Genesis Alpha One

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 790 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Genesis Alpha One Game Cover
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Genesis Alpha One is a first-person shooter and base-building game set in space. Players must build and upgrade their spaceship, recruit crew members, and fight off alien threats while searching for a new home for humanity. The game also includes survival and roguelike elements, with procedurally generated levels and permadeath.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 790 reviews
gameplay47 positive mentions
grinding78 negative mentions
  • Unique blend of genres including base building, exploration, and FPS mechanics.
  • Engaging atmosphere reminiscent of classic sci-fi films like Alien.
  • High replayability with different corporations and unlockable technologies.
  • Tedious infestation mechanics requiring constant micromanagement.
  • AI crew members are largely ineffective and do not assist in combat or infestation control.
  • Limited exploration areas on planets and repetitive gameplay loop.
  • gameplay197 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a repetitive loop involving resource gathering, ship building, and managing infestations, which many players find tedious and frustrating. While the core mechanics offer potential for fun and experimentation, the lack of clarity in tutorials and the overwhelming nature of certain mechanics detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, some players appreciate the unique blend of FPS and strategy elements, though they feel the game lacks depth and polish, making it a mixed bag for those seeking a more engaging gameplay experience.

    • “Replayable, satisfying gameplay loop and progression.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is simple enough: go to a sector, acquire resources from debris or planets, use resources to improve your ship, move on.”
    • “The gameplay has a rewarding loop that is hampered by the semi-random distribution of resources that can cause playthroughs where you lack the basic resources needed to make any meaningful progress.”
    • “The tutorial does not really prepare you for how punishing the infestation mechanic is, or how important it is to isolate the possible infestation vectors and surround them with turrets and energy shields.”
    • “Repetitive and shallow are the two main features of the gameplay, which is a shame as the basis of the game loop, which is exploring, building your ship, managing the ship and crew, and killing bugs - all in one package - is very appealing.”
    • “The game has glaring issues regarding the gameplay, being repetitive is the biggest one: grind resources, build a section of the ship, grind resources, build a section and get attacked by aliens, and that is like 60-70% of the game.”
  • story112 mentions

    The game's story is often described as thin and lacking depth, with a basic premise of colonization overshadowed by repetitive missions and a nihilistic tone. While there are intriguing elements and backstory available through recordings, many players feel that the narrative fails to progress meaningfully, leaving them to create their own stories amidst a backdrop of tedious gameplay. Overall, the potential for a compelling narrative is recognized, but it remains largely unfulfilled, leading to a desire for more substantial content and character development.

    • “A potential for excellent environments and cool story beats, dripping with atmosphere.”
    • “It's the usual dystopian future story with a twist.”
    • “You are the captain of a ship tasked with the mission to find a new home for mankind.”
    • “There is no worthwhile story, and the aesthetic portrayed in the trailers is a complete fabrication.”
    • “The story is pretty barebones, almost like a sandbox experience really.”
    • “Personally, I would say the lack of story and character is the main thing missing from the game; you don't care about your team, they are all clones and utterly characterless. Adding story/events etc. would give the game more direction and purpose.”
  • graphics98 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players criticizing them as outdated, poorly optimized, and lacking detail, often comparing them unfavorably to modern standards. While some appreciate the retro sci-fi aesthetic and find it charming, others note significant issues such as poor lighting, bland environments, and a lack of visual clarity that can hinder gameplay. Overall, the visuals are seen as a major drawback, detracting from the game's potential despite its interesting concepts and mechanics.

    • “The aesthetics (aside from the overstressed bloom) are wonderful -- captures some aspects of retro sci-fi and takes nods from various sources to give the ship/technology a nice feel.”
    • “Everything from the soundtrack to the art style just oozes atmosphere inspired by retro sci-fi and the Aliens franchise.”
    • “The retrofuturistic art style, that resembles Fallout or Outer Worlds at times, is just great.”
    • “Once the novelty of the graphics wears off, you will relegate this to your boring trash bin.”
    • “Graphics are so bad you cannot tell your clones from the enemies, so you end up killing your own crew, or hesitate enough for the invaders to kill you.”
    • “The lighting in some, well a lot of areas, is so bad it's either blinding or just so dark you can't see anything.”
  • grinding79 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the overall enjoyment. Many players find the resource collection and infestation management to be particularly monotonous, leading to frustration as the novelty wears off. While some players appreciate the challenge and depth that grinding can add, the consensus is that it often feels like a chore rather than a fun gameplay element.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The majority of the time spent in this game is grinding 'hold x to blank' tasks like scanning scrap/planets, clearing infestations, fixing nodes, speeding up tractor beam collection and resource refinement, etc. Combat is mediocre but sometimes intense because I don't want my clones to die.”
    • “This game was 40 hours of 90% frustration and/or grinding.”
    • “Once you learn about infestations and how they spread, this game becomes a tedious nightmare.”
  • atmosphere46 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and chilling qualities, drawing strong inspiration from classic sci-fi films like "Alien." Players appreciate the combination of sound design, music, and visual aesthetics that create a tense and spooky environment, although some note that the variety of planetary settings feels limited. Overall, the atmosphere significantly enhances the gameplay experience, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The atmosphere is very immersive and reminiscent of the 1979 movie Alien.”
    • “Everything from the soundtrack to the art style just oozes atmosphere inspired by retro sci-fi and the Aliens franchise.”
    • “The music and sound effects create a chilling, anxiety-inducing atmosphere.”
    • “My biggest issue with this game are the planetary locations: they're small and essentially identical; the scenery assets are just swapped out and the atmosphere changes color, but it feels like visiting the same damn place over and over.”
    • “Care has been taken to make every module, stat, and item which is very refreshing: although I cannot say the same about planets after 26 hours of seeing the same small number of atmospheres.”
  • music32 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric qualities, blending retro sci-fi influences with eerie and engaging soundscapes that enhance the overall experience. While some players appreciate the funky and intense soundtrack, others find it polarizing, with mixed opinions on its mixing quality. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive environment, making it a standout feature for many players.

    • “One of the best games I've ever played, the atmosphere, the music, the sound, the small details... the depths of this game are unbelievable + strong replay value.”
    • “Everything from the soundtrack to the art style just oozes atmosphere inspired by retro sci-fi and the Aliens franchise.”
    • “The music is futuristic with a mix of computerized sounds of a mechanized machine age while on the ship, along with eerie planetary effects when on a planetary mission, with plenty of space age music during combat.”
    • “The music and sound effects create a chilling, anxiety-inducing atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack and intro will show just how weird and unsettling the tone of this game is.”
    • “The soundtrack is poorly mixed and not everyone's cup of tea.”
  • replayability27 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the procedural elements, diverse starting corporations, and unlockable features that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some reviewers find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, leading to a short overall experience that diminishes long-term engagement. While there are enjoyable aspects that can entice players to return, the game's design may not sustain interest for everyone.

    • “One of the best games I've ever played, the atmosphere, the music, the sound, the small details... the depth of this game is unbelievable + strong replay value.”
    • “The challenge of the ever-rising difficulty combined with the roguelite elements that improve your next gameplay as you pick up new items while exploring gives this game good replayability.”
    • “There are tons of goals to achieve and equipment to obtain, complemented by extensive replay value and impressive growth potential.”
    • “The lack of a narrative gives this one a short shelf life for me personally, but the ship-building may give it some replay value for some.”
    • “There's a lot of effort made to give the game some replay value, but the gameplay or systems simply aren't deep or varied enough to entice multiple playthroughs.”
    • “I don't recommend the game because while it'll be some mindless fun for a few days, it has very little replay value.”
  • stability14 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting a range of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in the early to mid-game stages. While some users have experienced a relatively stable experience with minor issues, others have encountered significant problems that can hinder progress, leading to frustration. Overall, the game remains plagued by bugs reminiscent of its early access phase, suggesting a need for further updates and fixes.

    • “The graphics are great; it runs smoothly without any issues.”
    • “This game has been stable since its release on Epic, and I appreciate the lack of bugs.”
    • “It's a buggy, skin-deep mess with poor in-game or out-of-game resources to figure out mechanics.”
    • “There are several bugs and glitches early/mid game that are kind of annoying but nothing game breaking; however, once you get later into the game, some extremely obvious and painful bugs appear that make the game almost impossible to play.”
    • “Reason for the thumbs down is the game is still as buggy as when it was early access.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting its potential and the disappointment over its lack of updates since 2020. While they appreciate the enjoyable gameplay and customization options, there is a prevailing sense of heartbreak over the game's stagnation and unfulfilled promise, leaving them with mixed feelings after their experiences.

    • “Of course, this wouldn't be too big a problem if the game had any hope of some kind of update, but seeing as the last update was in September of 2020, I think it's safe to say this game is dead, which is extremely heartbreaking considering the potential this game has.”
    • “I came out of that adventure ten wholesome hours later, oddly enjoying myself despite the storm of mixed emotions it came with.”
    • “I hope that they spend some time touching this game up.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for being poor, as it heavily taxes hardware even at lower settings, leading to issues like mouse stuttering and erratic camera tracking. Despite these performance problems, players note that the crew's capabilities and turret mechanics can mitigate some challenges. Overall, the graphics appear haphazardly implemented, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Luckily, your crew is not that incompetent even with their starting weapons. Despite their performance cleaning up the ship, you can bring turrets with you, thus becoming effectively blind is not necessarily a death sentence.”
    • “The game is okay, but it is poorly optimized; it maxes out my GeForce RTX 2070 Super just by looking at a wall.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized; it maxes out my GeForce RTX 2070 Super just looking at a wall.”
    • “No matter how much I tweaked the settings, I couldn't get rid of the annoying mouse stuttering.”
    • “The graphics are haphazard and not optimized, causing your view to suddenly track 90 degrees any time you try to pan past anything that's taxing, like infestation.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a potential cash grab, with some players feeling that it exploits the Epic Store player base rather than delivering on its promising concept. While the character development adds an RPG element, many believe the game fails to meet its advertised potential.

    • “Smells like a cash grab after they have finished rinsing the Epic Store player base to me.”
    • “Great concept but seems like a cash grab...”
    • “Doesn't live up to its own advertisement, in my opinion.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted as entertaining, with players finding it amusing despite the game's lack of clarity in explaining alien threats. While it feels like an unfinished product, many users still find it enjoyable after several hours of play, appreciating its quirky details.

    • “It's funny that the actual title is 'Alpha One' because that's the development stage it feels like it's in.”
    • “The game is funny; however, it does a terrible job at explaining alien threats and how to handle them.”
    • “This game is worth buying, and after several hours, you will appreciate it even with all its funny details.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game adds an RPG element, enhancing the overall experience; however, it is hindered by poor character design.

    • “The depth of character progression keeps me engaged throughout the game.”
    • “I love how the choices I make shape my character's personality and abilities.”
    • “The character development adds a touch of RPG.”
    • “It has poor character design.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
4-19hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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