Chaos Galaxy
- June 16, 2020
- Han Zhiyu
"Chaos Galaxy" is a retro-style turn-based grand strategy game that pays homage to classic console games of the 90s and early 2000s. As the commander of one of fourteen factions, players can build and manage their fleets of mecha and warships to conquer the galaxy. With a vast array of units, weapons, skills, and commanders, the game offers many different strategies for players to explore in this expansive universe. Join the Chaos Galaxy Discord for more information: .
Reviews
- The game features a rich and engaging tactical combat system that combines elements from classic strategy games, providing a satisfying experience for players who enjoy turn-based battles.
- Each faction has unique units and abilities, adding depth and variety to gameplay, encouraging players to explore different strategies and playstyles.
- The pixel art and soundtrack create a nostalgic atmosphere that appeals to fans of retro games, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.
- The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and management of units and resources cumbersome at times.
- The AI exhibits questionable behavior, such as knowing the location of hidden units, which can lead to frustrating encounters and a feeling of unfairness in combat.
- The game suffers from repetitive gameplay, especially in battles, which can become tedious over time, particularly if players rely on auto-battle options.
- gameplay48 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its depth and strategic elements, particularly in combat and empire building, while others criticize the AI for perceived cheating and the overall mechanics for being overly simplistic or frustrating. Many users noted a steep learning curve, but also acknowledged that the game offers enjoyable and evolving gameplay experiences, despite some complaints about sluggishness and limited options. Overall, the mechanics are seen as a blend of straightforward and complex, making for a potentially rewarding experience for those willing to invest time in mastering them.
“The gameplay minute-to-minute is 'just one more turn!' and you actually see your 'small' type of maneuvers add up big over time.”
“The art is wonderful and the mechanics of both halves of the game complement each other; good strategic-level gameplay will give you an advantage in battle and skill in battle likewise translates to a superior position on the galactic stage.”
“The gameplay is easy to understand and gets more and more challenging as you dive into it.”
“The AI cheats; I don't mind it getting hidden economy and recruitment bonuses, as it's common in games due to AI limitations. However, when the AI completely ignores fog of war and knows exactly where your stealthed units are, I start to question the wisdom of implementing mechanics that only serve to punish the player.”
“Tldr; the game mechanics make the game unnecessarily harder and unfair for the player.”
“I refuse to believe the RNG rolls are accurate to what the hit percentage actually shows, and I have played games long enough to know when this kind of game mechanic is flawed.”
- story35 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is rich and multifaceted, featuring unique factions with their own narratives, motivations, and character backstories that enhance the overall experience. While the plot and world-building are praised for their depth and engaging twists, some players feel the storyline can be somewhat barebones and would benefit from more interactions and content. Overall, the blend of humor, serious themes, and strategic gameplay creates an intriguing backdrop for players as they navigate through the galaxy.
“The plot and world-building in this game is top tier, with each character and faction given their own motivations, personal alliances, and feuds within and without the galactic empire.”
“That coupled with a background story of ambition, revenge, freedom, etc., and an epic main story struggle make for a good mixture to keep you hooked.”
“The fact that not all factions are equal and start in different situations gives the game a lot of flavor and potential for storytelling.”
“The ending story is lackluster if there is one.”
“Only gripe I have is that the English translation, while being passable, does not convey the story nuances and faction banter well; this is generally a problem with Asian games, it's really hard to translate them to English.”
“Let’s start with the story: this game does have a campaign, but it’s basically a small tutorial to get you started in what I would call a free-for-all brawl where the goal is to eliminate your enemies and make alliances.”
- graphics25 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro aesthetic, reminiscent of 80s and 90s anime, with crisp pixel art that enhances the overall atmosphere. While the art style and animations are praised for their uniqueness and appeal, some players find the interface clunky and simplistic. Overall, the visuals successfully evoke nostalgia and contribute to an engaging experience, despite some minor criticisms.
“The graphics are very SNES, very crisp, and quite pleasing, at least for me to watch.”
“Chaos Galaxy has the most endearing artwork I have seen in a very long time, harking back to an 80's/90's space anime style. Each character has a unique appearance that speaks volumes in regards to motivation and culture. I love that the developer has left room for players to wonder and fill narrative gaps with their imagination using the artwork as a base.”
“A 4X-lite with an interesting story that definitely takes inspiration from 'A Tale of Three Kingdoms.' The graphics are comprised of crisp pixel art and the ships especially look amazing.”
“I dig the animations and art style, but the clunky interface makes it quite frustrating to play.”
“Basically a pixel graphics total war but with turn-based battles instead of real-time.”
“Some things are done fine, art style and things, but even ancient Master of Orion games had a planetary invasion graphic.”
- music17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its nostalgic, old-school style and overall quality, while others find it repetitive and dull after extended play. Many players appreciate the soundtrack's fit with the game's aesthetic, though some express frustration with the limited variety and frequent restarts during gameplay. Overall, the music is seen as a highlight for some, but a drawback for others.
“The music is extremely good; it can grow a bit dull after hearing it for a few hours, but it's tolerable even at those dull moments.”
“It is styled on old SNES tactics games, many of which never saw western releases, so it comes in this beautiful SNES visual style and a pumping, old school soundtrack.”
“The soundtrack is also gorgeous and goes alongside the game perfectly.”
“And the music is simply horrible.”
“Music is okay, but it seems like there is only one short tune (for strategic mode) which is repeated over and over.”
“The music is a bit repetitive, but the battle music is especially repetitive.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, primarily due to its unique faction policy trees and diverse event triggers that allow players to experience the galactic war from various perspectives. While diplomacy offers a strategic shortcut to victory, it may simplify gameplay for some. Overall, players appreciate the depth and variety that encourage multiple playthroughs.
“Interesting event triggers add replayability and flavor to your campaigns.”
“From what I can tell, every faction has a unique policy tree, making the game incredibly replayable.”
“For replay value, it's possible that diplomacy, even as interesting as it is, may be too much of a shortcut to victory and could make things a bit too easy.”
“Controls are fine, and the game has a lot of replay value because of the different factions having different abilities and perspectives in the intergalactic war.”
“The replayability is really high due to the fact that the player can experience the galactic war from many perspectives as well as the many events that go along with them.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, particularly after a few battles, with many expressing that it detracts from the overall experience. The grind becomes especially pronounced during late-game conquests, making the process feel like a slog rather than an engaging challenge.
“Super tedious and boring.”
“Super tedious already after a few fights.”
“At some point the game becomes very tedious like many similar titles.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's interface is poorly optimized, requiring excessive clicks for actions, which detracts from the user experience. Additionally, it suffers from performance issues, making it unsuitable for lower-end devices like netbooks.
“This could easily be optimized to remove 1-2 clicks per action, which would save a lot of time.”
“This game's interface is horribly optimized.”
“This could easily be optimized to remove 1-2 clicks per action which would save a lot of time.”
“The game is a bit performance heavy for some reason, so this isn’t a game for a netbook.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Chaos Galaxy is praised for its unique, old-school style that effectively immerses players in a setting reminiscent of "Legend of Galactic Heroes." Reviewers highlight the game's strong artwork and its ability to create a welcoming yet gradually intensifying ambiance, making it one of its standout features.
“There is a unique style and atmosphere in Chaos Galaxy, a bit old school of course, that immediately welcomes you and then slowly builds up.”
“The game premise is good, and it really delivers the atmosphere of 'Legend of Galactic Heroes: The Game.'”
“One of the strongest points of this game is the atmosphere.”
“The artwork and atmosphere feel disconnected, lacking a cohesive style.”
“While the game has potential, the atmosphere falls flat and fails to immerse the player.”
“The overall ambiance is underwhelming, making it hard to engage with the game world.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quaint and over-the-top setting and characters, complemented by amusing dialogue. While some players note that the humor can become less impactful as the game progresses and challenges diminish, the overall comedic tone remains a highlight. Additionally, quirky AI behavior adds to the lighthearted experience, particularly regarding cloaked ships.
“The setting and characters feel very quaint and over the top, and often have some pretty funny dialogue.”
“My only genuine complaint would be that the AI can behave a little funny around your cloaked ships, but once you accept this as a reality, it is very easy to work with this in mind and still get a significant advantage using your cloaked vessels.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the character development for its rich incorporation of influences from ancient civilizations and cultures, which adds depth and uniqueness to the characters within the futuristic setting of the galactic empire.
“One aspect of the character design I especially love is the influence of old world civilizations and cultures in this future galactic empire.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, functioning competently without significant bugs, indicating the developer's expertise in the genre. Additionally, players find the story and characters engaging, enhancing the overall experience.
“Ultimately, it's all competent, works well, isn't buggy, and it's clear the developer knows what works in these sorts of games.”
“The game runs smoothly without any major issues, providing a stable experience that allows players to fully immerse themselves in the gameplay.”
“I appreciate how stable the game is; I haven't encountered any crashes or significant bugs, which makes for a much more enjoyable experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players often feel a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly if they have contributed to its content, leading to a deeper investment in the overall experience.
“Having contributed to the game's content, I'm probably a bit emotionally invested in it.”