Colonies Online

About

Colonies Online is a multiplayer role playing shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Iron Bit and was released on May 1, 2014. It received negative reviews from players.

Colonies Online is an open MMO-sandbox, set in the distant future on the far reaches of space. Players unite as colonists to explore vast territories of far-out planets, fight with alien monsters and search for rare resources to build their new home in the outland.

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20%

Audience ScoreBased on 158 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

The game has a unique concept that combines base building, monster hunting, and PvP elements, which could be enjoyable if developed further.
Some players find the gameplay fun, especially when playing with friends, and appreciate the potential for future updates.
The graphics and basic controls are generally considered decent, and the game has seen some improvements since its early access launch.

The game has been abandoned by its developers, with no updates or active servers for years, leading to a dead community and lack of content.
Many players report the game as a scam, citing aggressive monetization practices and a pay-to-win model that detracts from the experience.
The gameplay is repetitive and lacks essential features like a proper tutorial, settings options, and a meaningful progression system, making it frustrating for new players.

gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it initially fun but ultimately repetitive and lacking in guidance. While the combat mechanics can feel basic and grind-heavy, there are moments of enjoyment and creativity in survival tactics. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from poor updates and a pay-to-win model, leading to frustration among players.
- “Despite there being not much to do at the moment, I just can't play anything else; a simple design, with freedom, beats complex advanced systems with crashing graphics and hand-holding gameplay every single time.”
- “Surprisingly fun with some great mechanics.”
- “Easy and enjoyable gameplay.”
- “They had a good idea going into this, but it got abandoned at some point... currently ~two years of no updates and a pay-to-win gameplay going on... yeah, don't get it.”
- “Gameplay wasn't explained well, and it needed to be.”
- “Very repetitive gameplay, and it's still lacking a lot of early-game guidance.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's story is criticized for being incomplete and lacking depth, with players noting a minimal number of straightforward quests that primarily serve as tutorials rather than engaging narratives. The mission diversity is low, and the overall quest system requires fine-tuning to enhance clarity and purpose. Many players express a desire for a more developed storyline and additional content to enrich the gaming experience.
- “I hope to see some sort of storyline introduced.”
- “Some fine-tuning regarding the quest system could also go a long way in the next iteration.”
- “The quests are straightforward, though can be difficult to understand your objective 'location' wise.”
- “Incomplete storyline and general direction.”
- “Mission diversity is low, only a few available right now; probably the last thing on the devs' minds until the game is fleshed out more.”
- “The quests generally serve more as a 'tutorial' as you play the game, giving you tips on occasion, rather than having any real quest purposes.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with players noting that it constitutes the majority of gameplay, often feeling mindless and repetitive. Many reviewers express frustration over the lack of meaningful content, such as a robust crafting system and diverse item customization, leading to a grind focused primarily on farming mobs for gear and currency. While some find enjoyment in the PvP elements, the overall experience is marred by poor drop rates and a lack of engaging features, making the grinding feel tedious and unfulfilling.
- “They should not charge for this game, as it is very very very early access, and has nothing but grinding mobs. The crafting system is non-existent, the skill trees are messed up, and item customization is poor. The open world is basically just instances of a world with a few bosses in it.”
- “Right now the game is 90% grinding bugs, 10% PvP.”
- “The only way to earn money (it would seem) is to kill bugs, sell their carcasses, and keep grinding on and on and on and on. My main 'bug' with this is the lack of features.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of the game receive mixed feedback; while some users find the visuals decent and appreciate the variety of environments, others criticize the lack of graphical options and clarity, particularly on larger screens. Overall, the game is described as visually appealing but in need of improvements and customization features.
- “Looks pretty good so far graphics wise.”
- “The visuals are ok, and the basic controls generally make a degree of sense.”
- “The game is decently pretty to look at with many different environments; graphics are not too shabby either, though they could use some work.”
- “Game has no option to change anything (no graphic options, no sound options, no key binds...); basically, the menu has 2 options: resume and quit.”
- “I hope you don't try to be so different from other online RPGs. You guys also need to work on window graphics; I can barely make out anything. I have a 24-inch PC flatscreen, so I can't imagine a smaller screen. I already feel too lost in the game. Also, I want to point out that the movement speed in the game is so slow; I do feel like I'm playing an old Nintendo game at times.”
- “Zero ability to adjust any graphical options at all, and I couldn't find any to adjust in the files.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and server lag, which detract from the overall experience. While players acknowledge its potential for fun, the persistent frame skipping and crashes highlight the need for improvements as it remains in early access.
- “The game is a buggy mess as it is still in early access.”
- “Very buggy, moving and then re-appearing where you just came from...”
- “Game might be fun if they can get rid of all the lag and glitches.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players note that the game's replayability has improved significantly due to recent updates, particularly in early access titles where they can actively test and provide feedback. However, some users express a desire for clearer indicators of safe areas, which could enhance the overall experience and encourage further exploration.
- “The game lacks variety, making it feel repetitive after just a few playthroughs.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return, as side quests feel uninspired.”
- “The limited choices and outcomes in gameplay mean that replaying the game offers little new experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the contrasting experiences of players, with positive reviews often coming from griefers who thrive on chaos, while many non-PVP players have been driven away. Group play is noted as particularly funny, characterized by high energy and enjoyable interactions.
- “Group play is hilarious, high energy, and enjoyable.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over its abandonment by the developers, suggesting a lack of ongoing support or updates.
- “The game feels dead and abandoned by the developers; it's clearly just a cash grab.”
- “The monetization system is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
100%
Reviewers indicate that the game requires improved optimization, alongside the addition of quests and a more effective tutorial, to enhance the overall experience.
- “The game has made significant improvements in optimization, resulting in smoother gameplay and faster load times.”
- “I appreciate the ongoing efforts to enhance optimization, as it has greatly improved my overall experience.”
- “The latest update focused on optimization has made a noticeable difference in performance, allowing for a more enjoyable gaming experience.”
- “It also needs quests, a real tutorial (this one doesn't really cut it), and better optimization.”