Executive Assault 2
- October 18, 2023
- Hesketh Studios Ltd
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Executive Assault 2" is a blend of real-time strategy and first-person shooter gameplay set in space. Build and manage your base on asteroids, deploy formidable tanks, harness laser power, and command robots to dominate the cosmos. Expect intense battles, economic management, and the challenge of overcoming rival corporations and protestors in your quest for intergalactic power.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique blend of RTS and FPS gameplay that allows players to control units directly while managing a fleet.
- Visually impressive with stunning graphics and immersive space battles.
- Active developer who listens to community feedback and regularly updates the game.
- Game is still in early access and lacks content, with limited factions and gameplay options.
- UI is clunky and not user-friendly, making navigation and control difficult.
- AI can be unbalanced, often overwhelming players even on lower difficulty settings.
- gameplay143 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Executive Assault 2 is a unique blend of real-time strategy (RTS) and first-person shooter (FPS) mechanics, allowing players to switch between strategic planning and direct control of units. While the game features engaging mechanics and diverse factions, it suffers from a steep learning curve, clunky controls, and a need for polish and bug fixes. Overall, players find the core gameplay enjoyable and promising, but acknowledge that it requires further refinement to reach its full potential.
“The gameplay is engaging and it's a great game to wind down to.”
“The dual gameplay style, combining the strategic planning of RTS with the up-close action of FPS, is a really neat feature.”
“Executive Assault 2 is an incredible real-time strategy (RTS) game that combines the best of both worlds: base-building and first-person shooter (FPS) gameplay.”
“Needs a lot of polish, gameplay, and bug fixing to be worth 20€.”
“The fps gameplay is messy; the rts gameplay is entirely unclear.”
“Tl;dr: this game is severely unpolished and lacking an engaging core gameplay loop.”
- graphics94 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and vibrant art style, while others note that the graphical quality feels outdated or inconsistent. Some players appreciate the detailed environments and character models, but express concerns about optimization and performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, there is a consensus that further improvements and polish are needed to elevate the experience.
“Stunning graphics and amazing gameplay!”
“Executive Assault 2 stands out in the RTS and FPS blend, offering stunning aesthetics and captivating gameplay.”
“Graphically, Executive Assault 2 is stunning, with beautiful environments and detailed character models.”
“The graphics are pre-2005 and the sound is minimal.”
“Graphics look like a higher resolution remaster of some obscure game from 1998, and that's not a good thing.”
“The music, the visuals, the mechanics... everything just feels plastic, like it was pulled from some underground royalty-free asset website.”
- stability27 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- -7 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting various bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some players acknowledge improvements over time and appreciate ongoing updates, the overall consensus is that the game remains quite buggy, especially in its early access state, leading to frustrations such as disconnections and game freezes. Despite these issues, there is optimism for future enhancements as the developers continue to address stability problems.
“The game isn't bug-free by any means, but considering the level of interaction you have with everything, it would be shocking for this to be completely flawless with just one developer!”
“Despite some minor glitches, the overall stability of the game allows for an immersive experience without frequent interruptions.”
“The game runs smoothly most of the time, and any issues that arise are quickly addressed, making for a stable gaming experience.”
“Good game, a little buggy; outposts can be instantly taken, and occasionally disconnects between players mean players may be fighting completely different wars in the same server (one moment from losing and one successfully beating every foe) against the exact same enemies.”
“Otherwise wait 1-2 years before buying it, as in this unfinished state the game is extremely buggy and so is the AI.”
“Far too buggy and not enough content to get close to justifying the price.”
- optimization23 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues, particularly in FPS mode, and on older systems. While some updates have improved stability and gameplay, many still find it unoptimized, leading to lag and occasional FPS drops even on high-end PCs. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, it requires further optimization to enhance the experience.
“Over the past year, game development has greatly improved the game's gameplay and performance.”
“The main issue I had at the time of writing the old review was the optimization and I'm pleased to announce that it has been fixed, it runs smoothly and is actually great fun to not only fight in your space station but just roam around and look out into space.”
“Edit: hadn't played in years, it's now a lot more fun and is now properly optimized, don't expect a fancy looking game but gameplay is 10/10.”
“Game has insane potential but at the current price I don't think it's worth $25; optimization is rough, executron features are lacking and FPS mode needs some love desperately.”
“But damn, it needs serious optimization; it's not performant at all on an i7 12 core, with 16GB RAM and a NVIDIA 1650 4GB GPU.”
“Optimization after playing the game for over an hour or two, you will get super lag in either single player or multiplayer even on high-end PCs.”
- music22 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its epic quality and dynamic range, enhancing both the gameplay and overall experience. Players appreciate the orchestral scores during battles and the ambient tracks during building phases, which evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic space operas. However, some users note that while the soundtrack is initially captivating, it can become repetitive and overwhelming over time.
“The music is top notch.”
“There is ambient space music while building, and epic orchestras while battling.”
“Executive Assault, the small RTS/FPS indie gem, manages to give you the great vibe of 1970s to 1980s space operas with lots of pew, pew and glorious space action underlined by an epic soundtrack.”
“The music, the visuals, the mechanics... everything just feels plastic, like it was pulled from some underground royalty-free asset website.”
“The music is way too loud; I had it on 1 and it was still pretty loud!”
“Build up is somewhat relaxing and when the combat music plays you get a small sense of urgency and the little details feel all the more important.”
- grinding19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 68 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be largely tedious and frustrating, with many expressing that the gameplay loop feels boring and unengaging. The clunky UI, difficult ship docking, and slow troop transport mechanics contribute to a sense of monotony, making it feel like players are not making significant progress or impact. While some players note that grinding isn't strictly necessary, the overall experience is marred by the tediousness of managing fleets and resources.
“Decent grinding.”
“A lot of grinding.”
“Your lifetime of grinding.”
“This is such a tedious way to play currently and there's not much that feels like you are helping or really making a huge difference.”
“This is a major issue since by late game you can get massive fleets or armies that are tedious to command, taking your attention away when you could be managing your economy, another battle, or building in new space stations or bases.”
“Troop transports are a pain to use, and honestly so tedious I stopped using them as why would I bother capturing a station when the game already moves so slow and it's just easier to blow up and replace?”
- story19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The story in the game revolves around players taking on the role of a CEO tasked with eliminating rival CEOs and controlling the system, featuring intense combat scenarios such as drop pod assaults and troop engagements. While the gameplay is praised for its excitement and epic moments, many players express a desire for a more developed narrative, including missions, progression systems, and varied objectives beyond just combat. Overall, the story is seen as lacking depth, with calls for additional content to enhance the experience.
“And all while the fleet is engaging above the enemy station/homebase, you have troop transports loaded with robot troops that will dock with the station, engaging combat with the defending troops with the mission of assassinating the enemy CEO/commander. Joining the fight, you get to see the troops on the station, and nothing is a more epic sight than hundreds of laser rifles shooting at each other in a dark space station. It's absolutely captivating and addicting.”
“Your mission is to eliminate all other CEOs and control the system. The gameplay allows for direct control of ships and engaging in combat, but I wish there was more depth, such as controlling the fleet, upgrading my character, and perhaps including stealth missions.”
“While not everybody's cup of tea, it brings back memories of Black Ops 2 special missions, and the addition of missions and story progression could enhance the overall experience.”
“No story.”
“The downs are its vague as there is only fighting and no missions or campaigns and the AI difficulty is easy to predict as medium and brutal are close to each other.”
“Perhaps the game needs some kind of reward/mission/story/progression system where each game leads somewhere.”
- replayability15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag. While some players appreciate the fun provided by multiple factions and maps, others criticize the limited AI and lack of content, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness in single-player modes. The potential for enhanced replayability exists, particularly in PvP scenarios and with the introduction of modding tools, but many feel it currently falls short.
“It's a lot of fun in the current state and the 3 unique factions bring a good deal of replay value.”
“With a very intense labor of love, this could be made into something like Zero-K or Empyrion that has replayability and interesting combat.”
“It ain't perfect, but it is very fun and has infinite replayability.”
“Not much replayability.”
“Severely limited replayability in singleplayer/coop - once you've beaten one skirmish match, you've beaten them all given the absolutely barebones AI.”
“The game lacks content and replayability.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a charming and lighthearted approach, featuring amusing voice lines and clever easter eggs that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements, such as robots making silly comments, which evoke nostalgia and connection, though some feel the humor could be further elevated with better voice acting. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with its gameplay, making it enjoyable without taking itself too seriously.
“The dev has a great sense of humor and there are easter eggs that you can easily miss if you aren't paying attention.”
“This game takes a funnier and much more charming approach, which I love. Hearing a robot scream 'my leg' is hilarious; find a better voice actor to really bring that silliness and charm to life and you're solid.”
“Now the game does have a sense of humor in that it doesn't really take itself too seriously with some funny voice lines and dialogue.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for effectively setting a captivating mood without becoming monotonous. However, players express a desire for more options in gameplay, such as stronger defensive turrets and a diverse range of soldiers and cyborgs, to enhance the overall team dynamic and make combat more engaging alongside the station-building experience.
“It's very atmospheric and works well to set the mood without being monotonous.”
“If people want to just build a fortress and not rely on combat ships, they should be given the option. Stronger defensive turrets would make fighting the larger ships in the late game more appealing instead of dreading it because you're so caught up in the station-building atmosphere.”
“There could also be a larger variety of soldiers and cyborgs that fill different roles, giving you more of a team atmosphere instead of just throwing a bunch of lemmings at them until they die.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not perceived as exploitative, as players recognize it as a genuine effort rather than a cash grab; however, the overall experience is marred by subpar gameplay mechanics and a lack of polish reminiscent of older titles.
“The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
“The in-game purchases are overpriced and give an unfair advantage to those who can afford to spend more.”
“The constant ads and paywalls ruin the overall experience, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly enjoying the immersive experience of creating and observing their space station and starships. Despite some bugs, the overall sentiment is positive, highlighting the joy and satisfaction derived from the gameplay.
“This game evokes a deep emotional connection as I create my own space station and watch the starships come to life.”
“The experience of building and watching my creations unfold brings a sense of joy and fulfillment that is hard to find in other games.”
“I love how this game allows me to immerse myself in a world where my actions have emotional weight and significance.”
