Dark Future: Blood Red States

61%
Game Brain Score Based on 392 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dark Future: Blood Red States Game Cover
Mad Max gets a corporate make over in this Games Workshop themed weaponised driving game.
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In the year 2025, America is plagued by pollution, climate change, and gang warfare in a lawless society. Dark Future: Blood Red States is a strategy game that captures the excitement of car combat, providing a thrilling and addictive experience, perfect for both quick play sessions and extended gaming periods. With its unique blend of racing and tactical combat, this game offers a fresh take on the post-apocalyptic genre, appealing to fans of Mad Max and vehicular mayhem.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

61%
Audience ScoreBased on 392 reviews
gameplay34 positive mentions
story28 negative mentions
  • The game features simple controls and fantastic bullet time effects, making for an engaging gameplay experience.
  • It captures the essence of the original tabletop game, providing a nostalgic experience for fans.
  • The car combat mechanics are enjoyable, with a variety of weapons and upgrades that add depth to the gameplay.
  • The game suffers from frequent crashes, particularly after completing missions, leading to lost progress.
  • Controls can feel clunky and unintuitive, especially when managing multiple vehicles.
  • The missions quickly become repetitive, with limited variety in objectives and enemy types.
  • story343 mentions

    The game's story is delivered primarily through emails between missions, providing a backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world filled with corporate espionage and vehicular combat. While the lore is amusing and adds some depth, many players find the narrative shallow and repetitive, as the missions often lack variety and become a grind. Additionally, frequent crashes at the end of missions can disrupt the experience, leading to frustration and a diminished engagement with the story.

    • “I enjoyed the sense of humor (especially on the loading screens) and the storyline they placed within the different character arcs.”
    • “If you pay attention to the developing story, it gets a lot more interesting; take the time to read everything.”
    • “The world building is nice but it's all delivered through random emails; there's only 10 characters and like 5 mission types, and that's it.”
    • “The story, what little there is, is told through short emails your character receives between missions.”
    • “The only other element that could have added some content was the story; unfortunately, it's not engaging and isn't even connected to the combat sections.”
  • gameplay107 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the unique mechanics and strategic elements, while others find it repetitive and lacking depth. Many critiques focus on the poor tutorial, frequent crashes, and a gameplay loop that becomes monotonous over time, despite initial excitement. Overall, while the core concept is appreciated, the execution leaves much to be desired, making it a hit or miss depending on player preferences.

    • “This is finally the one in terms of gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and pretty satisfying with decent controls and great effects that are nice to look at.”
    • “Gameplay is where this title shines though, being rogue-like there is replay value in the different antagonists you can be.”
    • “I didn't have fun at all; the tutorial is just bad, too much text that I don't understand why I should read when you could just engage me in the gameplay via button prompts, thus teaching me the basics step by step.”
    • “The turn-based aspect doesn't add anything to the gameplay, and if anything just slows it down to a crawl.”
    • “It's quite sad because the devs artificially expanded the gameplay with endless grindy missions that all play out almost exactly the same way.”
  • graphics52 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the retro aesthetic and satisfying visual effects, while others criticize the overall quality as mediocre and reminiscent of older technology. Many users report that the game is surprisingly GPU-intensive despite its average visuals, leading to performance issues even on high-end systems. Overall, while the graphics contribute to the game's atmosphere, they lack depth and variety, leaving some players wanting more.

    • “The graphics are fantastic, look amazing, and it's so satisfying when you blow up vehicles either by ramming or using one of the many weapon types bought throughout.”
    • “The aesthetics are just extraordinary, as are the game mechanics.”
    • “Graphics are nice - satisfying explosions, good dust storms, nice landscapes, etc., and there are lots of atmospheric touches (like the retro style loading screen and menu design).”
    • “I saw some people in reviews claim that this title managed to overload some 3080, and I can confirm that a 1660 barely handles it on maxed out graphics.”
    • “I could audibly hear that my computer was working to play it, and even on the lowest graphics settings, the FPS just could not keep up.”
    • “Considering its low graphic quality, I would expect it to run like a dream.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the 80s synthwave soundtrack for its fitting atmosphere and enjoyable beats, while others criticize the lack of variety and the minimal presence of tracks. Many appreciate the retro aesthetic and how the music complements the game's themes, but there are calls for more content and a broader selection of tunes to enhance the experience. Overall, while the soundtrack has its highlights, it is seen as needing improvement in terms of quantity and diversity.

    • “The overall writing, mood, graphics, and music for this game were fantastic.”
    • “The music and aesthetics give off that awesome retrowave mixed with awesome post-apocalyptic 80's sci-fi action.”
    • “The futuristic, 1980s vibe is awesome - the car designs are fun, and the soundtrack has that eerie, 80s synth, apocalyptic suspense feel to it.”
    • “Also worth pointing out, the soundtrack is nearly nonexistent.”
    • “All it does is annoy me though, and I find it jarring with the music going from quiet to loud over and over.”
    • “The music is okay, just like one or two tracks.”
  • optimization19 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting frequent stuttering, crashes, and performance drops after several hours of play. Many players noted that despite the game's sparse visuals, it demands considerable hardware resources, leading to subpar performance even on capable systems. Overall, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “I was shocked how I was inputting so many commands one after another and then switching back to real-time mode with no performance issues or miscues or game crashes.”
    • “It also feels like some engine optimization could still be done to streamline play.”
    • “I'm hoping there's some optimization that will make that better.”
    • “However, the game is poorly optimized, overpriced for the content it offers (I got it on sale) and most importantly, it crashes to desktop quite often during the course of a mission.”
    • “That's all good, but after about 5 hours the game constantly gets performance drops, even though it was running fine the first few sessions, and after about 6-7 hours it starts just crashing after most missions.”
    • “Visually, the game looks alright for a title like this, but performance seems to be really subpar. I know my rig is begging for an upgrade, but this has no right to drop to 45fps and below while not even being maxed out.”
  • grinding16 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and frustrating, with many players feeling that the repetitive missions detract from the overall experience. While some find moments of enjoyment and engagement, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game artificially extends its length through monotonous tasks that lack sufficient content to justify the grind. Overall, it seems that unless players specifically enjoy grind-heavy gameplay, they may be better off seeking alternatives.

    • “I really tried to give this game a fair shot, but it was simply too frustrating, annoying, and tedious to keep playing.”
    • “It's disappointing, because the core gameplay is fun for an hour or two, but the game becomes so repetitive and grindy that it's difficult to recommend, unless you specifically enjoy these types of games.”
    • “It's quite sad, because the devs artificially expanded the gameplay with endless grindy missions that all play out almost exactly the same way.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game's stability is marked by a mix of minor issues and significant bugs, including random crashes, AI glitches, and input drops, which can detract from the experience. While many players find the game enjoyable despite these problems, the frequency of hard crashes and immersion-breaking glitches suggests that it may not be suitable for extended play sessions. Overall, while the game is fun, it suffers from a lack of polish and depth due to its instability.

    • “Random crashes, random AI glitches, random input drops.”
    • “Everything feels cheap and buggy - frankly I don't think I can play it for anything more than an hour to write an in-depth review.”
    • “The game is buggy and some missions you'll just fail because the AI will simply not leave where they spawn.”
  • humor13 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players appreciating the clever and often dark comedic elements woven into the storyline and character arcs. The inclusion of humorous emails and loading screen jokes adds an entertaining layer to the experience, making the challenging gameplay feel more enjoyable. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with its mechanics, providing players with both laughs and engaging lore.

    • “The actual gameplay is challenging, exciting, and often hilarious.”
    • “I enjoyed the sense of humor (especially on the loading screens) and the storyline they placed within the different character arcs.”
    • “The zmail is often worth reading... very clever and usually humorous.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the addition of new goals and character unlocks that enhance replay value, others find the gameplay can become repetitive, particularly with similar enemy designs. The rogue-like elements and nostalgic appeal contribute positively to replayability, but the lack of customization options may limit long-term engagement for some players.

    • “This game has a lot going for it with a simple premise and unlimited replay value.”
    • “Gameplay is where this title shines; being rogue-like, there is replay value in the different antagonists you can be.”
    • “Definitely gets me nostalgic over the cheesy 80's sci-fi movies, and for the price, it's pretty good on replay value and looks.”
    • “You play different characters locked in a season, and the only replay value lies within unlocking perks and new characters without the option to create your own driver.”
    • “I worry about replayability, mainly around enemy cars feeling somewhat same-y.”
    • “It may get repetitive, but that said, there seem to be additions to later missions that add goals or weaknesses, so I can see some replay value in it.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its engaging and wacky elements, complemented by appealing graphics and atmospheric touches like retro-style menus. However, some players noted that while the atmosphere is strong, gameplay issues, including frequent crashes, detract from the overall experience.

    • “The idea and atmosphere are cool, but gameplay is where it quickly fell apart for me.”
    • “Not having ever played the original -- though I think I may have been given it at one time in a big box full of tabletop RPGs, wargames, and board games -- I can't comment on the similarities or differences, but having a small amount of familiarity with the game world, I do think the developers have done a pretty good job maintaining its wacky atmosphere.”
    • “Graphics are nice - satisfying explosions, good dust storms, nice landscapes, etc. and there are lots of atmospheric touches (like the retro style loading screen and menu design).”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is critiqued for its satirical portrayal of real-world issues, with in-game emails and advertisements providing dark humor while reflecting societal concerns. However, some players feel that certain missions, particularly the escort mission, come off as blatant cash grabs, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Of these, the escort mission is basically a cash grab, and so far that hasn't changed much.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The game evokes strong emotional responses, leading players to feel a deep connection and ultimately recommend it for its heartwarming qualities.

    • “Despite all this, I heartwarmingly recommend the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy Dark Future: Blood Red States

Play time

18hMedian play time
23hAverage play time
5-42hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 13 analyzed playthroughs

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