GRAV
- July 31, 2015
- BitMonster, Inc.
- 9h median play time
"Grav" is a Science Fiction Shooter game that combines frenzied combat with gorgeous visuals and procedurally generated planets for a unique and immersive experience. Play in single-player, multi-player, or co-op modes, with plenty of humor, grinding, and a beautiful soundtrack. However, expect some bugs in this early access game.
Reviews
- The game has beautiful graphics and a unique atmosphere that draws players in.
- It offers a fun multiplayer experience, especially when played with friends.
- The crafting and building mechanics provide a satisfying sense of progression.
- The game has been abandoned by the developers, with no updates or communication for years.
- It suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to poor performance and frequent crashes.
- The gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, with a lack of meaningful content and variety.
- graphics628 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the stunning visuals and vibrant art style that enhance the immersive experience. However, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, as players report performance issues, limited graphical settings, and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While the game showcases beautiful environments and detailed designs, it often struggles to run smoothly on lower-end systems, leading to frustration among users.
“The graphics are stunning.”
“Graphics and sound were beautiful; I really hope the developer picks it up again.”
“The landscapes are gorgeous and the art style works with the music to produce some real immersion.”
“This game is nowhere near comparable when it comes to graphics.”
“The problem is it's just a graphic whore; it looks all pretty and nice but is about as shallow as that. It only goes skin deep. Sure, aesthetic and graphic design are important, but sometimes that creates an expectation, a standard, and this falls way below that standard. It's a massive disappointment and really overpriced.”
“The game isn't optimized: has a memory leak and apparently doesn't play well with AMD cards causing graphical glitches and general rough edges.”
- gameplay486 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players enjoying the open-world mechanics, crafting, and building systems, while others criticize it for being repetitive, grind-heavy, and plagued by bugs. Although the graphics and some mechanics are praised, the overall experience is often described as lacking depth and polish, leading to frustration among players. Many hope for future updates to enhance gameplay and address existing issues, but current sentiments suggest it may not meet expectations for a fully realized game.
“The gameplay is fun and has great detail in the level-up and job systems.”
“The gameplay loop was extremely satisfying, and I spent a lot of long nights grinding and progressing.”
“Great gameplay, great potential.”
“I only bought this to play the game it was going to become and it appears that there haven't been any updates for years, and every update just changed a game mechanic to make it a bit more of a grindfest, instead of adding story elements and diversifying regions.”
“The gameplay feels really barebone in its current form and needs to be fleshed out to be worthy of even a £15 valuation.”
“Being clunky to control, having absolutely no idea or help on what to do, completely random and complicated UI and assets which made no effort to tell me what they are, lacking and unfinished gameplay, it was a severe disappointment to say the least.”
- grinding436 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The reviews overwhelmingly describe the game as excessively grindy, with many players expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of resource gathering and combat. While some find enjoyment in the grind, particularly when playing with friends, others criticize it as tedious and lacking meaningful content, especially given the game's apparent abandonment by developers. Overall, the grinding aspect is a significant deterrent for many, making it difficult to recommend the game without reservations.
“It doesn't have the grindy feel that most survival games have, and you quickly get things done.”
“Tl;dr: grinding is kind of fun and not too tedious until you get PKed and lose everything.”
“Yes, it lacks endgame content, and if you're not into grinding, you may get bored after 8-10 hours.”
“Combat gets tedious very quickly, exploring mostly empty worlds is pointless and depressing, and since the devs have officially stated they won't be working on this game anymore, I really wish Steam would not sell it.”
“Don't even get the game on sale, it's a massive boring grind from the start and there is nothing really interesting to do other than grinding.”
“Overall, the current state of the game is grindy and tedious, which is a shame since it looks like there's a lot of places I would like to explore but lack the time and interest to grind through the game to get there.”
- optimization207 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 32 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many users reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates and lag, even on high-end systems. Despite being in early access, players express frustration over the lack of updates and improvements, leading to a perception that the game is poorly optimized and often unplayable. While some believe there is potential for future enhancements, the current state is deemed unacceptable for most users, particularly those with lower-spec computers.
“But I do believe in its future; I think it has a big potential of making a great game in the future with better optimization, impressive graphics, and a deep plot.”
“Extremely well optimized for mediocre computers (by the standard of computer part manufacturers).”
“The devs move insanely quick, quicker than any other developers I've seen on an early access game; from what I've seen so far, expect daily updates, including bug fixes, content, and optimizations.”
“Abandoned by the devs, still not optimized or playable.”
“I spent 17 hours just trying to figure out how to fix the game's performance, which was of no use.”
“This game is horribly optimized (playing on an i5 3.4GHz with a R9 290 and I get only 40fps); you can't change graphic options nor sensitivity, and the screen resolution is limited to a few options.”
- music205 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, often described as a blend of chillstep, ambient, and electronic genres that enhance the overall atmosphere. Players particularly enjoy the unique mechanic of dancing around campfires, which not only boosts health but also intensifies the music as more players join in, creating a communal and engaging experience. However, some users note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time and express a desire for more variety in the music options.
“The music gives the game a great atmosphere; it is chilling and relaxing!”
“The game world is beautiful and the soundtrack just adds so much atmosphere it's impossible not to get drawn in.”
“To heal yourself, you have to dance near a fire and listen to music... 10/10 IGN.”
“The music might get repetitive after a while, especially if you don't take to it.”
“I am spawned into a slow, scattered paced world which is very annoying with the glitching soundtrack in the background like someone turning the volume on and off every second.”
“You have to disable (all) music to get around this annoying effect.”
- stability192 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players feel that the game is unfinished and poorly optimized, leading to frequent crashes and lag, particularly on certain hardware configurations. Overall, the consensus is that the game remains in a problematic state, lacking the necessary support and updates to address these ongoing issues.
“Unfortunately, the developers abandoned both the game and the community, leaving us with something that's too buggy and incomplete to enjoy for long.”
“The game is a buggy mess; I have a pretty decent computer and the game runs poorly. I entered the game and pretty much left after 5 minutes because I just kept getting slammed with poorly designed levels and people being annoying.”
“Don't buy this game before they fix the small issues like glitches, lag, optimization, and just 2 minutes ago my computer froze completely because of this game and I had to make a hard reboot.”
- story104 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many players noting a lack of missions, quests, and narrative depth. While some appreciate the potential for a more engaging storyline, the current experience is described as repetitive and grind-heavy, lacking meaningful content beyond basic survival mechanics. Overall, players express a desire for updates that could introduce a cohesive story and enhance the gameplay experience.
“From watching Grav go from terrible to an absolutely amazing game in the past month due to a few large updates has been a real unexpected twist in its story.”
“The game gives you the impression there is some story to the world and more to explore.”
“Beautiful landscapes and unusual creatures paint the way for a potential story hidden within the game's dungeons.”
“I only bought this to play the game it was going to become, and it appears that there haven't been any updates for years. Every update just changed a game mechanic to make it a bit more of a grindfest, instead of adding story elements and diversifying regions.”
“There's a lack of story and atmosphere; the humans you find in-game have no roots and are just aimlessly wandering in circles. The enemies are basically the same but with a chance to attack you or something around it.”
“No story, no lore, just mindless shooting and mining and bashing the same damn slime thing over and over.”
- atmosphere73 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, relaxing music, and unique alien environments, creating an immersive experience for players who enjoy exploration and creativity. While many reviewers appreciate the chill vibe and artistic style, some criticize the graphic and sound quality, as well as the lack of engaging gameplay mechanics. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, enhancing the enjoyment of the game despite its shortcomings.
“The game world is beautiful and the soundtrack just adds so much atmosphere it's impossible not to get drawn in.”
“I loved this game the first time I played it and it was like months ago, it was very raw, buggy and some other unpleasing stuff, but the atmosphere and scenario was unbelievably great. I love it all, and for the first time in a survival game I didn't feel the grind that much, because I appreciated my surroundings a lot; I kept stopping my duties just to watch the scenario a little bit.”
“This game is beautiful and rich in color; the atmosphere is gorgeous.”
“But personally, I find the graphic quality very poor, the sound quality low, and the general atmosphere not very entertaining.”
“There's a lack of story and atmosphere; the humans you find in-game have no roots and are just aimlessly wandering in circles. The enemies are basically the same but with a chance to attack you or something around it.”
“There are no mentionable survival mechanics at the moment, and the atmosphere of the game does not fit the survival genre.”
- humor54 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players frequently highlighting its absurd and hilarious moments, such as dancing around campfires for health and encountering comically designed monsters. Many reviews mention the game's ability to create funny situations through its mechanics and animations, making it enjoyable both solo and with friends. Despite some criticisms regarding content and gameplay, the overall consensus is that the game delivers a unique and entertaining experience filled with laughter.
“Its concept is very simple (all you have to do is survive, complete objectives in order to gain experience, find blueprints, etc.), its combat is cool, its environments are outstanding, its crafting system is amazing, it's very fun whether you play it with friends or not and dancing around the campfire to refill your stamina and health is hilarious!”
“Honestly, all I had to know was dancing at a campfire not only plays fancy music, while you do some hilarious dances, but also heals you... that alone makes this game 10/10 for me.”
“Oh boy, I was freaking wrong... this game is one of the funniest, most hilarious, sandboxy early access games ever.”
“It's just not funny; if a game makes me grind that much for basically nothing, it's not a game—it's work. That's not what I'm searching for when I come home after a long day.”
- monetization30 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users labeling it as a blatant cash grab that fails to deliver on its advertised features. Players express frustration over the game's grindy nature, excessive in-game advertising, and a bloated cash shop, which detracts from the overall experience and raises concerns about the developers' commitment to the game. Overall, the sentiment is overwhelmingly negative, with strong recommendations against supporting the developers financially.
“I don't think they're lazy, this is really just an obvious cash grab.”
“Cant recommend: too grindy, nothing really changed since first alpha release and the only news are: 'restarting due to windows server updates...' another EA cash grab in my eyes...”
“The free-to-play element has also bloated with their cash shop too; there's a lot of advertising now and almost everything you do in the game will make you think about buying something with real-life cash.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Replayability in this game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the potential for extended playtime through building and raiding, others criticize the lack of procedural maps and endgame content, leading to a perception of low replayability. Despite being in early access, regular content updates have kept some players engaged, though opinions vary widely on its overall replay value.
“It falls off a bit at the end, but it's still early access, and they seem to be adding content regularly, which gives it a good amount of replayability.”
“Considering the fact that it is still in alpha, some might argue that it isn't the appropriate moment to buy it, but they are wrong... at the moment you can play 60-70 hours to beat the game and, if you like, you can build a home or raid, so there's some replayability, if this is what you are looking for.”
“All in all, a very great game with replayability at a great price.”
“Currently, the game has basically non-existent replayable end game content.”
“Low replayability as the maps are not procedurally generated.”
“I expected much more playable content, something to do differently from when the game first came out; it's the same game with a few 3D models added.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be a mix of joy and nostalgia, praising its stunning design and heartwarming elements reminiscent of classic titles like Journey. The humor and engaging animations evoke strong laughter, contributing to a positive emotional experience. Despite some concerns about the game's direction, many believe it has significant potential for growth and improvement.
“The design of the game is outstanding, like the PS3 game Journey went to space and got guns. Absolutely stunning appearance and a heartwarming design with character, biomes, and buildables. Highly recommend supporting this game as it has loads of potential.”
“I was laughing so hard I cried; the sounds and animations are great.”
“This game will only get better as time goes on with more content and improvements. Highly recommended.”
- character development4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Reviewers express a desire for greater versatility in character design, suggesting that a more diverse and unique approach would enhance player engagement and overall immersion in the game. The current homogeneous design is seen as a limitation to the game's appeal.
“Character design versatility.”
“If the character design was more versatile and a bit less homogeneous, I believe the entire game would feel more involving and more enticing.”