Convoy
- April 20, 2015
- Indietopia Games
- 7h median play time
Convoy is a fun and interesting game, only slightly let down by the uninspired graphics. Some nice nods to other sci-fi properties and great writing make you want to keep trying time and again.
"Convoy is a single-player Science Fiction Role Playing game with a good plot and unique atmosphere, presented in pixel art with stellar graphics and an amazing soundtrack. Players cross a wasteland in a tactical, real-time combat car chase, making choices in randomized scenarios that can lead to combat, dialogue, or role-play. Upgrades are vital as death is permanent in this grindy, humorous, and bug-filled post-apocalyptic adventure."
Reviews
- Unique blend of FTL and Mad Max gameplay, offering engaging tactical combat.
- Random encounters and quests provide a humorous and varied experience.
- Good vehicle customization and upgrade options enhance replayability.
- Combat can feel repetitive and lacks depth compared to FTL.
- Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially with the final boss.
- Some bugs and UI issues detract from the overall experience.
- story354 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in "Convoy" is generally described as simple and straightforward, revolving around the player's mission to repair their crashed spaceship while navigating a hostile world filled with random encounters and quests. While some players appreciate the humorous and pop culture-referencing dialogue, many criticize the repetitive nature of the quests and the lack of depth in the narrative, leading to a feeling of monotony over multiple playthroughs. Overall, the game offers a mix of engaging moments and frustrating predictability, with a need for greater variety and depth in its storytelling elements.
“Convoy is a fun game with a very rewarding core gameplay loop, and interesting/hilarious quest dialogues that make a lot of references to other video games and sci-fi shows/movies.”
“A beautiful fantastic game, that has some great ideas followed by an engaging story and plenty of varied missions and enemies to master.”
“The storyline was entertaining enough, and the factions each have a distinctive and interesting culture.”
“The story has even stolen a lot of jokes directly from Terry Pratchett's Discworld, which isn't funny.”
“The mission and story diversity is low, and every game feels the same.”
“The lack of variety in the side missions rears its head during the second playthrough, and the unabashed use of movie references almost wipes out any chance of the world having its own story.”
- gameplay337 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Convoy is a mix of engaging mechanics inspired by FTL and Mad Max, featuring tactical vehicle combat and exploration. While many players appreciate the core gameplay loop and humor in quests, criticisms arise regarding its repetitiveness, lack of depth, and performance issues, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the game offers a unique take on the roguelike genre, appealing to fans of vehicular combat and strategic gameplay.
“Convoy is a fun game with a very rewarding core gameplay loop, and interesting/hilarious quest dialogues that make a lot of references to other video games and sci-fi shows/movies.”
“The core mad max inspired, combat gameplay is very satisfying.”
“Intense, strategical combat will leave you feeling rewarded after every fight, humor-filled text and an awesome overworld keeps the non-combat gameplay refreshing and fun.”
“The mechanics of the game are fine, but the bugs make it a truly miserable experience.”
“The concept for the game is interesting, but its gameplay becomes boring due to lack of content.”
“The gameplay is repetitive and sometimes tedious.”
- replayability176 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its randomness, unlockable vehicles, and engaging combat, while others criticize it for lacking depth and content compared to similar titles like FTL. Many reviews highlight that while there are enjoyable elements and challenges, the overall replay value diminishes after a few playthroughs due to repetitive mechanics and limited variety in gameplay. Overall, it seems to offer decent replayability for those who enjoy unlocking new content, but may not satisfy players seeking extensive replay value.
“Has plenty of replayability building your convoy, unlocking new vehicles and finding all the best ways to blow the computer to smithereens in all its pixelated glory.”
“This is a great rogue-like game with loads of replayability.”
“Great writing in the missions and random encounters, excellent gameplay, highly replayable.”
“This game is not replayable, but it was enough to play for 20 hours and have fun with it.”
“After playing for 8 hours, I sadly must say that it somehow completely lacks the replayability FTL provided, and I cannot really point my finger on why.”
“The campaign is entertaining and has some well-written encounters in it but lacks replayability once you have seen everything somewhere between the 10-15 hour mark.”
- graphics123 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of *Convoy* are characterized by a retro pixel art style that appeals to some players while leaving others wanting more polish and variety. While the visuals effectively create a unique atmosphere reminiscent of a Mad Max setting, they are often described as simplistic and lacking in detail, with limited video options and occasional bugs. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose but may not satisfy those seeking a more refined aesthetic.
“The game has some really beautiful environments and the graphics are really well designed and laid out.”
“Very well thought out and memorable pixel visuals and good gameplay.”
“The pixel art graphics suit the world perfectly, and combat is fun, exciting, and strategic.”
“The graphics are a bit lackluster and they don’t really get across the wild atmosphere the rest of the game is striving for.”
“Unfortunately, though, there's little variation in the battlefield graphics and most of the vehicles look very similar, with only a handful of basic types that you see repeated often.”
“Graphics are poor but adequate to an indie project of this genre.”
- music92 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric qualities and catchy tunes, while others find it repetitive and not fitting for the game's theme. Comparisons to the acclaimed soundtrack of "FTL" highlight that while the music is decent, it often falls short of creating the intended mood for vehicular combat. Overall, the soundtrack is described as good but not exceptional, with a few standout tracks amidst a backdrop of generic or derivative elements.
“I enjoy the atmosphere of the game that is achieved by its good music and its graphic style that I love.”
“Skillfully micromanaging vehicular combat has never sounded this good, thanks to a pulse-pounding soundtrack that perfectly juxtaposes calm and crisis.”
“Overall this is a fine entry in the genre, with great music and graphics.”
“The sounds and music are terrible.”
“Recommend play on mute with your own music.”
“After the 10 battles, I realized the music wasn't going to change.”
- humor80 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its clever writing, nerd-culture references, and absurd scenarios that often elicit genuine laughter. However, some critiques point to tonal dissonance and over-reliance on pop culture references, which can detract from immersion and feel forced. Overall, while the humor may not resonate with everyone, it contributes significantly to the game's charm and replayability.
“Great FTL-like game with its own unique and interesting twists, and a wicked sense of humor.”
“Convoy is a fun game with a very rewarding core gameplay loop, and interesting/hilarious quest dialogues that make a lot of references to other video games and sci-fi shows/movies.”
“With a strong sense of humor, nerd-culture references, and a heap of unlocks, Convoy is a different and rewarding experience each time I play.”
“The humor relies on outdated references, like calling a rum-hording pirate 'Captain Morgan' or having raiders yell 'meat's back on the menu.' It's unfunny and just repeats phrases from known properties, hoping you'll recognize them and laugh like a cat trained to push a bell for food.”
- stability46 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches, freezing, and a clunky interface, particularly noted in its initial release. While some players report improvements after updates, many still experience game-breaking bugs that detract from the overall experience. Despite its interesting concept, the persistent technical problems hinder gameplay and make it difficult for players to fully enjoy the game.
“First of all, it appears to be a lazy port from Xbox to PC, with a clunky and buggy interface.”
“The problem I have with this game is that it constantly freezes.”
“However, when you cannot complete a game most of the time because the game is a buggy mess, I can't consider it a good game any longer.”
- grinding46 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players finding the combat slow and unengaging. While some appreciate the strategic elements and occasional satisfaction from micromanaging, the overall experience is marred by excessive grinding and reliance on RNG, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. Many players suggest that the game is better suited as a casual, occasional play rather than a primary gaming experience.
“Battles here amount to a tedious chipping-away of health bars.”
“An uncomfortable and tedious grind throughout, a far cry from the great games it attempts to imitate.”
“It's a lot of grinding and back-bending to open up more replayability, and I think this also hurts the game.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its creative characters, engaging dialogue, and effective music, creating a vibrant and immersive experience reminiscent of titles like Mad Max and Fallout. However, some players feel that excessive pop culture references detract from the overall ambiance, while the graphics are seen as somewhat lacking in conveying the intended wildness of the setting. Despite these criticisms, the atmosphere remains a strong point, contributing to the game's replayability and enjoyment.
“A very Mad Max/Fallout (kinda) atmosphere with creative characters, well-written dialogue, and a lot, I mean a lot of replayability.”
“I enjoy the atmosphere of the game that is achieved by its good music and its graphic style that I love.”
“This game is absolutely wonderful; roguelike elements are challenging and fun, and the atmosphere is set well. I do quite enjoy the wacky world of Omek Prime and its warring factions.”
“My only real complaint lies in the game's overall attitude and atmosphere; it's serious and silly in a very Borderlands kind of way, but it becomes a bit tiresome when everything in terms of scenarios and dialogue is some kind of unnecessary reference to a TV show or meme.”
“The setting is good, but all these references to old games and movies constantly kill the atmosphere.”
“The graphics are a bit lackluster and they don’t really get across the wild atmosphere the rest of the game is striving for.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs well on older hardware and integrated graphics without significant graphical issues, recent updates have led to unstable performance. Users appreciate the gameplay but express concerns about declining performance quality and limited video options.
“As far as performance goes, if this tells you anything, I am running an 8-year-old build with an AMD Phenom 1090T that's been underclocked because it wonks out if it gets overloaded, and the game plays perfectly fine.”
“Video options are limited, but you won't encounter any graphics-related performance issues even running on integrated laptop graphics.”
“I really like Convoy, and would like to recommend it, but recently the performance has become unstable.”
“It has some very fun gameplay, but it suffers from very poor performance.”
“Good game, not sure what happened to the performance.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be a mix of humor and heartbreak, with random events eliciting strong feelings, including joy and sadness. A particularly touching tribute to Terry Pratchett resonates deeply, leaving some players overwhelmed with emotion. Overall, the game effectively balances lighthearted moments with poignant experiences that can evoke a strong emotional response.
“But the Discworld-referencing random encounter just made me cry with happiness.”
“My first playthrough, it didn't occur to me to beware these things, and watching both your escort vehicles wiped out in quick succession and then the agonizing process of your unarmed MCV being gradually pummeled to death by a single raider dunebuggy is just heartbreaking.”
“Despite the majority of this game sounding like it's been written by Kickstarter backers, there's a pretty touching Terry Pratchett tribute that gave me so many feels I had to go lie down.”
Critic Reviews
Convoy Review - Calling All Trucks
Convoy's motor knocks and the suspension is a little stiff, but that doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable drive.
70%Convoy Review
Convoy is a fun and interesting game, only slightly let down by the uninspired graphics. Some nice nods to other sci-fi properties and great writing make you want to keep trying time and again.
80%Convoy Review - Calling All Trucks
Convoy's motor knocks and the suspension is a little stiff, but that doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable drive.
70%