FrankenStorm TD: Prologue
- November 23, 2021
- Ethan Close
- 17h median play time
Get on SteamRoguelite TD: all towers & enemies start the same, but you have 1 choice per wave affecting BOTH and stacking up for dramatic variance. Gradually salvage and make some choices permanent to build deeper strategies. Also a unique mazing challenge where wires and towers must be linked to a power source
PC
Windows
Reviews
- FrankenStorm TD: Prologue offers a unique twist on the tower defense genre with its maze-building mechanics and roguelike elements, providing a fresh experience.
- The game is completely free to play, with no hidden costs or microtransactions, making it accessible to everyone.
- Players enjoy the strategic depth of choosing upgrades that come with both benefits and drawbacks, adding a layer of complexity to each run.
- The game suffers from a lack of variety, featuring only one type of tower and limited upgrade options, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
- Many players find the progression system grindy, as earning salvage points to unlock permanent upgrades is slow and can feel unrewarding.
- Balancing issues arise from the negative effects of upgrades often outweighing their benefits, making it frustrating to make meaningful choices during gameplay.
- gameplay23 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the strategic depth and balance, while others criticize the lack of engaging mechanics and poor user interface. Many users noted that the game feels barebones and lacks a compelling progression system, leading to a limited incentive to continue playing. Additionally, the absence of tutorials and clear explanations of mechanics has left some players feeling frustrated and confused.
“Clever if sometimes frustrating game mechanics.”
“Overall, very tight gameplay and is balanced mostly well for something that just released.”
“The gameplay is extremely simple to understand, yet the game is pretty hard to master.”
“The current gameplay loop is very barebones and not a ton of incentive to keep hitting play.”
“It is also let down by having no tutorials, poor explanations of mechanics, and many counter-intuitive interactions of its game mechanics.”
“I enjoyed it but after about 5 games I'm pretty much done with it short of a major update that really changes up the gameplay.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the visual style and noting that it meets the standards of fourth-generation consoles, while others criticize the graphics for being underwhelming or experiencing technical issues like stuttering. Overall, the visuals are considered acceptable for the tower defense genre, though some feel they lack innovation compared to previous iterations.
“The graphic style was good in my opinion.”
“Its depth is rather limited, but if you like tower defenses, there are some new ideas here, and the graphics are acceptable for the genre.”
“It's been a long time since I've played a tower defense game that excited me, and let's face it: Bloons hasn't changed in the last four versions; it just got shinier graphics and more pay-to-win elements.”
“The graphics are on par with the fourth generation of consoles, and the scenery is random with the start of every game.”
“Had an issue with the graphics stuttering and the game not shutting down when I hit level 37 (where I saved) in my run, but as it is an early release, this might be expected.”
- monetization9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 78 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Frankenstorm TD: Prologue" is primarily criticized as it functions more as an advertisement for an unreleased game rather than a standalone title, leading to concerns about its value. While it is genuinely free to play without microtransactions or ads, the lack of a finished product raises questions about the developers' intentions and the game's overall worth.
“No ads, no store, no pay-to-win.”
“Why is this totally free and without microtransactions?”
“Frankenstorm TD: Prologue isn't a game; it's an advertisement for an unreleased mobile phone tier tower defense game with a gimmick.”
“This is only free in the same way that adverts on YouTube and banner ads in your browser are.”
“Just because advertisements are free, doesn't mean they're worth your time.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and detracting from the experience, with many noting a lack of structured progression or engaging content beyond the initial hours of play. While some appreciate the balance and potential for fun, the repetitive nature of grinding for upgrades or buffs is a common criticism, leading to a sense of monotony.
“After less than an hour of play, I feel like I've seen most of what the game has to offer, and all that's left is slow grinding just to make a number go up.”
“Some interesting ideas, but very grindy and kind of unfun.”
“Not really interesting and super grindy.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its randomized play loops, salvage mechanics, and rogue-like modifiers that create unique experiences in each run. However, some players find the gameplay bland and criticize the power-up system, which can diminish replay value. Despite these concerns, many still appreciate the game's potential for hours of engaging play.
“I really enjoy the rogue-like element of having to choose modifiers between each round, which helps make each run unique, adding to replayability.”
“So, yes, technically there is only one level, but replayability is one of the biggest in gaming history, if not the biggest of all time.”
“At this stage of the game, it is very bland and the power-up system makes no sense because you choose to increase damage, but in return, the enemies gain more defense against towers, making your increased damage do basically nothing. There is very little replay value, and the enemy hawk is absolutely the dumbest thing ever because it flies over everything. Since there is no way to make a tower specifically attack flying enemies, it can just instantly win the game because your towers are occupied by other enemies.”
“So, yes, technically there is only one level, but replayability is one of the biggest issues in gaming history, if not the biggest of all time.”
“A ton of replay value comes from salvage, which you get at the end of the run.”
- music7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and excitement, enhancing the overall experience, though some players find it a bit repetitive. Additionally, the sound effects and voice lines contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, complementing its impressive graphics and unique take on the tower defense genre.
“The music, voice lines, and sound effects are great.”
“By the way, the music is amazing!”
“Music is a little repetitive.”
“Not only does the game have decent optimization, but the music, graphics, and animation also twist the tower defense genre into a whole different monstrosity.”
“[0.3] sound & music”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story is perceived as minimal and lacking depth, with players feeling abruptly thrown into the game without adequate setup or narrative context. Many users express that the experience feels more like a series of cutscenes and dialogues rather than an engaging story.
“The story, as it is, feels complete.”
“The game immediately immerses you in the action without any setup or backstory.”
“There is no setup or story; it immediately throws you into the game.”
“The story, such as it is, seems complete.”
“The gameplay feels more like a cutscene viewer or dialogue reader than an engaging story experience.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its entertaining voice acting and quirky character interactions, particularly from the mad doctor, whose crazy quotes add a comedic touch. Players appreciate the refreshing gameplay mechanics that incorporate humor into the strategy, making it feel distinct from typical tower defense games.
“The voice acting is hilarious and adds a great layer of humor to the game.”
“It's a pretty refreshing tower defense game that feels different from the usual. Instead of just placing towers, you have to play with wires to make them work and prevent the villagers from turning off the power. The mad doctor delivers some really funny quotes; he's both crazy and amusing!”
“The humor in the game is spot on!”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally positive, with most users reporting good performance and no significant lag or bugs. However, some players experienced graphics stuttering and issues with the game not shutting down properly at certain points, which may be attributed to its early release status.
“The performance was excellent; I experienced no lag or bugs.”
“The game runs smoothly, and the optimization is top-notch.”
“I was impressed by how well-optimized the game is; everything runs seamlessly.”
“I experienced significant graphics stuttering, and the game failed to shut down properly when I reached level 37, where I had saved my progress. However, since this is an early release, it might be expected.”
“The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and long loading times that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
“Despite the interesting gameplay, the poor optimization makes it frustrating to play, as I often encounter lag and crashes.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, including frequent freezes during gameplay and bugs related to chance spawns, which detract from the overall experience.
“I would usually watch YouTube in my browser while I play, but it completely freezes up, even just on the menu.”
“Your game is buggy when it comes to chance spawns; I have a 25% chance to spawn a tinkerer, and I haven't seen a single one in 20+ levels.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the user's comment, which focuses more on equipment management and resource scarcity rather than feelings or emotional experiences.
