Highrisers
- July 15, 2021
- Solar Powered Games
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Highrisers is a single-player Role Playing game that offers a 4-hour urban survival experience. Procedurally generated skyscrapers and pixel-art graphics create a unique retro atmosphere. By purchasing the Save the World Edition, players support humanitarian aid in Yemen, with 10% of the proceeds donated to the International Rescue Committee."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a solid concept with engaging survival mechanics and a detailed crafting system that allows players to break down and repurpose almost everything in the environment.
- The art style is appealing, and the music adds to the atmospheric experience, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate retro aesthetics.
- The developers are responsive to feedback and have shown commitment to improving the game, which gives hope for future updates and enhancements.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes and bugs that can corrupt save files, making it frustrating and often unplayable for many users.
- Inventory management is cumbersome, requiring excessive micromanagement of characters and resources, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience.
- There is a lack of clear tutorials and guidance, leaving players feeling lost and overwhelmed, especially with the complex mechanics and time-sensitive gameplay.
- gameplay36 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay shows promise with interesting mechanics, but is marred by significant bugs, crashes, and slow progression, making it feel unfinished and akin to a beta version. Players find the micromanagement of characters cumbersome, and while the core gameplay can be enjoyable, the overall experience is hindered by technical issues and a lack of depth in the tutorial. Many reviewers suggest waiting for improvements before diving in, as the current state can be frustrating.
“Gameplay itself is fun enough.”
“It's gathering mechanic is almost old-school in its approach, lots of little objects litter each building and you can individually pick up and drop them wherever you like.”
“It even seems to get easy if you get familiar with the mechanics, which you will gain while playing and not by the not very in-depth tutorial, but that's not bad because you try and learn every run and that's the fun to me.”
“Progress felt like it had come to a grinding halt, and crafting unlocks are very slow to deliver new gameplay interactions.”
“In 5 hours of gameplay, I was forced to relaunch the game multiple times because of various bugs like sound spam, being unable to equip weapons anymore, and not being able to progress in the tutorial.”
“The actual state of the game feels like a beta, still filled with bugs and erroneous gameplay mechanics.”
- music10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as enjoyable and atmospheric, contributing positively to the overall experience with a zen quality. However, some players find it becomes repetitive and poorly suited to the game's mood, with criticisms of clipping and a retro arcade style that feels out of place. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the theme for many, it may not resonate with all players.
“For me it's really zen and it just looks beautiful and is fun plus the soundtrack is really atmospheric.”
“Music, while simple, goes great with the theme.”
“The music is enjoyable.”
“The music got obnoxious after a while. I get that they're going for the retro arcade style, but it's not really fitting with the mood, in my opinion.”
“Snazzy music, although it was clipped poorly.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with progress often feeling stalled due to slow crafting unlocks and a constantly depleting food bar. The need for frequent foraging and the anticipation of farming mechanics contribute to a repetitive gameplay experience.
“Progress felt like it had come to a grinding halt, and crafting unlocks are very slow to deliver new gameplay interactions.”
“It is, however, a bit tedious, partly because you're going to be doing it a lot.”
“There's also a food bar that steadily keeps going down, and it seems there's some farming to be done in the game, but I haven't gotten that far - I just keep foraging for vending machine food.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while many praise the art style and ingenuity, noting the cool side-scroller visuals, others criticize the graphics as weak and too small in scale. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is appreciated, but technical execution leaves some players wanting more.
“The core concept is amazing, the art style is great, and there is real ingenuity here.”
“It's got the side-scroller style, the graphics are pretty cool, and if you like to hoard things, this would be the game for you.”
“Outright weak graphics - everything is tiny.”
“Outright weak graphics - everything is tiny.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals and zen-like quality, creating an enjoyable experience. Additionally, the soundtrack enhances the overall ambiance, contributing to a captivating and immersive environment.
“For me, it's really zen, and it just looks beautiful. It's fun, plus the soundtrack is really atmospheric.”
