DR4X
- January 14, 2022
- Untrustedlife
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"DR4X is a fast-paced, turn-based 4X strategy game with assymetric factions and chaotic gameplay, offering a story-rich campaign with five endings and a customizable skirmish mode. The game features unique faction-specific goals, fully voiced briefings, and an original soundtrack. Pet a dog and explore endless strategic choices in this indie gem."
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and refreshing take on the 4X strategy genre, with a variety of factions and gameplay mechanics that encourage exploration and creativity.
- The atmosphere and art style are engaging, providing a quirky and immersive experience that keeps players intrigued.
- Regular updates from the developer show a commitment to improving the game, and the tactical depth allows for enjoyable gameplay that can be both challenging and rewarding.
- The user interface and overall presentation are poorly designed, making it difficult for players to navigate and enjoy the game fully.
- The game suffers from balance issues and can feel overwhelming for new players due to its complexity and lack of clear instructions.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience, including issues with saving and loading, as well as unclear mechanics.
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the complex artwork and atmospheric design that evoke a sense of vastness and nostalgia, particularly for fans of old-school aesthetics. However, criticisms arise regarding readability issues, graphical glitches, and simplistic 3D tokens that detract from the overall experience. While the artistic style is appreciated, it often borders on unplayable due to these presentation flaws.
“However, I found it surprisingly enjoyable to move my pieces into the fog of war, revealing tiles featuring nicely complex artwork that gives the space a real sense of vastness and variety.”
“Very interesting 4X game with an old-school aesthetic, dark Lovecraftian vibes, and tons of ever-growing game possibilities.”
“The design, graphic style, and this unique atmosphere need to be seen and appreciated.”
“It seems that you prioritized graphical style over readability.”
“I love your art style, but at this moment it is on the edge of unplayability.”
“There are graphical glitches happening all over the game; words become scrambled and unreadable, and there’s a feeling that someone’s messing with you.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is accessible and satisfying, appealing to newcomers while feeling basic to genre veterans. It features asymmetrical factions with unique mechanics and incorporates liminal exploration elements, offering a multifaceted experience despite some balance issues. Overall, the gameplay is simple yet varied, drawing on familiar strategy game mechanics.
“While veterans of the genre will no doubt find it very basic, its gameplay is accessible and satisfying, with a hint of something more going on in the background.”
“There are great asymmetrical factions in the vein of Endless Legends with unique mechanics.”
“This multifaceted experience is reflected in the gameplay itself.”
“While featuring the same gameplay, the noderooms introduce liminal exploration elements in a 4x format, which probably sounds wildly out of place.”
“Despite the fact that it borrows heavily from strategy games, the gameplay is extremely simple.”
“Also, you always need to click the commands to unravel it, and this is a mechanic that is used constantly.”
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by a complex, postmodern narrative that unfolds through missions on a hexagonal grid, shrouded in fog of war and filled with hidden secrets. Players encounter a high level of difficulty and unconventional victory conditions, while an evolving alternate reality game (ARG) adds depth outside the main campaign. Despite its challenges and current early access status, the narrative offers intriguing layers that may leave some players puzzled.
“And then things get really weird... without spoiling too much, there is a postmodern story for those who like a good rabbit hole.”
“There are mini-games and story everywhere and I, despite my position, can honestly say I don't understand it all.”
“Outside the main campaign, there's a clear ARG or unfiction story unfolding which is evolving as the game grows closer to 1.0.”
“There are mini-games and story elements everywhere, and I, despite my position, can honestly say I don't understand it all.”
“Very challenging, needs more missions, but it is in early access so I imagine more will be added.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its unique design and charming graphics, creating an immersive experience that feels like playing within a game itself. The attention to detail in both visual and audio elements significantly enhances the overall ambiance.
“The design and graphic style create a unique atmosphere that needs to be seen and appreciated.”
“It puts a lot of attention into creating an atmosphere that makes you feel like you're playing a game within a game.”
“The graphics are charming, and the audio is very atmospheric.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences significant stability issues, including frequent graphical glitches and unreadable text, which detract from the overall experience. While some users acknowledge that such problems are common in early access titles, the severity of these glitches has raised concerns about the game's current state.
“There are graphical glitches happening all over the game; words become scrambled and unreadable, and there’s a feeling that someone’s messing with you.”
“There are normally glitches and performance issues in early access alpha games, but I have not seen them at this point.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is highly regarded for its replayability, with players noting that the variety of settings and the engaging skirmish mode significantly enhance the experience, despite a relatively short campaign of five stages.
“Great game, so fun! A friend recommended it, saying it's better than the screenshots and is hugely replayable with so many different settings.”
“As short as the campaign may be (at the time of writing, it has 5 stages), the skirmish mode offers incredible replayability.”
“Great game, so fun, a friend recommended it saying it's better than the screenshots and it is hugely replayable with so many different settings.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its brilliant composition, effectively enhancing every aspect of the gameplay experience.
“The soundtrack is brilliantly put together and complements every aspect of the game incredibly.”
“The music enhances the overall experience, making every moment feel more immersive.”
“Each track is perfectly timed to match the game's pacing, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally perceived as forced and ineffective, with many users feeling that the writing fails to deliver genuine comedic moments.
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates commendable optimization for an early access alpha, with users reporting minimal glitches and performance issues.
“There are normally glitches and performance issues in early access alpha games, but I have not seen them at this point.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
“Even on high-end hardware, the frame rates drop significantly during intense moments, indicating poor optimization.”
“I frequently encounter long loading times and stuttering, which detracts from the overall experience.”
