Harvested

About

Harvested is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Vashta Entertainment and was released on July 29, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Harvested" is a strategy game that combines resource management, base building, and epic combat, allowing players to control soldiers on the field with a user-friendly real-time strategy and shooter control scheme. The game features 18 hand-crafted missions with varying objectives and difficulties, as well as freeplay maps for sandbox-style gameplay. The game offers a rich story and strategic gameplay for fans of the RTS genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 20 reviews

music3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Harvested offers a unique blend of RTS and top-down shooter mechanics, providing a refreshing take on the genre.
The game has solid core concepts and gameplay, with potential for enjoyable base-building and resource management.
The developers are responsive to feedback and the music and ambiance enhance the overall experience.

The game frequently crashes, particularly on level 3, making it unplayable for many users.
Graphics and controls are clunky and lack polish, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
There are significant bugs and issues with game mechanics, such as pathfinding and unit recruitment, which detract from the overall enjoyment.

gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay of "Harvested" is a mixed bag; while it offers a nostalgic and refreshing blend of RTS mechanics with elements from other genres like top-down shooters and tower defense, the execution is marred by janky controls and a lack of polish. Many players find the gameplay solid overall, but the integration of different mechanics can lead to a somewhat muddled experience.
- “Harvested gives me that nostalgia of getting lost in the mechanics of something completely different.”
- “Harvested is a refreshing take because it combines different genres (such as top-down shooter/tower defense) base mechanics into the standard RTS mechanics instead of just adding onto the already established RTS base.”
- “Gameplay feels solid for the most part.”
- “It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness, and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
- “Unfortunately, this is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing.”
- “However, this combination of game types can muddle the gameplay slightly.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's story is generally well-received, with players appreciating its engaging narrative and tutorial that effectively guides them through gameplay. However, some users feel that the story lacks depth and replayability, suggesting that the developers should focus on enhancing the narrative experience before adding features like random seed maps. Overall, while the story has potential, it currently does not leave a lasting impact on players.
- “The game is a great RTS with a great story and tutorial; I have not once felt like I was missing something that I was not told about in the tutorial.”
- “RTS and top-down shooter mix + pixel life + missions = feels a bit like The Walking Dead when these mobs rush you and you build a base with walls.”
- “Currently the game has neither a compelling story nor replayability, and I would suggest to the developers to focus on random seed maps before investing in creating a wow-like story.”
- “The name of the game now is replayability or a story that wows the pants off of people.”
- “Second mission I notice a bug where attempting to hire the fourth worker will take the resources and count the timer down, but never add the fourth worker.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The graphics of the game have been criticized for their low quality, featuring simplistic and potentially outdated 2D visuals that fail to meet modern standards, especially for a PC game in 2024. Reviewers express frustration over the lack of polish and the game's performance issues, questioning whether the retro aesthetic is a deliberate choice or a result of poor asset quality. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant drawback that detracts from the gaming experience.
- “The game features somewhat lazy, simplistic 'retro' looking 2D graphics, and it's hard to say if this is due to the age of the assets used, if it's a deliberate attempt for the game to look bad/retro on purpose, or if the assets are just, well, terrible looking.”
- “Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game in 2024, such poor quality 2D graphics in the 3D era just aren't good enough. Whether it's a deliberate design fault on behalf of the developer or they just couldn't manage to do any better, this is a compromise gamers shouldn't have to put up with.”
- “However, excellence is more than a product of just a unique game concept; it must be paired with the other aspects of game development that are absolutely necessary... high-quality visuals, audio, and professional levels of polish, all of which are lacking here, and that's what's led to this game objectively failing.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the overall ambiance and emotional impact of each situation, serving as a key selling point beyond the gameplay itself. Reviewers highlight its quality and effectiveness in contributing to the game's immersive experience.
- “The real selling point for me beyond the gameplay itself is the music.”
- “The music is a great example of why ambiance is so important in interactive media.”
- “The music adds a lot to the feel of each situation and is done so well.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of Gamemaker Studio games, particularly titles like Harvested, is criticized for being overpriced at around $8 USD, especially when compared to numerous free, higher-quality alternatives available on platforms like Steam. Users perceive many of these games as retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs, lacking value due to their defects and shortcomings.
- “Harvested has the cash grab price of around $8 USD. It's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings of the product, especially considering the sheer number of completely free, much higher quality games on Steam.”
- “Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Players appreciate the absence of grinding and timegates in resource harvesting, allowing for a more straightforward base-building experience. However, there are concerns about the potential for the game to feel like a repetitive task, akin to bitcoin farming.
- “You harvest resources without any grinding or time gates, allowing you to focus on building your base.”
- “The game offers a seamless resource collection experience, eliminating the need for tedious grinding.”
- “Resource gathering is straightforward and enjoyable, making the building process feel rewarding without excessive grinding.”
- “Is this some Bitcoin farming trick or something?”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious, making the game more of a chore than fun.”
- “I spent hours grinding for resources, only to realize it was all for nothing.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences occasional crashes and bugs, particularly with farmer units that exhibit delayed actions and fail to follow commands. Additionally, the lack of an autosave feature and issues with recruiting units over the limit contribute to stability concerns. However, players acknowledge that these issues are expected in early access.
- “Unfortunately, the game has crashed twice, does not have autosave, you can pay to recruit over the limit but you won't get the unit, and the farmer units are buggy (take 5+ seconds to initiate action and do not follow your farm commands in some cases).”
- “Buggy and crashes occasionally, but it is early access so it’s not a big deal at the moment.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players highlight that the game's replayability is a standout feature, with many noting that the engaging story significantly enhances the desire to replay it. The narrative's impact is so strong that it leaves a lasting impression, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
- “The name of the game now is replayability, with a story that wows the pants off of people.”
- “Every playthrough feels fresh and engaging, making me want to dive back in time and time again.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps the experience exciting, ensuring I discover something new with each run.”
- “The game lacks the replayability factor; once you've completed it, there's little incentive to go back.”
- “After finishing the game, I found no reason to replay it, as the story doesn't change and the gameplay feels repetitive.”
- “The replayability is almost non-existent; it feels like a one-and-done experience with no new content to explore.”