CounterSide

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CounterSide is a fantasy role-playing game with stunning graphics, high-quality animations, and an immersive SF noir saga storyline. It features attractive characters, live2D illustrations, and Korean/Japanese voices. The game offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, including PvP, with a focus on strategy and character development through grinding. However, it is known to have bugs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,454 reviews

story279 positive mentions

stability60 negative mentions

Great graphics and character designs, with a captivating story that keeps players engaged.
Very generous with resources and rewards, making it accessible for free-to-play players.
Unique gameplay mechanics that blend real-time strategy with gacha elements, providing a fun experience.

Frequent crashes and connectivity issues, especially during PvP and raids, making the game frustrating to play.
High prices for skins and characters, particularly during collaborations, which can feel predatory.
Some bugs in the UI and gameplay mechanics that hinder the overall experience, such as the shop not loading properly.

story
434 mentions
64 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed to positive feedback from users, with many praising its engaging narrative, well-developed characters, and beautiful visuals. While some players found the story compelling and immersive, others criticized it for being predictable or overly reliant on clichés. Overall, the game is noted for its strong storytelling elements, making it a standout in the gacha genre, though some technical issues and pacing concerns were mentioned.
- “The story is amazing, the soundtrack is phenomenal, and the characters are well designed and written.”
- “One of the best gacha games out there, great graphics, amazing story and good gameplay, even the PvP is good!”
- “This game has an amazing story and a larger collection of characters.”
- “The game is decent, the story is what ticks you off.”
- “A very predictable story with too many clichés and can turn out to be very annoying when they have endless small talk with no absolute objective.”
- “I just found the storytelling very boring and didn't really enjoy the gameplay mechanics.”
gameplay
230 mentions
61 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its fun mechanics, engaging combat, and strategic depth, appealing to both casual and dedicated players. While many appreciate the balance between manual and auto-play options, some users note issues with bugs, repetitive elements, and a reliance on grinding, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the game is often described as generous for free-to-play players, with a solid mix of enjoyable gameplay and captivating story elements.
- “One of the most balanced and free-to-play friendly games out there, having a good story as well as interesting gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is incredible, both for manual and auto play.”
- “The characters are cool and interesting, the mechanics are just in-depth enough to be challenging without being aggravating, and the grind doesn't make me pull out my hair.”
- “Good story and music, but the devs don't know how to balance things, make drastic changes to gameplay mechanics without testing anything, and every update somehow makes the game buggier and crashier.”
- “Gameplay loop gets boring quick.”
- “There's gameplay bugs involving deployment and UI, plus the gameplay is very subpar and not much thought was put into the design of gameplay.”
graphics
202 mentions
77 % positive mentions
21 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and detail, with many users highlighting the impressive art style, smooth animations, and vibrant visuals. While some players experienced performance issues on lower-end devices, the overall consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, enhancing the gameplay and storytelling experience. However, there are calls for better optimization to accommodate a wider range of devices.
- “The art style and animations in combat are amazing.”
- “Graphics are crisp and the art direction really catches your attention.”
- “Beautiful graphics and the gameplay is great, but with the game crashing or disconnecting I will not give over 1 star.”
- “The only reason I'm giving them 2 stars is because the visuals are okay.”
- “Even on the lowest graphics setting, it's choppy and lags on a new Samsung.”
- “The game is good, but the performance is bad. I'm on the lowest graphics setting and it's still so laggy.”
music
90 mentions
72 % positive mentions
24 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with many users describing it as "phenomenal," "god tier," and "a banger," contributing significantly to the overall experience. While the soundtrack enhances immersion and complements the engaging story and visuals, some players have noted issues with sound playback and glitches that detract from the enjoyment. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, elevating the game's appeal among players.
- “The story is amazing, the soundtrack is phenomenal, and the characters are well designed and written.”
- “Incredible art style, fun yet challenging gameplay and the soundtrack is insane!”
- “Great game - really nice music and gameplay.”
- “It ruins the music so I cannot immerse myself any further into the experience.”
- “Music shudders and sputters as you try to do anything.”
- “I can't mute the music before you allow me to with your 2009 tutorial (click only highlighted things, no control over you until they allow it).”
stability
61 mentions
5 % positive mentions
-3 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among players, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches affecting gameplay, particularly in PvP and during missions. Many users express frustration over the game's buggy interface and the need to restart the app repeatedly, which detracts from the overall experience. While some acknowledge the game's potential and enjoyable aspects, the overwhelming consensus is that the current state of stability is unacceptable and requires urgent attention from the developers.
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
- “I haven't experienced any bugs or glitches during my playthrough.”
- “The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “The game is fun and easy to play/understand, I would love to give it 5 stars but it has way too many bugs that ruin the experience. Playing arena sometimes just freezes and you have to close the app, or the guild system won't even open; I click on it and it's just a black screen with background music.”
- “Game freezes up during gauntlet and sometimes even in the main story.”
- “Game is a buggy mess; might as well call this an open beta.”
character development
54 mentions
78 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
Overall, the character development in the game is highly praised, with many reviewers highlighting the outstanding character designs and animations as a standout feature. While the majority appreciate the visual aesthetics and engaging storylines, some critiques mention that character personalities can be lacking. The combination of beautiful artwork and dynamic gameplay contributes to a generally positive reception of character development.
- “The game has great character design, a great story, and it's generous with the rolls on the recruitment system.”
- “I love this game a lot, the story is very engaging and fun, the character design quality is top notch and it features some game modes that are very rewarding and nice to do.”
- “Great character designs and gearing systems mixed with varied, moderately difficult content to tackle makes for a very solid and fun experience.”
- “Character designs and personalities have been pretty weak, too.”
- “Almost... the character designs are nice, but I didn't like their personalities in chapter one.”
- “Sick character designs, they're very lewd but I care more for their sick designs.”
grinding
37 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious, especially at end-game where gear acquisition can feel overwhelming and discouraging for newcomers. However, several features, such as the ability to skip battles and a well-paced progression system, help alleviate some of the grind, making it more manageable for those who don't have extensive time to commit. Overall, while grinding is a significant part of the experience, many players still find enjoyment in the gameplay and story.
- “All in all, a good game and not very grindy.”
- “The progression for that side is very tedious as you can't effectively grind for gears.”
- “But once you hit end game the gear grind becomes too tedious and overwhelming that almost forces you to swipe in the cash shop.”
- “Nothing is more disappointing than grinding to get materials to summon only to constantly get garbage.”
monetization
35 mentions
9 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
71 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its aggressive and predatory practices, particularly regarding microtransactions and ad placements. While some appreciate the potential for free rewards through ads, issues with ad functionality and the perception of excessive pay-to-win elements have led to frustration. Overall, players express concern that the monetization approach detracts from the game's enjoyment and fairness, with calls for more reasonable pricing and less reliance on ads.
- “Has the perfect amount of monetization and a great story.”
- “No ads popping up every 5 seconds.”
- “My only concern is that I feel skeptical about the in-app purchases.”
- “Service tickets are not responded to, and when a game is a gacha whose money is all through microtransactions, not having responsive customer service is a big negative.”
- “Aggressive and predatory monetization, even by gacha standards.”
- “The game is cool and fun, in the beginning it seems like the game is generous, but then you start looking at the shop and then the game is a disaster, way too many monetization packs, way too many pay-to-win packs, premium packs, season pass, beginner pass, and on and on. I think you can enjoy the game for a week or so until the pay-to-win aspect hits you.”
optimization
25 mentions
28 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, including crashes, lag, and low frame rates, particularly during battles and raids. While some users report smooth gameplay and effective auto-optimization, others highlight the need for substantial improvements in loading times and overall stability. Despite these challenges, many players remain hopeful for future updates to address these concerns.
- “Let's start with the strengths, this game has very good performance optimization.”
- “Runs smooth and has got a very nice optimization.”
- “Can sink a lot of time into optimization of your units but daily missions are quick.”
- “However, on the phone, it does have some problems with the raids where there are performance issues and occasional crashes.”
- “The latency and loading screens need a huge overhaul here, but other than that, it's a great game.”
- “Horrible optimization; shame on you for launching a game like this. The game crashes, and now I can't access it because I can't get past the loading screen without crashing.”
humor
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending light-hearted moments with darker themes, and is enhanced by witty dialogue that brings characters to life. While some character tropes fall flat and lack depth, the overall comedic elements are well-received, with a mix of hilarious and poignant moments throughout the story. Players appreciate the humor despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics, making it a memorable aspect of the experience.
- “The story is humorous but has pretty serious battles at the same time.”
- “With light-hearted humor (that can get seriously dark sometimes) and witty dialogues that really make the characters feel alive.”
- “It's funny because Gura and Ina are more expensive because they're more popular than the others.”
emotional
5 mentions
80 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game is described as an emotional powerhouse, leaving a lasting impact on players, with some expressing a willingness to endure emotional turmoil for the experience. While the artwork and character design are praised, there are mixed feelings about the story's engagement and the difficulty of certain missions. Overall, the emotional depth is a significant highlight, despite some gameplay frustrations.
- “Furthermore, I am unlikely to recover from the emotional damage caused by the stories, and I wouldn't have it any other way.”
- “Hope this game gets all the recognition it deserves; wholesome artwork and character design. Like most of the comments, there are a lot of things to do in the game, and as a casual player, it feels really good.”
- “Emotional powerhouse.”
- “The story felt kind of boring, and some of the missions were annoying and nearly impossible to complete perfectly.”
- “I didn't feel any emotional connection to the characters or the storyline.”
- “The game tried to evoke emotions, but it fell flat and left me feeling indifferent.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by brilliant storytelling, great character design, and diverse gameplay mechanics, contributing to an overall immersive experience that many reviewers rate as outstanding.
- “Nice gameplay, brilliant storytelling, and a cool atmosphere!”
- “Just going off of the atmosphere, great character design, and diverse gameplay mechanics, it's 5 stars all the way for me.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users note that the Steam version significantly enhances replayability, making the game more enjoyable and accessible for multiple playthroughs.