FRONTIERS
- January 1, 2020
- AAD Productions
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamFRONTIERS is a single-player Role Playing Game that offers a massive open world to explore with a relaxed tempo. The game blends elements of first-person RPGs like Daggerfall with point-and-click adventure games, featuring ancient mysteries, survival elements, and combat against deadly creatures. However, it's important to note that FRONTIERS has bugs and provides around 2 hours of playtime.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique concept and captures the essence of exploration reminiscent of classic RPGs.
- The developer shows dedication and passion for the project, with some players expressing hope for future improvements.
- There is a vast world to explore with a variety of mechanics and systems that could be enjoyable if polished.
- The game is riddled with bugs, making it largely unplayable and frustrating for many players.
- It has undergone significant changes from its original vision, leading to disappointment among backers and players.
- There is a lack of communication and updates from the developer, leading to concerns about the game's future and completion.
- graphics44 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users noting a significant downgrade from the original vision, resulting in a confusing mix of styles that clash. Critics describe the visuals as reminiscent of outdated systems, with pixelated elements and poor character models contributing to a frustrating experience. While some praise the environments and smooth character movement, the overall consensus is that the graphics are subpar and detract from the gameplay experience.
“At the moment, it is mainly a walking simulator, but has awesome graphics (aside from the character models) and has so much potential.”
“The environments of the game, even on lower graphics settings, still manage to inspire a tingle of excitement.”
“The graphics are well done, character movement is smooth, and the music is flat out fantasy awesomeness.”
“Somewhere along the line, the entire concept, gameplay, and graphics style were changed and downgraded until the original vision was completely lost.”
“The graphics have been downgraded to pixelated 3D; this wouldn't be so bad if it was done consistently since I even love pixelated art styles, but this has turned into an amalgamation of 3D and 2D elements so characters look like graphic bugs and the terrain makes you want to throw up.”
“Slow choppy animation, horrible graphics, consistent game crashes, and I would be hard pressed to honestly tell you any actual piece of content this game has to offer.”
- gameplay38 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay has faced significant criticism for being slow, clunky, and lacking depth, with many systems removed or poorly integrated, leading to a loss of the original vision. While some players find potential in the mechanics and immersive environment, others describe it as a frustrating experience reminiscent of a walking simulator without engaging storytelling. Overall, the game appears to need substantial updates and improvements to meet player expectations.
“Mechanically, the game rides comfortably in the ruts of previous survival crafting sim trailblazers like Minecraft, but with some very pleasing additions.”
“I'd recommend this game highly to anyone who misses that good old-fashioned game that doesn't hold you by the hand and doesn't feel the need to knock you over the head with constant tutorial-style gameplay.”
“This game was a bit confusing at first, but after 30 minutes of gameplay, I learned most of the mechanics and I must say I was immersed into the game's environment almost immediately.”
“Somewhere along the line, the entire concept, gameplay, and graphics style were changed and downgraded until the original vision was completely lost.”
“The gameplay is slow and mostly a walking simulator minus the storytelling and atmosphere you'd expect from one of those.”
“Tons of gameplay systems have been removed because the developer couldn't handle balancing and integrating them into the final reworked version; this includes skills, resource gathering, equipment, interfaces, etc.”
- story26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as great and motivating, while others criticize its execution and integration with gameplay. Many players find the narrative compelling but hindered by clunky mechanics and a lack of interaction, leading to frustrations with quest progression. Overall, while the story has potential, its delivery suffers from technical issues and design choices that detract from the experience.
“5 of 5 great story, great gameplay.”
“4 of 5 great story, average gameplay.”
“This does not give due credit to a scripted story of great quality, uncommon to not only independent developers, but the 'big guys' alike.”
“The gameplay is slow and mostly a walking simulator minus the storytelling and atmosphere you'd expect from one of those.”
“The graphics aren't great, the gameplay is clunky, and the plot is difficult to find because it is so difficult to interact with the world.”
“The main quest has some fragile parts that are very easy to break - softlocking the game.”
- stability20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues and acknowledge the game's potential, many agree that it is currently too unstable to recommend, especially given its early access status. Overall, the consensus highlights a need for further development to address the stability problems.
“It's too buggy to play.”
“Almost everything is buggy or incomplete; got potential, but it's way too early.”
“Might be worth something one day, but it's too buggy to recommend right away, sadly.”
- music6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its beautiful and fantastical quality, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users feel it could benefit from a more medieval or village-like atmosphere at certain moments. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, despite a few minor bugs in the game.
“Beautiful game, great soundtrack, a few bugs.”
“The graphics are well done, character movement is smooth, and the music is flat-out fantasy awesomeness.”
“Music needs to have a more medieval or village feel at times.”
“The music lacks variety and fails to enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and doesn't capture the essence of the game's setting.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users noting that it runs poorly even on capable hardware. Many feel that the developers have neglected necessary improvements, leading to a perception that the game is poorly optimized and abandoned. Overall, players express frustration over the lack of optimization despite the game's early access status.
“While I understand the early access idea is to generate the income necessary to make it all work, there are several things in this game that can be optimized already, especially the list I made above.”
“The developer pretty much owned up to abandoning it; there is no point in getting this game, it is now just a poorly optimized, left-for-dead game.”
“Strange because I thought my computer would easily handle this game... it must need to be optimized better.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some NPCs and objects feature amusing descriptions that add character and depth, overall, the game has shifted towards being more of a laughingstock, losing the charm it once had.
“Some objects and even NPCs have descriptions attached to them that either give some insight into your objectives or are just a morsel of humorous fluff that fleshes out the game and gives its sometimes worlds some additional character.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is criticized for being lacking, with many users noting that the game feels like a walking simulator but fails to deliver the engaging storytelling and immersive environment typically associated with the genre.
“The gameplay is slow and mostly a walking simulator minus the storytelling and atmosphere you'd expect from one of those.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development screen is described as a pleasant and inspiring experience, suggesting that it effectively engages players and enhances their connection to the characters.
“Once it loads, you get to the character development screen, and this was pleasant and kind of inspiring.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game's replayability is limited, with many players feeling that once the main content is completed, there is little incentive to return. Some users mention that while there are different paths or choices, they do not significantly alter the overall experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game may not offer enough variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a strong skepticism regarding the monetization strategy, with many users perceiving the game as a potential cash grab typical of early access titles, suggesting that the developers have significant work to do to prove otherwise.
“The developers have a lot of work ahead of them if they actually want to complete this project, but in my opinion, based on most early access games, this will be another incomplete garbage cash grab.”
