Earth 2160

53%
Game Brain Score Based on 318 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Earth 2160 Game Cover
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In "Earth 2160," players navigate a post-apocalyptic world across vast landscapes with real-time weather and day/night cycles. Choose from four factions, each with unique units, abilities, and storylines, as you gather resources and engage in strategic combat. This sequel to the Earth series offers improved graphics, new unit designs, and enhanced gameplay mechanics for a rich real-time strategy experience.

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  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

53%
Audience ScoreBased on 318 reviews
gameplay21 positive mentions
story9 negative mentions
  • The game features four unique factions, each with distinct playstyles and mechanics, providing a diverse gameplay experience.
  • Unit customization allows players to design their own units with various weapons and armor, adding depth to strategy and tactics.
  • Despite its age, the graphics and sound design are still impressive, and the game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of classic RTS games.
  • The registration process requires extensive personal information, which many players find intrusive and frustrating.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including poor AI pathfinding and crashes, making it difficult to enjoy.
  • The voice acting and writing are often criticized as being subpar, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
  • story67 mentions

    The story in the game is generally considered mediocre, with a standard sci-fi premise that lacks depth and originality, often relying on clichés and poor voice acting. While some players appreciate the connection between the campaigns of different factions, many criticize the campaign missions for being poorly designed, overly long, and frustratingly difficult. Overall, the narrative fails to engage players, leading to a mixed reception where the gameplay often overshadows the story.

    • “The story is great; some things could be added, but my favorite part about this was the mass amount of units and structures.”
    • “The mission campaigns are extremely well done, especially for an RTS game. You have dialogues and cutscenes, some RPG elements as well, and a decent storyline.”
    • “Earth 2160 continues the story of its predecessors through four campaigns of around average length that will most likely keep you busy for a while.”
    • “The campaign story is pretty standard sci-fi fare overall, so with proper writing it could've been good, but unfortunately the devs went the cheesiest, most clichéd route they possibly could, combined with absolutely atrocious voice acting.”
    • “The story is pretty mediocre, and the voice acting is poor.”
    • “The story is hard to follow, not clear what to do, and it just feels horrible.”
  • gameplay51 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is praised for its depth and variety, featuring multiple factions with unique mechanics, extensive unit customization, and innovative base-building options that enhance replayability. While some players appreciate the strategic complexity and innovative features, others criticize the game's balance and presentation issues, noting that the experience can be marred by bugs and frustrating mechanics. Overall, it offers a rewarding yet sometimes challenging RTS experience that stands out for its customization and faction diversity.

    • “But the skirmish gameplay is where it is at; the endless replayability of customizing your own units from base models is endless.”
    • “Literally every mechanic is altered: completely different vehicles with completely different types of weapons, different ways to harvest resources, different ways to set up bases and interconnect buildings. It's literally a different game depending on what faction you play with, which is incredibly enjoyable.”
    • “One of the most important mechanics is the unit customization; through research, you can design your own units with various strengths and weaknesses.”
    • “The game is buggy, the central multiplayer server is dead (although direct connect still works and will most likely work forever), lots of mechanics are annoying, and DRM activation works but demands your personal data.”
    • “It isn't enjoyable making a game hard as hell with unbearable gameplay!”
    • “Hey guys, let's throw out half of previous games' awesome stuff - that awesome multi-map simultaneous mission command, make gameplay so boring that there is a special button which completely skips time until something happens, add godawful heroes, and try to rip off Warcraft 3's hero system with custom items, maybe add RPG-like inventory but do it as poorly as possible.”
  • graphics36 mentions

    The graphics of *Earth 2160* are generally regarded as impressive for a game released in the mid-2000s, with unique visual styles for each faction and commendable attention to detail, such as damage representation and a day-night cycle. While some players note that the graphics have aged and may not meet modern standards, many still find them visually appealing and suitable for the game's overall experience. Overall, the graphics receive mixed reviews, with scores around 7/10 reflecting a balance between nostalgia and the limitations of older technology.

    • “The four factions each have unique play styles, visuals, and units, and they're all enjoyable in their own way.”
    • “The graphics in the game are often complimented, and at times they're really amazing for 2005, but it kinda depends where you look.”
    • “This is one of the best RTS games released in 2005, but the graphics and design are still very impressive even by today's standards.”
    • “The graphics are probably just mediocre for its time, and have aged really, really poorly.”
    • “The game seems a bit outdated by today's standards, especially graphics-wise.”
    • “Graphics are not great but the content and campaign should compensate.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the high-quality soundtrack and choral pieces that enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize the limited variety and occasional irritating tracks, particularly in the main menu. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its ability to set the mood, though some players feel it doesn't play often enough during gameplay.

    • “On top of that, the soundtrack is wicked!”
    • “And the musical accompaniment is also at a very high level; certainly, some songs are very successful, mainly choral.”
    • “I thought it was a simple 99 cent game to waste some time, but it is a well-thought-out RTS game with fantastic unit customization and one of the best soundtracks of any RTS game.”
    • “The music gets in the way and the voice acting is hokey.”
    • “- music is 90s Eastern European techno trash (and not the 'cool kind', whatever that is).”
    • “Oh and throw in awful music, and especially awful one for the main menu theme.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, including issues with the multiplayer servers and mechanics. While some players find the game entertaining despite these problems, the overall experience is marred by a lack of support and persistent technical issues. Many urge developers to address these glitches to improve the game's performance.

    • “I can't even play it; it's super buggy.”
    • “This game is buggy, the central multiplayer server is dead (although direct connect still works and will most likely work forever), lots of mechanics are annoying, and DRM activation works but demands your personal data.”
    • “One of the most difficult RTS games I have ever played, and still one of the most entertaining despite a somewhat buggy client and no longer supported multiplayer servers.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by bad puns and sarcastic comments, leading to hilarious conversations that can be entertaining for those who appreciate this style. While some players find the game to be of low quality, they still consider it worth the price for the laughs it provides.

    • “This usually leads to quite some hilarious conversations which might entertain you if you like bad puns and sarcastic comments.”
    • “Absolute trash, worth the price for laughing at how bad a game can get.”
    • “A funny game.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Reviewers highlight the high replayability of the game, particularly through its skirmish mode that allows for extensive customization of units. However, some comparisons to older titles suggest that while replayable, the game may not stand out as significantly in the broader gaming landscape.

    • “The skirmish gameplay is where it's at; the endless replayability of customizing your own units from base models is limitless.”
    • “Even back in 2006, there were far better games like 'Act of War: Direct Action' that were more playable and engaging!”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The optimization of *Earth 2160* remains commendable even in 2021, with graphics that continue to perform well. However, user experiences suggest that performance may vary significantly, with only a couple of characters providing a satisfactory experience.

    • “Performance-wise, Earth 2160's graphics still hold up quite well even in 2021.”
    • “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “Despite the game's potential, the poor optimization makes it nearly unplayable on mid-range systems.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that even with the latest updates, the optimization issues persist, causing long loading times and crashes.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when it comes to attacking enemy bases, which can feel repetitive and frustrating.

    • “Attacking an enemy base can be very tedious.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and often frustrating.”
    • “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a chore than fun.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for having a limited advertising budget, which is seen as a significant flaw.

  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's graphics were initially praised for their spectacular quality and special effects, particularly with bump-shading on infantry. However, some users felt that the overall atmospheric effects were lacking, detracting from the immersive experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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