Endless Grades: Pixel Saga
"Endless Grades: Pixel Saga" is a Role Playing game that boasts excellent mechanics and stellar visuals, but be prepared for heavy grinding and frequent advertisements. Embark on an adventure with your Pixel Knights and Monsters as described by the game itself as the "JRPG of 2024". Overall, a visually appealing RPG experience with some caveats.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful pixel art and character designs that evoke nostalgia.
- It is generally F2P friendly, offering generous rewards and a decent pull rate for SSR characters.
- The gameplay is simple and easy to understand, making it a good time killer for casual players.
- The game is often criticized for being a typical idle game with minimal player interaction and strategy.
- Many players feel misled by advertisements that suggest a more complex RPG experience, while the actual gameplay is more of an auto-battler.
- Progression can become tedious and grindy, especially after reaching higher levels, leading to a lack of content and engagement.
- monetization126 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the high volume of ads and misleading advertisements that do not accurately represent the gameplay. While some users appreciate the option to watch ads for rewards and find the in-app purchases reasonable, others criticize the subscription model for ad removal and the overall cash grab nature of the game, leading to a perception of it being overly grindy and pay-to-win. Overall, while there are some positive notes about the game's monetization being non-intrusive, the overwhelming presence of ads and the disconnect between advertising and actual gameplay have left many players dissatisfied.
“For a gacha game, I guess it's alright, but it has some ridiculous in-app purchases.”
“Monetization: so far so good, seemingly decent offers for anyone who wants to spend, but I haven't yet felt any need to; it seems very 'want-based' as opposed to 'need-based'.”
“Very tedious tutorial that doesn't seem to be skippable, and it has microtransactions that almost makes or breaks the game.”
“It's like you play more ads in a day than actually playing the game.”
“The game is nothing like the ads.”
“Cash grab most definitely.”
- gameplay110 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its idle mechanics and repetitive nature, often describing it as lacking depth and coherence. While some appreciate the addictive quality and the ease of learning the mechanics, others criticize it for being a generic experience with minimal interaction and a heavy reliance on gacha elements. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing but fails to deliver engaging gameplay, often feeling like a cash grab rather than a fully realized RPG experience.
“The gameplay loop is neat, raid bosses are good, arena are okay.”
“I've been playing for 2 weeks now I'm already high level it's fun a bit addicting, I love collecting the characters overall the gameplay is great!”
“Beautiful art and fantastic gameplay!”
“Well, there are definitely lots of buttons to press and flashes of color... but no actual gameplay.”
“It turns out to be another AFK auto-grinding game with nothing to do; wait 5 minutes, kill boss, wait another 5 minutes, kill boss, that's the gameplay. I should say that's the 'game'; there is no gameplay.”
“The gameplay is just so bland and there isn't much to the game once you hit about zone 50.”
- graphics102 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beautiful pixel art and nostalgic 16-bit style, with many users highlighting the attractive character designs and clean animations. However, some reviewers noted that while the visuals are impressive, they often overshadow a lack of engaging gameplay and originality. Overall, the art style is considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's appeal despite its idle mechanics.
“Generous rolls, clean animations for pixel art and the art style of the characters are great!”
“The visuals are gorgeous, both the pixel art and the lightly animated character portraits.”
“The 16-bit graphics are very well done with great detail.”
“I don't think I could name a single thing about this game aside from the art style that is original, and even then it's basically just Final Fantasy pixel art like Record Keeper used to have, Brave Exvius, or FF Tactics.”
“Actual gameplay and graphics are too far from what the ads made it to be.”
“Great style and artwork wasted on another dumb, boring idle game.”
- story84 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 26 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is widely criticized, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of a coherent narrative or character backstories. While some appreciate the gameplay and graphics, the absence of a meaningful storyline leaves many feeling disconnected and bored, suggesting that the game could benefit from the addition of a story mode or character lore to enhance player engagement. Overall, the consensus is that the game feels incomplete without a substantial narrative element.
“Very good story and character info suit for a player who likes adventure and epic story background.”
“I do have a suggestion, adding character backstory will help players connect to the game more as they get to know the hero they love.”
“Perhaps a more involved story could stitch things together and give us purpose?”
“No story.”
“False advertising, doesn't have a storyline, the cutscenes are nonexistent, it's just an AFK style game.”
“There doesn't seem to be any plot or storyline; players are just thrown into neverending idle battles, boss battles, etc.”
- character development24 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is marked by impressive character designs that many players appreciate, highlighting the aesthetic appeal of both playable characters and enemies. However, there is a notable criticism regarding the lack of depth in gameplay and storytelling, with some players feeling that the character designs overshadow the overall experience. Additionally, concerns about character diversity and originality have been raised, suggesting that while the visuals are strong, they are not supported by equally engaging narrative or gameplay elements.
“Character designs are amazing, and boss monsters, while repetitive, are still gorgeous to look at.”
“Amazing character designs.”
“I love the character design.”
“I'm so sad because the game has so much potential, the skill, the character design but lacks creativity in gameplay.”
“2 stars because they actually put effort into the design of the game, good voice acting and character design but the gameplay and a lack of story is a zero.”
“Some of the character designs are ripoffs from another game, the voice acting is AI making it monotone.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews on the grinding aspect of the game are mixed; some players appreciate the balanced pacing and enjoyable progression without excessive grind, while others find it tedious and overly reliant on idle mechanics. Many express frustration with the game's tendency to feel pay-to-win, especially after initial levels, and criticize the repetitive nature of farming and crafting. Overall, the game offers a blend of enjoyable elements and frustrating grind, appealing to those who prefer a more relaxed idle experience.
“The game is promising, but the flaws make it feel more like a pay-to-win game rather than free-to-play, where winning could be possible with the right units and hard grinding.”
“It turns out to be another AFK auto-grinding game with nothing to do: wait 5 minutes, kill a boss, wait another 5 minutes, kill a boss. That's the gameplay; I should say that's the 'game'—there is no gameplay.”
“Another idle game with fake ads; the worst part is that it's too grindy and not even fun for an idle game.”
- music18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its relaxing and catchy "chip tune" style, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking sound effects. There are concerns about the use of potentially stolen music from other franchises, which has led to disappointment among some users. Overall, while the music is appreciated by many, it is often overshadowed by gameplay issues and a lack of depth in the game's narrative.
“The art is charming, gameplay is easy, and the music is relaxing.”
“Music is soothing.”
“Nice graphics, easy controls, like the music.”
“The art looks cool but gameplay and music are subpar.”
“But the thing is too fast paced and too overwhelming for the tutorial, and there is no voice/sfx when in battle, only repetitive music and that infuriates me, to be honest.”
“This is a regular AFK gacha pay-to-win game that uses copyrighted music from Romancing Saga in their advertising, fake images to make it look like a 16-bit RPG, this is not!”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, frequently freezing after watching ads or playing for extended periods, and often failing to load properly. Users report bugs in various gameplay elements, including dungeons and the battle UI, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite its appealing art style, the game's performance problems hinder enjoyment and progression.
“It freezes up too much after watching ads, playing for more than five minutes, or doing pulls without turning off the animations.”
“It just freezes on the main loading screen and won't go any further.”
“Laggy, buggy, and won't even load ads (you need it for fast loot, to clear your 7-day journey mission).”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that a lack of emotional investment can lead to boredom, suggesting that the game's ability to engage emotions is crucial for maintaining interest and enjoyment.
“With no emotional investment in the game, players are likely to get bored quickly.”
“Without this, I don't think I'd be too emotionally invested in this game.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users overwhelmingly praise the game's humor, expressing that it is exceptionally funny and enjoyable.
“So funny, I love it!”
“So funny, I love it!”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with numerous broken features, unresponsive buttons, and a sense that many elements were hastily added, resulting in a bloated experience.
“The game is a disaster in terms of optimization, with broken buttons, features that don't work as intended, and a lot of content that feels like it was just thrown in to bloat the experience.”
“Optimization is severely lacking; the game frequently crashes and has long loading times that ruin the overall experience.”
“The performance issues are frustrating, with constant frame drops and stuttering that make it nearly unplayable at times.”