Enemy
- March 17, 2015
- Tom Johnson
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Enemy" is a single-player Role Playing game that offers around 10 hours of playtime. The game is a tactical role-playing experience, where players explore an open world with elements and characters inspired by classic video games. Combat is turn-based and inspired by the 1994 X-Com game, featuring realistic physics and permadeath for added tension. Each playthrough features a procedurally generated world, providing a unique experience each time.
Mac OS
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Reviews
- The game features a unique and fully destructible environment that allows for creative tactical strategies.
- It offers a challenging and rewarding gameplay experience, especially for fans of turn-based tactics and roguelikes.
- The developer is responsive and actively works on improving the game based on player feedback.
- The controls can be unintuitive and the learning curve is steep, making it difficult for new players to get started.
- The game is prone to bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
- The difficulty level can be excessively punishing, especially at the beginning, leading to frequent character deaths.
- gameplay94 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a turn-based strategy experience that combines familiar mechanics from the genre with unique elements like destructible terrain and mental damage, offering a challenging and tactical environment. While some players find the mechanics unintuitive and the pace slow, others appreciate the depth and strategic decisions required, making it a rewarding experience for fans of retro-style games. Overall, the game is noted for its addictive nature and engaging gameplay, despite its simplistic graphics and steep learning curve.
“A turn-based strategy game with leveling mechanics where you play characters from a variety of video game genres, trying to defeat four evil kings.”
“I never felt like the gameplay was mindless; every decision felt strategic.”
“Is just so much fun! I love the style, the music, the ambiance, and the gameplay. It can be hard as hell, and your whole party could be destroyed at any time if you are careless. It's a really tactical game; I 100% recommend it!”
“It's a neat idea, but I found the gameplay slow and plodding, the weapon stats extremely confusing, and the game to be generally confounding and not fun.”
“There is no flanking mechanic, no 'real' cover mechanic, no suppression, no interesting abilities that allow you to control enemies, nothing.”
“The game can be very punishing and it's certainly not for people who get frustrated when a well-placed fire bomb murders half your squad and sends the rest into panic, but for those who love that kind of gameplay, it's a must buy.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a simplistic, voxel aesthetic reminiscent of Minecraft that may initially appear unappealing. However, numerous reviewers emphasize that the gameplay and mechanics far outweigh any graphical shortcomings, suggesting that the retro-style visuals complement the game's overall design and atmosphere. While some find the graphics off-putting, they agree that the depth of gameplay makes it a worthwhile experience.
“A brutally difficult game that combines the visual aesthetics of Minecraft with the tactical combat of the original X-COM.”
“Visually, it has the voxel appeal of Minecraft; simple graphics no longer denote simple gameplay, so it's a decent aesthetic for the styles it's calling on, and it deals with the environments uniquely as massively destructible.”
“One of the best permadeath RPGs I've played, complemented by the awesome art style which really captures the vision of retro games mashed up and remade.”
“So this game obviously has rather rough graphics.”
“If you're looking for cutting edge graphics and gameplay, this probably isn't the game for you.”
“_graphics can be a bit offputting: not the most flattering looking game, but that can be overlooked since the gameplay is so deep.”
- music30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to set the mood and enhance the atmosphere, particularly highlighting the work of composer Samuel Juel Kovacs. While some find the soundtrack to be well-suited and enjoyable, others criticize it for being sparse, basic, or occasionally out of place, suggesting it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is described as decent and fitting for the game's style, though it may not stand out as exceptional.
“Amazing soundtrack too!”
“Thanks to the marvelous soundtrack by Samuel Juel Kovacs, the atmosphere in the game is tense and dark.”
“Audially it's very mellow; this is a game that won't barrage you with noise, the soundtrack is restrained and very decent.”
“Limited by the sound and the music.”
“Hampered by the music and sound, and in my opinion, the difficulty.”
“The music is very out of place in many situations.”
- story20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as minimal and straightforward, revolving around a world dominated by four boss characters. Players express disappointment in the lack of narrative depth and variety, noting that the story is difficult to engage with due to its brevity and limited exploration. Overall, while there are hints of potential character interactions, the overarching plot feels underdeveloped and lacking in substance.
“I felt back what I felt during my first missions on X-COM (90's), when every single action you take has a real impact on the outcome.”
“I started the quest with my two NPC mates, walked out of the house, a guy with a fire bomb was waiting behind a tree and we all burned to death.”
“I came into an area and ran into a young princess; she wanted to help my quest, so I let her tag along.”
“There is no story to be had in this game.”
“If there was a story, I wasn't able to see it within the 4 or 5 tiles I explored over 4 restarts.”
“It would be nice to see some more variety between classes when starting a new game, and the story could be developed a bit.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its slapstick moments and unexpected outcomes, such as a rifle emerging from a "!" block and the chaotic results of missed attacks, like collapsing structures and flying debris. Players find joy in the absurdity of sandbox physics, where actions can lead to both hilarious and frustrating consequences, enhancing the overall comedic experience.
“However, causing an entire castle to collapse and kill a boss after a missed throw knocks out a load-bearing wall never ceases to be hilarious.”
“There's nothing quite as hilarious as ripping a brick out of a wall and chucking it at a skeleton's face and watching all his little bits go flying.”
“That said, occasionally something mental will happen…like missing and knocking a tree on yourself, but that’s all part of the fun (not to mention hilarious!).”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with multiple users reporting frequent crashes and numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay. Despite its engaging mechanics, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, leading to frustration among players.
“Unfortunately, despite how fast-paced the action can be for a turn-based XCOM-like (which is unusually cool), the game is buggy as heck and has crashed on me multiple times out of nowhere, even while I was just waiting for an enemy turn to end.”
“I was expecting a charming take on XCOM with some depth; instead, I got a buggy crapfest with little imagination.”
“(It is a little buggy, however, and seems to lack some updates from previous versions. For example, vision is now tied to 'mind' instead of being its own stat.)”
- optimization6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game presents a great concept but suffers from poor optimization, particularly with its physics engine, which can cause significant frame rate drops during intense scenarios. While some players may not experience frequent issues, the optimization shortcomings are evident and impact the overall gameplay experience.
“- [u]Physics optimization[/u]: I personally didn't run into too many problems here (unless a lot of crazy things were happening at once, like a fire burning down a two-story building), but the physics engine sometimes does make the normally silky smooth framerate chug.”
“Great concept but poorly optimized.”
“The game isn't optimized that well.”
“The physics engine sometimes does make the normally silky smooth framerate chug.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its high replayability, with many players highlighting its challenging nature as a key factor that encourages multiple playthroughs. Users express that the difficulty contributes to the game's lasting appeal, as they strive to overcome it.
“I have never beaten it, so it obviously has tons of replayability.”
“It's got replay value and, excuse the French, 'bloody tough'.”
“Tons of replayability.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to have emotional moments, particularly at the beginning when witnessing a character's death, which adds a layer of depth. However, the emotional investment tends to be limited to the main character, whose fate can feel as trivial as that of any NPC, overshadowed by the overall fun and chaotic gameplay.
“It's somewhat emotional even at the beginning, watching a character die.”
“The game evokes a strong emotional response, especially when you witness the fate of certain characters.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a blend of nostalgic elements from classic hero genres of the 80s and 90s, creating a simple yet enjoyable environment. Enhanced by Samuel Juel Kovacs' impressive soundtrack, the overall mood is both tense and dark, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience.
“Thanks to the marvelous soundtrack by Samuel Juel Kovacs, the atmosphere in the game is tense and dark.”
“It's got roots in everything, all the classic hero-type genres the 80s and early 90s could throw at you, and a simple, fun atmosphere to play in.”
