Five Elements

About

Five Elements is a real time strategy game about managing energies of five Taoist elements (fire, earth, metal, water and wood). The hero is a monk in quest for Enlightenment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews

music3 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features an interesting puzzle-tactical mechanic that allows for various interactions between elements, providing depth and complexity as players progress.
It has a unique theme centered around meditation and enlightenment, which adds a refreshing narrative layer to the gameplay.
The game is enjoyable and challenging, with a fair balance of difficulty that encourages strategic planning and skill development.

The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and AI that can feel unfair, making it frustrating at times.
The time limits imposed on certain levels can hinder gameplay and make some levels unsolvable, leading to a poor experience.
The learning curve is steep due to the complex interactions between elements, which can be overwhelming for new players.

gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The gameplay is praised for its interesting mechanics and depth, offering a complex experience that evolves over time. Players appreciate the gentle tutorial that introduces core concepts, making it accessible while still allowing for diverse interactions. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and considered worth its regular price.
- “The mechanics of this game are interesting, and I have to admit I feel a bit bad that I picked it up during the winter sale, since it's probably worth the regular price.”
- “I am enjoying this game and how complex the gameplay gets to be over time.”
- “I can't really remember the premise, since it's basically irrelevant to the gameplay, but from memory you play a warrior seeking training in meditation from a monk to reach enlightenment.”
- “Gameplay - five elements includes a tutorial to gently introduce you to the core concepts.”
- “In-depth gameplay allowing for many different interactions.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's graphics are simplistic and abstract, focusing on color representation and functionality rather than high-end visuals. While the stylized design serves its purpose, it lacks depth and customization options, making it less impressive for showcasing hardware capabilities. Overall, the graphics are adequate for gameplay but not visually striking.
- “The graphics are functional as they are, but Five Elements isn't a game that you'd leave on 'attract mode' to show off your new graphics card.”
- “Graphics - the graphics are stylized and abstract.”
- “The game has a very simplistic graphic concept, essentially connecting and occupying slots with elements represented by colors.”
- “The game has a very simplistic graphic concept (essentially connecting and occupying slots with elements represented by colors) and nice music, and is real-time based, though you can pause it to plan your next moves.”
- “There are no graphics options beyond resolution and full-screen/windowed mode.”
- “The configuration menu has a graphics quality option, but the only selection is 'advanced'.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game's music is characterized as slow and calming, fitting well with its meditation theme, and while it enhances the experience, it may not be memorable enough to warrant a purchase of the soundtrack. Overall, it complements the simplistic graphics and real-time gameplay without being intrusive.
- “The game has a very simplistic graphic concept (essentially connecting and occupying slots with elements represented by colors) and nice music, and is real-time based, though you can pause it to plan your next moves.”
- “The music is slow and calming, as a game about meditation should be.”
- “I didn't find the music annoying; it complements the gameplay well.”
- “I didn't find it annoying, but I also wouldn't rush out to buy the soundtrack if one were available.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's story features various modes and offers a mix of superficial wisdom conveyed through still-image hand-drawn cut scenes that provide background context at key moments.
- “The game features still-image hand-drawn cut scenes at certain points, beautifully presenting the background story.”
- “The story is enriched with different modes and offers a unique blend of wisdom through its narrative elements.”
- “The story feels shallow, with different modes and not-so-deep wisdom presented in the narrative segments.”
- “The game features still-image hand-drawn cutscenes at certain points, but they do little to enhance the background story.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, especially towards the end, yet they still enjoy the overall experience, likening it to a simplified rock-paper-scissors mechanic.
- “The game turns into a grind-fest towards the end, making it feel more like a chore than fun.”
- “Grinding becomes tedious and repetitive, overshadowing the enjoyable aspects of the game.”
- “While the early game is engaging, the later stages require excessive grinding that detracts from the overall experience.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game's RPG system enhances replayability by allowing players to select different skills in each playthrough, encouraging varied gameplay experiences.
- “The RPG system allows for replayability by choosing different skills in each playthrough.”
- “Each game offers unique choices that make replaying a fresh experience every time.”
- “The variety of character builds and story paths ensures that no two playthroughs are ever the same.”
- “The RPG system allows for replayability by choosing different skills in different games.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”