for upgrades in subsequent runs. Overall, the combination of these features makes it a compelling choice for those seeking a game with high replay value.

    • “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.”
    • “If you're looking for an inexpensive game that offers a high degree of replayability, then I strongly suggest you check out the game.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally smooth, with players noting responsive controls and noticeable effects from customization on mech performance. However, some users express a desire for improvements, particularly in managing in-game preparations and expanding content, such as additional playable characters and mech limits. While minor complaints exist, the core performance remains solid, with some mechanics requiring careful consideration to avoid negative impacts on gameplay.

    • “Those controls are smooth, sensible, and you can really feel the difference made by your customization choices to the 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.”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its quality and ability to enhance the gaming experience, particularly during combat. While some users feel the soundtrack could be improved, it is still considered solid and fitting for the game's atmosphere. Overall, the music contributes positively to the enjoyment of the game, especially for fans of the mecha genre.

    • “Everything about this game is really well made, the characters' stories, the combat system, the defense managing aspect, the soundtrack, etc. If you are a fan of the mecha genre, this game will definitely appeal to you, 10/10.”
    • “A couple of times during the streams, I forgot to comment because I was catjamming to the music during combat.”
    • “Music could be better but they're alright for the most part.”
    • “Sound design fits, music is solid.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is marked by sad backstories that engage players, despite some characters lacking depth. While the narrative includes compelling themes, such as the struggles of doomed characters, translation issues can detract from the emotional weight of certain scenes. Overall, players find themselves invested in the story, even if the execution varies in quality.

    • “They're not the most well-written characters, but their backstories are sad enough to get you emotionally invested.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is described as dense and engaging, effectively conveyed through its black-and-white comic style. Players appreciate the blend of humor and dark themes, with a focus on character-driven narratives and a rebellious tone against dystopian elements. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the storytelling and gameplay experience.

    • “The gameplay is fast and controls are good, customization is complex and deep, the character story content is quite well implemented, and the story atmosphere is dense.”
    • “The black/white comic conveys the story and atmosphere a lot better.”
    • “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.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted as engaging and entertaining, contributing to a strong sense of enjoyment that keeps players hooked. However, the mention of it being the reviewer's first and possibly last on Steam suggests a mix of humor and seriousness in their gaming experience.

    • “Funny enough, this will be my first review I will ever do on Steam (and possibly the last one).”
    • “I'm so incredibly hooked on this game it's not even funny.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, while some users report issues with dialogue translation, UI descriptions, and buggy equipment menus, the game demonstrates strong stability on capable hardware, with smooth performance at 1080p60 and no significant crashes or lag.

    • “It's got some strange dialogue translation, unintuitive UI descriptions, and buggy equip menus that don't seem to work as they should.”
    • “On my PC (i7-7700, GTX 1660 Ti, 16 GB RAM, Windows 10), I was able to play Cavalry Girls at 1080p60 without any frame drops, crashes, lag, or stutter, and with no bugs or glitches...”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is influenced by its unique art style, which sets expectations for character designs and narratives. The dark world adds depth to the characters, drawing comparisons to other games, though opinions on the art style's effectiveness vary among players.

    • “The game's art style sets clear expectations for character designs and stories, immersing players in a refreshingly dark world that evokes memories of Marfusha, another game I enjoy and the reason I discovered Cavalry Girls.”
    • “I generally like the character designs and appearances, even if the art style can be hit-or-miss.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on an emotional level.”
    • “While the art style is visually appealing, it doesn't compensate for the lack of meaningful character arcs and growth throughout the game.”
    • “The characters seem one-dimensional, and their stories don't evolve in a way that keeps players engaged or invested.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a second life to complete it.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
    • “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

26hMedian play time
25hAverage play time
15-52hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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