EarthX
- July 12, 2023
- Ry
- 10h median play time
While still in the early stages of early access I think EarthX is on the right path to being a good business strategy game. It has the framework in place though to be a good game as long as it expands some areas to add a little depth.
Get on Steam"EarthX is a single-player Science Fiction Strategy game with excellent graphics and good mechanics. As the manager of a space company, you sign contracts, build rockets, and launch payloads into space. To save money and time, recover and reuse rockets, and resupply the International Space Station with food, science experiments, and new equipment."
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game is surprisingly fun and addictive, especially for fans of SpaceX and space-themed games.
- The developer is responsive and actively updates the game, showing promise for future content and improvements.
- The gameplay offers a unique management experience where players can build and launch rockets, making it engaging for casual gamers.
- The game suffers from performance issues, particularly lag in the late game, which can hinder the overall experience.
- The tutorial is unhelpful and the UI is clunky, making it difficult for new players to navigate and understand the game mechanics.
- There is a lack of content and replayability, with many players feeling the game becomes repetitive after a few hours.
- gameplay74 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players enjoying the fun and relaxing aspects, while others find it repetitive and linear. The game features a dynamic gameplay loop with potential for deeper mechanics, but some players feel that certain elements, like the bidding mechanic and research interdependencies, detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics and core mechanics are praised, many hope for improvements and expansions in future updates.
“The gameplay evolves with surprisingly deep dynamicism, making each playthrough kind of a string of surprisingly different minigames as your fledgling corporation sets up and then experiences the exponential growth it takes to colonize and terraform a planet.”
“Not only is the gameplay fun and intuitive, but the 3D artwork and modeling is just beautiful.”
“So, overall it feels like the dev has put a lot of work into smoothing over the rough edges the game had early on and tried to bring more of the satisfying core gameplay loop to the surface.”
“After ~3 hours of playing, the core gameplay has already become so repetitive that I really can't recommend the game as it is currently.”
“I like this game, it's a fun little game where you can conquer space which is cool, the only thing I dislike is the managers who, if you hire the right ones, will just do stuff for you and it turns the gameplay to sometimes a little boring to full braindead mode and you can just sit back, relax, and let your brain melt.”
“Gameplay - it's pretty linear, but you can do things 'out of order' in a way, but you just end up hampering yourself if you do.”
- story56 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game currently lacks a defined storyline, with players expressing a desire for more missions and narrative depth, particularly regarding the colonization of Mars and the utilization of the Moon. While the gameplay is engaging and offers potential for expansion, many reviewers feel that the absence of a cohesive story detracts from the overall experience. As it stands, the game is primarily focused on mission contracts and rocket management rather than a rich narrative.
“I don't want to spoil all of the fun little missions in the game, but the goal of the game is to colonize and terraform Mars.”
“Very well thought out, high intensity game with tons of new missions to keep you on your toes.”
“Wish there was more to the story/game though.”
“There is no outright storyline for the game which may come along at a later date.”
“Most other parts of the game make you money, but you're not really colonizing Mars for any nations or companies as part of the mission system.”
“This game has no story.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful 3D artwork and smooth visual style, while others criticize the UI and raw visuals. Some players find the graphics to be impressive and well-integrated with gameplay, while a few note that they feel somewhat simplistic or "minecrafty." Despite some technical issues, the general consensus leans towards the graphics being a strong point of the game.
“Not only is the gameplay fun and intuitive, but the 3D artwork and modeling is just beautiful.”
“Outstanding graphics!”
“A well-rounded game with great graphics, music, and mechanics.”
“The UI is pretty cumbersome, visuals are pretty raw, popups are crazy, and there's something wrong with timing, e.g., all rockets land on Mars at the same time at the beginning of a year, which is stupid.”
“The graphics are a bit Minecrafty, but the underlying gameplay is satisfying.”
“Graphics don't matter in this game.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 63 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially in the late game when aiming for 100% completion, with some describing it as requiring a "second life" to manage effectively. While the introduction of managers has automated some repetitive tasks, many still feel that the overall experience can be confusing and laborious.
“Can get a bit tedious late game if you choose to 100%.”
“The late game is overall not great and pretty grindy.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is notably poor, with players reporting significant performance issues, especially in the mid to late game when managing multiple cargo spaceships and other complex elements. Frequent bugs and the need for restarts due to performance-related problems detract from the overall experience, indicating a lack of polish and stability.
“You develop a simple rocket then work towards heavy and reusable versions while improving reliability and performance.”
“I recommend ignoring linklink; performance in mid to late game is already quite bad, even without hordes of Starlink satellites.”
“I noticed some performance issues once I started having the cap of 40 cargo spaceships.”
“It's not a lot of effort to be fair, but the fact there are multiple bugs working against here (needing to restart because of performance bugs vs loading not working properly) is not a good look and tells you a lot about the state of the game.”
“Endgame suffers from performance issues.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is criticized for being limited, with many players noting a lack of diverse choices and content that diminishes the incentive to replay. While some find it enjoyable, the consensus is that it can be completed quickly, leaving little motivation for further play without additional content. A few users suggest potential for replayability, but this largely hinges on future updates.
“🔲 infinitely replayable”
“Replayability.., I'd say probably a few but not more than that until they add a bit more content.”
“It's a fun game, but lacks replay value as there are no really different ways to play it.”
“No one is going to get these playing organically, also because almost no one will play 15 careers; the replay value is not there.”
“It's a fun game, but it lacks replay value as there are no really different ways to play it.”
“The game is fun, but I played through pretty much all the content in 5 hours, and I don't see much replay value.”
- music10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for being enjoyable and well-composed, contributing positively to the overall experience alongside its impressive graphics and mechanics. Reviewers highlight the great soundtrack as a standout feature.
“A well-rounded game with great graphics, music, and mechanics.”
“Great soundtrack.”
“Music/sound - actually quite nice.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its light-hearted humor, with players appreciating the clever hidden gems and subtle comedic touches that enhance the overall experience. This humor helps to balance the more task-oriented aspects of the gameplay, making it feel more enjoyable and relaxed.
“I absolutely adore the slight touches of humor that are sprinkled throughout the game, giving what can be a task-saturating game a light-hearted tone.”
“Really nice and chill game with funny hidden gems (hint: news).”
“Gameplay is funny.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging game loop and rich incorporation of SpaceX and NASA references, creating an immersive experience for players.
“I enjoy the atmosphere, the game loop, and the wealth of 'SpaceX' and NASA references.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting the fun it provides and the welcoming atmosphere of the community, particularly on the Discord server, where they feel valued and heard. This sense of belonging and appreciation significantly enhances their overall experience.
