Death From Above
- February 22, 2024
- Rockodile
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Death From Above" is a drone-based arcade game set during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where you play as a Ukrainian military drone operator. Your mission is to combat enemy forces, recover stolen equipment, and restore communication lines. A significant aspect of this game is its real-world impact, as 30% of net proceeds support two Ukrainian organizations, "Come Back Alive" and "Army of Drones," providing non-offensive aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. By purchasing the game, you contribute to a meaningful cause while enjoying an engaging gaming experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging experience with intuitive controls, allowing players to strategize and execute drone missions effectively.
- Players appreciate the game's humor and the fact that a portion of the proceeds goes to support Ukraine, making it a meaningful purchase.
- The graphics and soundtrack are well-received, contributing to an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in under two hours, leading to concerns about its replay value and depth.
- There are significant optimization issues, with reports of lag and performance problems, especially on lower-end systems.
- The enemy AI is criticized for being simplistic, which detracts from the challenge and overall enjoyment of the gameplay.
- story72 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is set against the backdrop of a simulated Ukraine war, where players control a drone to complete various missions, creating a sense of pride and accomplishment. While the campaign features a thrilling narrative with engaging characters and plot twists, many players feel it lacks depth due to limited missions and maps, expressing a desire for more content and a fuller story-driven experience in future updates. Overall, the combination of high-stakes missions and immersive visuals has the potential to elevate the game's narrative, but it currently requires more variety and development to fully realize its storytelling capabilities.
“The game's campaign is a thrilling ride through a dystopian narrative, complete with intriguing characters and plot twists that keep you hooked from mission to mission.”
“With its jaw-dropping visuals, intuitive controls, gripping storyline, and intense combat, it surpasses expectations and sets a new standard for the genre.”
“Because there is no story, the messages you receive from them are the only source of world-building.”
“Hopefully enough people buy this game for it to progress into a full story-based campaign.”
“[i]Death from Above[/i] has potential, but it could benefit from a more thoughtful approach to gameplay and narrative that aligns better with its meaningful mission.”
- gameplay60 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Death from Above" is generally described as thrilling and satisfying, featuring intuitive controls and a variety of combat mechanics that keep the experience fresh. However, some players note that the gameplay can feel short and repetitive, often taking place on a single, empty map, and suggest improvements such as more missions and enhanced AI. While the game has potential and offers a unique blend of serious themes and humor, it may benefit from additional content and refinements to fully realize its capabilities.
“The gameplay is thrilling and satisfying, with intuitive controls that keep you focused on the objectives.”
“The array of weapons and power-ups, from homing missiles to devastating energy beams, keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting.”
“The gameplay is captivating, allowing you to strategically plan your approach and execute tactical strikes to neutralize threats with the use of different ammo for the drone.”
“The controls are very simple, gameplay is very short, and graphics are okay at best.”
“Gameplay is fine, but it all takes place on one single and empty map.”
“However, I can't help but feel that the gameplay falls short of the mark.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the high-quality visuals and immersive atmosphere that enhance the gameplay experience. While some players note that the graphics may not be groundbreaking and exhibit issues typical of older titles, they generally agree that the visuals are sufficient to create a compelling environment, particularly in depicting the impact of drone warfare in Ukraine. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, despite some criticisms regarding simplicity and animation quality.
“What surprised me when I first opened the game was the high quality of the graphics.”
“From the moment you lift off the ground, the game's graphics leave you breathless.”
“With its jaw-dropping visuals, intuitive controls, gripping storyline, and intense combat, it surpasses expectations and sets a new standard for the genre.”
“Graphically, the game has problems, but in general, not critical for such a game.”
“For an Unreal Engine title, the graphics and models are rather late 90's to early 2000's.”
“Nothing groundbreaking in the way of graphics, voice acting, or any other 'wow' factors that big AAA titles had.”
- music28 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in "Death from Above" has received high praise for its vibrant and fitting soundtrack, featuring contributions from notable artists like Antytila and Surface Tension. Players appreciate the bright musical accompaniment that enhances the gameplay experience, and many express a desire for an expanded original soundtrack in the future. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that complements the game's engaging mechanics and themes.
“The game has a great soundtrack and the graphics are passable enough that it does look like areas of Ukraine that I've seen.”
“One of the enjoyable features of 'Death from Above' is its bright musical accompaniment.”
“It's a very fun drone sim with a super cool soundtrack - I hope more people will support 'Death from Above'!”
“It would be nice to see the developers expand the OSTs and perhaps release a soundtrack pack in the future.”
“In conclusion, with its knockout gameplay, bright musical accompaniment, unique tutorial approach, and the ability to tackle serious topics with some kind of humor, 'Death from Above' offers an interesting experience.”
“They found amazing partners, from Come Back Alive NGO and the Army of Drones fundraising project to the sensational pop-rock band Antytila, who made the title song in English and Ukrainian.”
- humor24 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its abundant humor, featuring numerous funny easter eggs and a lighthearted approach that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements, such as the quirky washing machine mechanic, which adds a unique twist to gameplay while addressing serious topics with levity. Overall, the humor effectively alleviates tension and contributes to the game's enjoyable atmosphere.
“The game does have a lot of funny easter eggs that gave me an honest chuckle when I was playing it.”
“But the game has a big sense of humor too; I won't spoil the surprise, but it was too funny to not enjoy.”
“+ The game's focus lies in its ability to alleviate tension through humor while raising awareness about serious topics.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally criticized, particularly on platforms like the Steam Deck, where performance can drop to around 20 fps. Many users acknowledge that the game is in early access, suggesting that optimization issues and bugs are expected and may improve over time, but they still note that the game is playable and enjoyable despite these shortcomings. Overall, while there is a consensus that optimization needs significant work, players are willing to overlook these issues for the game's cause and potential.
“There are a few bugs and the performance could be better, but that's mostly because it's in early access; the game is more than playable and enjoyable :)”
“It could be better optimized, but since it's early access and dedicated to a good cause, it can wait.”
“Before you make your purchase, a word of caution: the optimization leaves a bit to be desired, especially on Steam Deck - you're looking at about 20 fps.”
“The game definitely requires some optimization and audio improvements, but if you wanted to support Ukraine in real life, buying this game may be the easiest way to do so.”
“Also, optimization is not very good, but I guess it is an early access thing.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is engaging and immersive, effectively drawing players in and instilling a sense of pride in mission completion. While the graphics and animations are relatively simple, they are sufficient to create a pleasant overall ambiance.
“The visuals and atmosphere pull you right in, and there’s a real sense of pride in completing each mission.”
“Of course, the graphics are rather simple (especially animations and VFX), but good enough to create a nice atmosphere.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable due to the presence of high scores, achievements, leaderboards, and side missions, which encourage repeated playthroughs to improve performance and complete additional objectives.
“There's a high score system that adds significant replay value.”
“The game is highly replayable due to achievements, leaderboards, and side missions.”
“But at least there's a high score to add replay value.”
“+ Replayable for achievements, leaderboards, and side missions purposes.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, with frequent PC freezes occurring even on systems that are not slow or outdated. This suggests that the game may have underlying performance problems that affect its reliability.
“My PC freezes up almost constantly, and I don't have a slow PC at all.”
“My PC freezes up almost constantly, and I don't have a slow PC at all.”
