Fear The Wolves
- February 6, 2019
- Vostok Games
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Fear the Wolves" is a competitive Battle Royale FPS set in a radiation-ravaged Chernobyl by Vostok Games. Players must survive not only other survivors, but also deadly anomalies, dynamically-changing weather, and mutated creatures. Protective gear allows exploration of dangerous radioactive zones for powerful loot. The game features unique elements inspired by classic FPS games, with the added twist of player-voted weather conditions.
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Unique blend of PvE and PvP elements, adding depth to the battle royale experience.
- Atmospheric graphics and sound design that evoke a sense of tension and immersion.
- Innovative mechanics like dynamic weather and radiation zones that affect gameplay.
- Severe lack of players, making it difficult to find matches and resulting in long wait times.
- Poor optimization leading to frequent lag, crashes, and low frame rates even on capable hardware.
- Gameplay feels clunky and unpolished, with issues in hit registration and AI behavior.
- gameplay101 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the shooting mechanics, weapon variety, and immersive atmosphere, particularly the dynamic weather effects. However, players have expressed concerns about technical issues such as lag, bugs, and a lack of a sufficient player base, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the gameplay enjoyable and unique, others feel it requires significant improvements and additional content to reach its full potential.
“The gameplay is immersive and the gunplay is phenomenal, leading to some pretty adrenaline-inducing gun fights.”
“The map and shooting mechanics are great, but right now I feel it lacks direction.”
“The gameplay mechanics are solid!”
“The game is not ugly but... the gameplay is laggy as hell, the aiming is not accurate at all.”
“The idea is great, it's amazing, but the execution is trash. Don't waste your time; wait until most of the core stuff works as the core gameplay is horrible and doesn't function properly even on a high-end computer; it runs like trash.”
“It's the constant stuttering, poor weapon handling, unsatisfying gunplay, not to mention the recoil is all over the place. The damage models are garbage, with random freezes and crashing. I get it, this is a beta, but this is more like a mid or late alpha, not a beta.”
- graphics68 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful visuals, weather effects, and overall atmosphere, while others criticize poor map development, optimization issues, and inconsistent performance. Some players highlight the game's appealing design and smooth gameplay, but there are complaints about blurry visuals and a lack of graphical options. Overall, while the graphics show potential, they require further enhancement and optimization to meet player expectations.
“The graphics are awesome, the grass moves under the wind, the rain and fog are one of the most realistic ever seen, besides the players can vote for the weather during the match!”
“The graphics in this game are great, the weather effects are awesome, it runs smooth for me, I have noticed no glitches or issues of any kind in general.”
“The graphics are among the best with beautiful design, the colors and lighting are appealing to the eye.”
“The graphics are mediocre and the performance unacceptable (I had frame drops to 25 fps with a GTX 1060, AMD FX-8370, and 16 GB RAM).”
“One of my biggest let-downs with this game was the quality of the graphics.”
“The graphics look bad, yet the FPS is still horrible somehow, the PvE aspect of the game is basically non-existent because the wolves get stuck in the ground.”
- optimization59 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 34 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frequent crashes, frame drops, and stuttering, making it nearly unplayable for some. While there are occasional mentions of improvements in performance and graphics, the consensus is that significant optimization is still needed for a smoother experience. Overall, players express frustration with the current state of optimization, suggesting that the game is not worth purchasing until these issues are addressed.
“Graphics are great, the game runs smoothly, a good variety of weapons, and different elements in the game that shift constantly so that every game doesn't feel the same.”
“Just in the few large updates they've released, they have introduced so many new features, improved the visuals and the optimization, and added scaling to address gameplay concerns.”
“New update just came out today, and I must say... the performance optimization has gotten a lot better since release.”
“Buggy as hell, badly optimized, and basically unplayable.”
“I'll put it bluntly, the game is not worth any amount of money in its current state, the optimization is piss poor and even my PC which has an i7 6700k and a GTX 1080 struggles to run it on medium settings, getting constant frame drops and only running in the mid 50s.”
“Its the constant stuttering, poor weapon handling, unsatisfying gunplay, not to mention the recoil is all over the place. The damage models are garbage, with random freezes and crashing. I get it, this is a beta, but this feels more like a mid or late alpha, not a beta.”
- atmosphere40 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully rendered environments, often drawing comparisons to the iconic S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. Players appreciate the dynamic and tense ambiance created by the graphics and audio design, although some note inconsistencies in rendering and polish that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmospheric elements are considered one of the game's strongest features, appealing particularly to fans of post-apocalyptic settings.
“The atmosphere of the game is amazing, reminiscent of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Chernobyl.”
“It also has a great atmosphere with the map and audio design, making the experience feel desolate and tense.”
“Great S.T.A.L.K.E.R. post-apocalyptic atmosphere, attractive gameplay, various tactics, and dangerous anomalies.”
“It adds no atmosphere and is a completely useless thing.”
“But unfortunately it doesn't catch the atmosphere of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.”
“That coupled with the choppy framerate, lack of actual stalkerish atmosphere and obvious lack of polish has me not very happy with the experience.”
- stability38 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with many users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that hinder gameplay. While some players experience smooth performance, others face significant lag, freezing, and unresponsive mechanics, particularly in multiplayer settings. Overall, the game is seen as needing substantial optimization and a larger player base to improve its stability.
“The game runs great.”
“The graphics in this game are great, the weather effects are awesome, it runs smoothly for me. I have noticed no glitches or issues of any kind in general.”
“The game runs great.”
“Buggy as hell, badly optimized, and basically unplayable.”
“The game isn’t stable, lags and freezes so often!”
“Very very buggy at the moment to the point where I finally land with my parachute, I start running and my screen freezes for about 10 seconds and now I'm randomly at the building where I was running to.”
- monetization16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 69 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with players expressing frustration over the lack of advertising and a small player base that hampers matchmaking. Many reviewers suggest that transitioning to a free-to-play model with in-game purchases could enhance the game's popularity and support ongoing development. Overall, there is a consensus that improved advertising and monetization strategies are essential for the game's success.
“Most battle royale games have been transitioning to the free-to-play arena because of how successful in-game purchases have become.”
“The game would have benefited greatly from going the free-to-play route and adding in-game purchases.”
“In-game purchases keep the income flowing and allow for a budget for continual development of the game.”
“All around cash grab by shady developers; I wouldn't trust another Volstok game if they are even still around.”
“Just another mediocre, boring battle royale cash grab.”
“If its current state/monetization is its final state, this would be a thumbs down.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many players feeling that the reliance on PvP and other players fails to compensate for the absence of a well-developed single-player narrative. While some acknowledge the potential for a more engaging story, particularly if future DLC were to introduce a dedicated single-player campaign, the current experience leaves much to be desired in terms of storytelling and immersive content. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from a significant storytelling deficit, impacting player engagement and enjoyment.
“Maybe a future DLC which does a single-player campaign, explaining the story in its fullest and letting you get acquainted with everything in its finest detail.”
“Imho, if Vostok would have made a single-player campaign on this map as a spiritual successor to Stalker with its own story but similar gameplay to the original trilogy, it would have been wonderful for me and many fans.”
“I agree that the story of radiation and Chernobyl is the same script, but the important point is that the type of game is totally different.”
“The developer gambled that other players would be an acceptable substitute for adding storytelling, level design, etc. to the game.”
“No story, no exciting play, no fun weapons.”
“Imho, if Vostok would have made a single-player campaign on this map as a spiritual successor to Stalker with its own story but similar gameplay to the original trilogy, it would have been wonders for me and many fans.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and fitting, enhancing the overall experience with a mix of creepy sounds and a decent soundtrack. While some players found the opening menu music promising, others felt it was merely adequate and not particularly memorable. Overall, the music contributes to the game's ambiance but may not stand out on its own.
“The game has other neat features like good graphics and good atmospheric sound/creepy music, making you feel less alone than you are.”
“A song of silence as the night flies.”
“I was hopeful with the opening menu music, where it sounded like Stalker.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as addictive and amusing, particularly for fans of its unique blend of genres. Players find the game's mechanics, such as the limited server options and the janky animations of wolves, to be laughable, contributing to an overall comedic experience despite some criticisms of the gunplay and melee combat.
“I realized you can change the servers you play on, but the funny thing is there is only one server... and it's in Europe!!!!!”
“I'm no Shroud, but I don't completely suck =] and apparently I can be funny?”
“The gunplay is terrible, the melee is choppy and laughable, and the wolves' janky animations jumping around are straight up hilarious.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, with some describing it as "a bit grindy" at times, particularly in relation to encounters with wolves.
“It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
“The game feels a bit grindy, yet it adds to the overall experience.”
“While you might think the wolves are the main attraction of the game, they are one of its most tedious features.”
“It's a bit grindy sometimes.”
“It's a bit grindy.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling more apprehensive about the developers' changes than the in-game threats, indicating a deep investment in the game's original experience. The addition of new content is welcomed, suggesting that players are eager for enhancements that maintain the emotional integrity of the game.
