Hinterland
- September 30, 2008
- Tilted Mill Entertainment, Inc.
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Hinterland" is a single-player Real Time Strategy game with good mechanics and around 10 hours of playtime. Players can choose to be an Orc Lord or Shaman, each with unique abilities and resource management. The game also features party-based RPG combat, town building, and character customization through leveling and loot. The goal is to build a prosperous settlement and tame the wild Hinterland.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique blend of action RPG and town management that offers a refreshing gameplay experience.
- Despite its flaws, the game provides a fun and addictive experience with decent replayability.
- The simple mechanics and casual gameplay make it a great choice for short gaming sessions.
- The game suffers from outdated graphics and a lack of polish, making it feel rough around the edges.
- Combat and town management mechanics are simplistic and can become repetitive quickly.
- The user interface and controls are clunky, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- gameplay31 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a unique blend of casual dungeon-building and action mechanics reminiscent of Diablo, offering a fun but shallow experience that lasts around 5 to 10 hours. While the gameplay loop is engaging and easy to pick up, many users note a lack of polish, poor graphics, and insufficient depth, making it more suitable for casual play rather than extensive gaming sessions. Overall, it is seen as a quirky gem with potential for enjoyment, despite its flaws and limited content.
“Pretty unique gameplay; it's like a fantasy dungeon keeper.”
“The game designers have given us the best of the genre's gameplay: fast action, a smidgen of strategy, and lots of loot.”
“The gameplay is basically Diablo, except instead of continually reinvesting your gains in yourself directly, you invest in improving your town, which in turn has benefits for you.”
“The gameplay loop is solid and begs for improved gameplay (the game has little to no actual polish).”
“The graphics are basic, there isn't much depth of gameplay and there is no story.”
“The lack of any sort of proper tutorial or explanation of the various game mechanics is also something that severely hurts your experience, forcing you to guess at how things work along the way.”
- replayability17 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it features randomly generated worlds, various character classes, and different difficulty levels that can enhance replay value, many players find it ultimately limited and lacking depth. Some enjoy the challenge and variety, suggesting it can be a fun time-killer, but others feel it doesn't offer enough incentive for extended play beyond a few sessions. Overall, while there are elements that support replayability, the consensus leans towards it being modest at best.
“There were different ways to deal with the neighbors, battles were done in a Diablo-like manner, and replayability was there due to the fact that the world was randomly generated.”
“Lots of replay value with all the different character classes and difficulty options.”
“This game offers replay value as you try the different difficulty levels and different starting options and paths to victory.”
“Sure, there'll be different heroes with different abilities to choose from at the beginning of the game (Orc Lords 'expansion', which adds more playable characters is included for free in Steam version) and replayability was supposed to be there too, but it's just so... tiny and limited that... it's really hard to care.”
“Again, not a long game, has a little replayability, but overall I can't imagine putting more than 20-30 hours at most into it.”
“As it is, it just doesn't have the polish, replayability, and features to recommend.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated and basic, reminiscent of titles from the early 2000s, with many reviewers describing them as "ugly" or "bargain-basement quality." While not impressive, the visuals are functional enough to support gameplay, allowing players to engage without significant distraction. Overall, the graphics do not detract from the enjoyment of the game, despite their lack of depth and polish.
“The graphics, while not amazing, are certainly good enough to be able to tell what everything is without much pausing and studying.”
“Not the most advanced graphics, but a nice game.”
“Graphically and sound-wise the game fits squarely in the indie category, nothing impressive but functional enough that it doesn't bother you too much.”
“The graphics are really ugly.”
“The graphics are visibly of bargain-basement quality (as you can see from the screenshots).”
“Graphically challenged.”
- story5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered basic and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting the absence of a compelling narrative or sophisticated gameplay elements. Despite its shortcomings in graphics and storytelling, players find themselves drawn back to the game, enjoying the mechanics of recruiting townsfolk and engaging in simple quests.
“It doesn't have the greatest graphics, or a thrilling storyline, but I keep coming back to it time and time again.”
“Recruit townsfolk to move in and work their business or have them quest with you.”
“The graphics are basic, there isn't much depth of gameplay, and there is no story.”
“Do not expect deep storylines or sophisticated combat systems; it is all fairly basic in many respects.”
“A company with one heck of an unlucky story.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as hilariously entertaining, with players appreciating its comedic elements despite some criticism of the gameplay's ease and the passive nature of certain characters. The humor is highlighted through quirky visuals and amusing interactions, particularly involving the diverse array of meats and funny hats.
“This game is insanely funny!”
“I swear half the townies don't do anything at all other than contribute to your score at the end for having a diverse array of meats and funny hats.”
“Though the view is kind of weird, the gameplay is amazingly funny, though a little too easy.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game, while decent and thematically appropriate, is not particularly standout, leading some players to suggest that it can be easily overshadowed by other audio sources like podcasts. Overall, it complements the experience but does not significantly enhance it.
“The music fits the game's theme well and enhances the overall experience.”
“The music and graphics are decent, especially considering this game was made in 2008.”
“The music is enjoyable and complements the gameplay nicely.”
“There's really not much else to say, just listen to a podcast or music while playing and you're golden.”
“The music and the graphics are decent; this game was made in 2008 after all.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is generally viewed positively, as it avoids excessive microtransactions common in many AAA titles, offering a refreshing experience. However, there is disappointment that the developer shifted focus away from this successful approach to promote less appealing content.
“In a time of AAA developers who release the same games with different paint jobs and numerous microtransactions every year, it's always a pleasant surprise to find a decent game that slipped under everyone's radar.”
“In a time of AAA developers who release the same games with different paint jobs and more microtransactions every year to milk players who are willing to buy it, it's always a pleasant surprise to find a decent game that slipped under everyone's radar.”
“The only real shame is the developer didn't focus on this theme further, instead turning their attention to less appealing content and advertising the less appealing other game on the news thread of this one.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from frequent glitches that can be game-breaking, leading to significant balance issues and poor design, ultimately rendering it unplayable for many users.
“Glitches are common and can be game-breaking.”
“In summary, it tries to be a city-building strategy game, but horrible balance issues, glitches, and shoddy design make it an unplayable wreck.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and tedious, often leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious.”
“I spent hours grinding for resources, and it just became a chore.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a job than a fun experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally considered subpar, leading to occasional performance issues; however, these do not significantly detract from the overall experience, and the game offers substantial replayability.
“The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite the interesting mechanics, the poor optimization makes it frustrating to enjoy the game fully.”
“I often experience long loading times and crashes, which really detracts from the overall experience.”
