Etherium
- March 24, 2015
- Tindalos Interactive
Etherium is never aggressively terrible, but theres nothing to recommend it over other, more interesting RTS games.
Get on Steam"Etherium is a real-time strategy game set in a science-fiction universe with three factions vying for the rare resource 'Etherium'. Experience single-player Conquest mode, managing resources and bases, commanding units, and battling anomalies. In multiplayer, team up or engage in deathmatches with up to 4 players, with each faction having unique strengths, weaknesses, and tactical skills."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique take on faction-based strategy, offering distinct playstyles and aesthetics for each faction.
- The gameplay can be engaging and fun, especially for RTS enthusiasts who enjoy strategic depth and complexity.
- The graphics and visuals are appealing, providing a nice aesthetic experience during gameplay.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes, particularly after battles, making it frustrating and unplayable for many users.
- The tutorial is poorly designed, leading to confusion and difficulty in understanding the game's mechanics.
- There is a lack of content and depth in the campaign mode, with repetitive gameplay and limited unit variety.
- gameplay59 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Etherium is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its unique mechanics and strategic depth, while others criticize its slow pace, technical issues, and lack of variety in units. While it offers engaging territory capture mechanics and a solid RTS experience, many find it feels outdated and repetitive, with some even experiencing frequent crashes that hinder enjoyment. Overall, it may appeal to RTS enthusiasts looking for a simpler experience, but broader audiences might find it lacking.
“However, for RTS fans looking for a bargain or those interested in exploring the genre’s history, picking up Etherium at a discount could offer a few hours of engaging gameplay.”
“The gameplay itself is pretty fun; I enjoy the battles and the way everything develops with the amount of unit variation and entrenching of positions.”
“From a gameplay perspective, you will find a very interesting mix of concepts which includes territory control, squads, and hard-counters, all of this is quite well balanced as no faction really is overpowered.”
“Sorry, but I just can't bring myself to recommend the game... gameplay is slow.”
“Boring gameplay, not enough units, not enough updates.”
“The gameplay is a bit clunky and slow-paced, from what I managed in the tutorial after it ends and allows you to finish the level out.”
- story39 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting that it consists mainly of repetitive skirmishes without a cohesive narrative or campaign mode. Technical issues, including frequent crashes after missions, further detract from the experience, making it difficult for players to progress and enjoy any potential story elements. Overall, the absence of a meaningful story and the game's instability have left many feeling disappointed and frustrated.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“But, it is really a nice game and the single-player story mode with the turn-based moves in space and the RTS on the ground is nice; all in all, a lot of fun and I can see many hours of playability. Well done, Stardock.”
“I can only hope they decide to add story-driven campaigns and space battles in future DLC content, assuming they even have plans to do this, but if not, that's pretty unfortunate as this game definitely has the potential of being so much more.”
“It’s unfortunate that the campaign remains inaccessible due to the lack of a save feature during lengthy missions, as it could have added significantly to the game’s appeal.”
“There isn't a story, just that you want to gather etherium and the game feels very basic RTS, without good AI.”
“The single player campaign has no story, which is another big minus for me.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as decent but not groundbreaking, with some players noting a mix of appealing visuals and outdated elements reminiscent of older titles. While the distinct aesthetics of the three factions are appreciated, many reviews highlight issues such as jagged edges and a lack of detail, leading to an overall perception of the graphics as average for a modern game. Despite these criticisms, some players find the graphics enjoyable and fitting for the game's style, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“The graphics are gorgeous.”
“The graphics are great; they make the map look realistic, and the units and structures as well.”
“This is a brilliant game with great graphics, an interesting story, good gameplay, and generally just good fun to keep you entertained for hours.”
“The graphics are also ‘last gen’ not up to scale with the big games out there.”
“Graphics are below average, limited unit types and effectiveness.”
“Mediocre graphics, kinda stiff animations and okay sound?”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and frequent freezes that hinder gameplay, including during the tutorial. Many users express frustration over the game's lack of polish and balance, leading to a generally negative perception of its reliability. Overall, the game's stability problems are a major deterrent for players, with concerns about the developer's history of abandoning such titles.
“Unfortunately, it seems quite buggy and I can't even finish the tutorial.”
“Game freezes constantly, like it is processing.”
“As much as I was trying to enjoy this game, it has way too many problems with bugs, glitches, etc. First, it stopped doing anything at the very first turn the AI fleet was given.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in the conquest mode, which, despite having interesting ideas, becomes repetitive and lacks depth due to limited unit caps and crashing issues. The frequent crashes after lengthy missions exacerbate the grind, leading to a disappointing experience overall.
“There is a conquest mode (which is, to be fair, the only real thing to do as the community seems a bit dead) which has some interesting ideas but becomes a bit grindy no matter how well you are doing.”
“Sadly, the entire game feels quite poorly put together, from the cheap-looking and hard-to-navigate build options to the lackluster effects on the gunfire (lazy color lines as their lasers). Also, the gameplay is very tedious and dull after a single skirmish, largely due to limited unit caps and unlimited resources, so dominating a map doesn't really give you a huge advantage.”
“I probably should've taken the mixed (42%) ratings as a bad sign and not bought this, but I did anyway as the gameplay seemed a whole lot of fun. Unfortunately, this game is fundamentally broken, in that 5 out of 6 ground missions I play end in the game crashing right after I achieve victory. This wouldn't be quite so painful if it wasn't for the fact I have to replay the entire ground mission again and again until it finally decides to not crash, which was a 1 in every 6 games experience. Keep in mind, some of these ground missions are on pretty large maps, and towards the end of a game, they can take quite some time to complete, in excess of 40 minutes or so, and as the computer players like to constantly engage you in ground missions, it gets very, very tedious.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, contributing effectively to the sci-fi atmosphere and providing a relaxing experience, though it may not reach the iconic levels of composers like Frank Klepacki. Overall, it garners a solid rating of 8/10.
“Epic soundtracks.”
“The music is nice and helps to create the sci-fi atmosphere; just don't expect anything like what you get whenever Frank Klepacki is around.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its smooth performance and appealing visuals, with users noting that it runs well on modern systems, including those with Windows 8 and high-end hardware.
“All in all, it looks pretty, runs smoothly, and wastes time in an enjoyable way.”
“Being a modern game, I expected it to run smoothly on Windows 8 with 16 GB of RAM and a higher-end graphics card.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing frustration over the lack of advertising efforts prior to its release.
“Pure cash grab.”
“You can't throw a game on the market without having made any effort in terms of advertising.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users generally find that the game offers limited replayability, with many expressing that once completed, there is little incentive to play again.
“Cons: hardly any replayability.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage multiple playthroughs.”
“Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to return.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is enhanced by pleasant music that contributes to the sci-fi setting, though it lacks the distinctive quality often associated with composers like Frank Klepacki.
“The music is nice and enhances the sci-fi atmosphere, though don't expect anything like what you get whenever Frank Klepacki is around.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for being well-programmed and entertaining, particularly in the single-player mode, though it can become repetitive. Players appreciate the variety of maps and the decent balance, which adds to the overall enjoyment.
“The AI is well-programmed and brings a lot of humor to the single-player mode, even if it can be a bit repetitive.”
“The game features a huge variety of maps and a decent balance, with just some minor issues, all while keeping the humor alive.”
“The in-game ranking system and league system add to the fun, making the experience both competitive and entertaining.”
Critic Reviews
Etherium review
Etherium is never aggressively terrible, but theres nothing to recommend it over other, more interesting RTS games.
55%Etherium Review
While far from being bad or broken, Etherium disappoints more that it bores or annoys. It does so because it initially shows promise, but then throws it out of the window, since the few good ideas that exist aren't adequately explored. Even worse, the major focus on micromanagement, along with the somewhat unfair enemy AI, tends to decrease the fun factor quite a lot. Hopefully, the developer is taking notes on the many, generally negative reviews that its product has received, in order to create a far better sequel, or at least a gargantuan patch that would change a lot of things.
60%Etherium Review
The fact of the matter is that Etherium doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from the competition. The new concepts it does bring to the table (like its space battles) are a breath of fresh air, but they are not fleshed out enough to make enough of an impact. Etherium isn’t a terrible game, but it isn’t a noteworthy one either.
50%
