Creeper World IXE
- December 12, 2024
- Knuckle Cracker
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Creeper World IXE" is a real-time strategy game with a pixel-level simulation, where players command a squad of ships to fight against an all-consuming enemy known as "The Creeper." The game features hundred of worlds to explore, terraforming abilities, and new weapons to utilize against the enemy. With combined sand, particle, and creeper fluid simulations, players must use gravity and nature to their advantage to stop the Creeper's advance.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features cool pixelated ship movement and alchemy mechanics that add a unique twist to the gameplay.
- The fluid dynamics and physics are well-executed, providing a satisfying experience as players interact with the environment.
- The developer is responsive to feedback and has a history of creating engaging games, making this a worthwhile addition for fans of the series.
- The overly simplified economy and build limits lead to a repetitive and tedious gameplay experience, often resulting in long waiting periods.
- Many levels feel linear with a single solution, limiting creativity and strategic options compared to previous installments.
- The game lacks the depth and engaging mechanics of earlier Creeper World titles, making it feel like a step backward for long-time fans.
- story134 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in this installment of the Creeper World series has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its improvements over previous entries, while others find it lacking in depth and creativity. Many critiques highlight the linearity of missions, limited weapon variety, and a lack of engaging narrative progression, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness and frustration. Overall, while the gameplay remains enjoyable, the story often feels like a secondary aspect, failing to fully captivate players or expand the lore meaningfully.
“Each level introduces new story elements as well as new gameplay mechanics.”
“I finished the main story and it was pretty good; it expanded further on the universe's lore, who knows what will come next.”
“The campaign levels are great, and the story has gone back to having characters and dialogue, similar to Creeper World 3.”
“The gameplay wasn't inspiring and is outright boring at times, and the story doesn't go anywhere interesting either; in fact, the story actually causes major issues if you try to slot it in with the rest of the Creeper World timeline, and besides that it repeats a lot of plot beats from the other games.”
“The story feels like it doesn't move forward the ideas of the world at all.”
“This, along with some pacing issues, make the story feel very rushed and the character's deaths somewhat forced.”
- gameplay126 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the introduction of new mechanics like sand and fluid simulation, while others find them cumbersome and poorly implemented. Many reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel slow and tedious, often requiring repetitive actions without sufficient strategic depth or engagement. Overall, while the game retains the core elements that fans of the series enjoy, it struggles with execution and polish, leading to a less satisfying experience compared to previous entries.
“The sand mechanics add a lot of interesting new strategic depth that wasn't present in older installments.”
“Each level is different from any previous level, each time new, different weapons/mechanics, story twists... all in all, another awesome game in the series!”
“While it retains the familiar 'fight against the fluid' gameplay that fans of the series love, this installment introduces fresh mechanics that keep things engaging.”
“There are some cool things like pixelated ship movement and alchemy, but for me personally, they don't offset the general gameplay being a slog nearly enough to recommend it.”
“The gameplay wasn't inspiring and is outright boring at times, and the story doesn't go anywhere interesting either; in fact, the story actually causes major issues if you try to slot it in with the rest of the creeper world timeline.”
“The game feels like a very rushed implementation of an interesting idea held back by flawed core gameplay mechanics.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic pixel art style, while others criticize it as simplistic and reminiscent of placeholder designs. Many feel that the visuals lack clarity and polish, leading to gameplay issues, such as difficulty in understanding unit limits and map layouts. Overall, the graphics are seen as a step back from previous entries in the series, with concerns about performance and the use of AI-generated assets contributing to a sense of disappointment.
“Pixel shift graphics are very cool though.”
“I love the art style and physics with the blocks.”
“While looking at the store page, it seemed like a large emphasis was placed on the pixelated graphics, since you'd dig through the terrain, and create particle effects as the grains slide down the slope.”
“The graphics feel like a shortcut instead of intentional.”
“I'm not a fan of the 80s arcade style graphics; it's too hard to determine what's going on at a micro or macro level, unit limits for no apparent reason, and the maps just don't feel like puzzles the way I'm used to with these games.”
“A lot of the menus and artwork look like placeholders; the sound levels are weird at times, there are buggy sprites, you soft-lock the tutorial when you lose your main ship, poor controls, etc. It's the kind of stuff you might expect in an alpha or beta of a game.”
- music22 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a generally positive reception, with many praising the return of familiar composers and the enjoyable soundtracks that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some reviewers noted a lack of standout tracks and a desire for greater variety, suggesting that while the music is atmospheric and fits the retro-futuristic theme, it can be somewhat forgettable. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated but could benefit from more diversity to better match the game's emotional range.
“Big thumbs up for the soundtracks in-game.”
“The composers of CW3, PF, and CW4 all make their return here, and the soundtrack hits it out of the park as always.”
“The music was some of the best in the series.”
“Gameplay carried the game, and song variety helped (even though there were no stand-out songs this time...); everything else was mid or worse.”
“Atmospheric but somewhat forgettable soundtrack which nonetheless keeps you in the zone.”
“It turns out there's only four songs available, which are set to play in a random sequence.”
- grinding19 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being tedious and unengaging, with players often feeling stuck in repetitive cycles of building and waiting. Many reviews highlight a lack of strategic depth, as missions frequently devolve into long periods of inactivity while players chip away at overwhelming enemy forces. Overall, the game is seen as a missed opportunity, with potential ideas overshadowed by frustrating and monotonous gameplay.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You're limited to 5-15 units depending on the mission, so you spend the first three minutes of each mission building the biggest army you'll ever have, then it turns into a no-build mission and you have to spend twenty minutes watching your ships tediously push back against a giant blob of enemies.”
“The game reeks of 'great potential, poor execution.' The idea's definitely there, and there are some cool moments, but the game ends up being boring at best and miserably tedious at worst.”
“A genuine insult to the Creeper World franchise - tedious levels that consist of using the same two ideas to shoot for about two hours. It is not a tower defense game against a liquid, it is not an RTS game, it is a childlike puzzle game where all the solutions consist of standing still for hours in order to get an advantage to slightly move forward.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the potential for community-created levels and the challenge of mastering gameplay, others criticize the limited ships and resources, which significantly diminish replay value. The presence of player-made content offers a glimmer of infinite replayability, but many feel that the core missions lack engagement, making the game less appealing for repeated playthroughs.
“I like the change of pace and the option for player-made levels will add to plenty of replayability.”
“Yet another excellent game from Knuckle Cracker; I cannot wait to see what maps the community comes up with for endless replayability!”
“The replayability is figuring out how people pulled off a 15-minute clear when it took you 3 hours.”
“There's no replayability because of the limited ships and limited resources.”
“The replayability is figuring out how people pulled off a 15 minute clear when it took you 3 hours.”
“Weakest game in the series by far, missions are boring. Being limited with ships and AC makes any replayability close to none (not counting leveling editor).”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users experiencing severe performance issues, such as frame rates dropping to 5fps, while others note that it runs well on lower-end hardware despite occasional choppiness during intense action. In contrast, one reviewer praised the game's optimization, highlighting its ability to achieve results that rival those of major AAA studios. Overall, the game's performance varies significantly depending on the user's hardware and specific gameplay scenarios.
“A wet dream if you like optimization; this developer manages to consistently achieve alone what most AAA studios cannot.”
“Having everything function as an immovable solid instead of turning into particles wouldn't really change anything meaningful, but it would probably make a big improvement to the performance.”
“The performance is atrocious to the point of going down to 5fps, while CW4 doesn't have this issue at all, even running on max speed.”
“Also has weird performance issues despite being a visually fairly simple game.”
“The performance can also get a bit choppy if there's a lot of action at the start of the mission, but I'm on an absolute potato of a PC.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by an atmospheric soundtrack that effectively maintains immersion, though it is often deemed forgettable. Reviewers suggest that a greater variety of music would better reflect the emotional shifts experienced across the diverse scenarios and planets, from horror to hope.
“The atmospheric soundtrack, while somewhat forgettable, effectively keeps you immersed in the experience.”
“Given the variety of scenarios and the numerous planets you explore, a broader selection of songs could enhance the atmosphere, reflecting the emotional shifts from horror and desperate struggles to rage and a swelling sense of hope.”
“Considering the range of scenarios and how many planets you visit, a larger variety of songs could better set the atmosphere as your emotions switch from horror and desperate struggles to rage, or a swelling sense of hope.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game's world.”
“Despite the beautiful graphics, the overall atmosphere is undermined by repetitive sound design that fails to evoke any real emotion.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for numerous issues, including placeholder menus and artwork, inconsistent sound levels, buggy sprites, and poor controls, leading to experiences reminiscent of an alpha or beta version. Additionally, players have reported game-breaking soft-locks during the tutorial, further highlighting the lack of polish.
“A lot of the menus and artwork look like placeholders, the sound levels are weird at times, there are buggy sprites, and you can soft-lock the tutorial when you lose your main ship (something that was part of a secret challenge in the previous game). Poor controls, etc. It's the kind of stuff you might expect in an alpha or beta of a game.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable. I lost progress multiple times due to these stability issues.”
“There are constant frame drops and lag spikes that ruin the experience. It feels like the game wasn't properly optimized for release.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users express that the monetization strategies in games often feel exploitative, with a prevalent trend of cash grabs rather than fair pricing or value for players.
“It's not often you find that these days; most games are major cash grabs.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative and takes away from the overall experience.”
“I feel pressured to spend money just to enjoy the game fully.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently described as funny and addictive, maintaining the comedic charm found in previous installments.
“The humor is spot-on, making every moment in the game a joy to experience.”
“I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations.”
“The game's quirky characters and clever jokes kept me entertained for hours.”
