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Iron Harvest

73%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, optimization
72% User Score Based on 7,883 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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About Iron Harvest

Iron Harvest is a single player and multiplayer casual real-time strategy game with violence and science fiction themes. It was developed by KING Art and was released on August 31, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Includes: Iron Harvest - Rusviet Revolution (DLC) Over 100 years ago the real Russian revolution came to a halt when the red forces one the final battles at the Krim. Though the alternate history of 1920+ never has seen this kind of revolution till now. Players will follow an additional story line over the course of four new singleplayer maps, shedding some light on the mysterious Rasputin.

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Reviews

72%Audience ScoreBased on 7,883 reviews
story1.2k positive mentions
stability158 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique dieselpunk setting with beautifully designed mechs and environments, creating an immersive atmosphere.
  • The single-player campaign is engaging, with a compelling story and well-developed characters that keep players invested.
  • The gameplay mechanics, while simple, allow for strategic depth and encourage players to think tactically about unit positioning and resource management.
  • The AI can be frustratingly unresponsive and often behaves erratically, leading to poor unit pathfinding and tactical decisions.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including lag and crashes, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
  • There is a lack of variety in units and factions, making the gameplay feel repetitive and limiting the strategic options available to players.

  • story

    3,268 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    36% positive mentions, 58% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The story of "Iron Harvest" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its engaging narrative and character development set in a unique dieselpunk world. While some missions are well-crafted and offer interesting twists, others are criticized for being tedious or overly reliant on clichés, particularly in the portrayal of strong female characters and predictable plot points. Overall, the campaign is seen as a highlight, providing a rich storyline that keeps players invested, despite some gameplay frustrations and bugs.

    • “The story is well done, involved, and really grips you into the throws of the situation and can even tug on heart strings at times.”
    • “The campaign has a good story and the mechs/walkers really shine.”
    • “The story is captivating for me.”
    • “The world concept for the story is also lazy in my opinion.”
    • “If only your story made sense and you actually did something with it instead of dropping a DLC saying 'yeah, we stopped fighting for some reason.'”
    • “The campaign story is a bit bananas.”

  • gameplay

    1,728 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    28% positive mentions, 61% neutral mentions, 11% negative mentions

    The gameplay of "Iron Harvest" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its similarities to "Company of Heroes" in terms of mechanics, such as cover systems and unit management. While some appreciate the tactical depth and unique dieselpunk setting, others criticize the gameplay for being clunky, slow, and lacking in variety, with issues like poor pathfinding and unresponsive controls detracting from the overall experience. Despite its aesthetic appeal and engaging story, many feel that the gameplay does not live up to the standards set by its predecessors in the RTS genre.

    • “Iron Harvest is a distinctive real-time strategy game that stands out by blending classic RTS gameplay with a richly imagined alternate history setting.”
    • “The core gameplay of Iron Harvest revolves around tactical positioning, resource management, and the interplay between diverse unit types.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and is a very good play on the RTS genre, the only complaint I have is that NPCs feel like pea shooters if they aren't a hero though.”
    • “The gameplay, clearly was not a priority.”
    • “The gameplay is often incredibly slow, with mechanics that are either not even there or simply lacking.”
    • “The core problem lies in the gameplay, which feels clunky and unrefined.”

  • graphics

    1,090 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    57% positive mentions, 39% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The graphics of "Iron Harvest" receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the stunning dieselpunk aesthetic and detailed environments inspired by Jakub Różalski's artwork. While the visuals are often described as beautiful and immersive, some users note performance issues, graphical glitches, and a lack of optimization that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game's art style is a highlight, but the execution in terms of graphical fidelity and gameplay mechanics leaves room for improvement.

    • “The graphics are stunning, capturing both the grim realities of war and the awe-inspiring spectacle of colossal war machines clashing with unyielding force.”
    • “The game's art style is beautifully crafted, with detailed environments and character designs that bring the alternate 1920s to life.”
    • “The graphics and artwork are simply stunning and make for an immersive gaming experience.”
    • “The graphics are pretty, and it seems there was a cool idea for the game, but the execution of it is pretty bad.”
    • “The graphics feel like they're from 2010, and the story is boring, the pacing is terrible, there are camera bugs, and the graphics feel like they're from 2010.”
    • “The graphics are bad, the animations are slow, the controls are a mess, it is way overpriced, the camera is too limited and I'm not talking about the fog of war.”

  • music

    192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    58% positive mentions, 39% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The music in the game has received a mixed response from players, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and storytelling, describing it as immersive and fitting for the game's themes. However, some players found the menu music repetitive and distracting, leading to frustration. Overall, while the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, opinions vary on its execution and memorability.

    • “The music is absolutely stunning and the alternate history setting is delightful.”
    • “The musical score, composed with finesse and precision, amplifies the emotions of the battlefield, whether it be the ominous thumping of heavy footsteps or the triumphant crescendos that accompany heroic triumphs.”
    • “The story and characters got me invested quickly and kept me engaged throughout; the music neatly complements the tone, swelling when it needs to and elevating the gameplay and story tremendously, but never being distracting.”
    • “The soundtrack... I don't even remember it aside from the main menu that was so obnoxious and monotonous I wanted to just mute the whole thing.”
    • “So in my situation it was the overwhelming marching music in the menu blaring back in repeatedly that made me immediately re-uninstall it.”
    • “The devs probably could have thrown in some ambient filler music in-between and applied fade-in and out effect to make a transition feel less abrupt but more natural and stylish.”

  • stability

    164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    3% positive mentions, 1% neutral mentions, 96% negative mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and freezes that hinder gameplay. Many players experience game-breaking issues, particularly in campaign mode, where missions often fail to load or trigger correctly. While some find the game enjoyable despite its flaws, the overall consensus is that it remains a buggy and unpolished experience, making it difficult to recommend.

    • “For me, this game runs great and is visually appealing for an RTS.”
    • “Oh and no glitches or issues throughout the game.”
    • “Graphics are alright, destructible environment, well done voice work, and bug free from the little I've played.”
    • “Horrible buggy mess, absolutely unplayable.”
    • “The game is so full of bugs, glitches, and just hard crashes that it's become unplayable.”
    • “Too unstable and buggy to recommend, seems like it should still be in early access.”

  • optimization

    155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    10% positive mentions, 58% neutral mentions, 32% negative mentions

    The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and long load times, particularly during large-scale battles. While some users noted that the game runs well on high-end systems, others found it unplayable on lower-end rigs, indicating a lack of proper optimization across various hardware configurations. Overall, the game's performance is seen as a major drawback, overshadowing its otherwise polished graphics and gameplay elements.

    • “It feels very polished when it comes to performance.”
    • “The game runs on max settings on a low-end PC and has no performance issues as well, all whilst still being an absolutely beautiful experience.”
    • “And the game is optimized well, found no major issues with performance thus far, it has actually been quite flawless on that front.”
    • “Not optimized, can't play the game, don't buy unless you have the latest specs for PC.”
    • “The performance is abysmal; it is so badly optimized that it doesn't even use your PC to its full potential.”
    • “Game is buggy, unresponsive, and poorly optimized; not what I want out of an RTS.”

  • atmosphere

    92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    64% positive mentions, 33% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The atmosphere of "Iron Harvest" is widely praised for its unique blend of dieselpunk aesthetics and a gritty, alternate 1920s setting, which immerses players in a visually stunning and thematically rich world. Reviewers highlight the game's impressive art direction, sound design, and music, all of which contribute to a captivating experience that enhances both storytelling and gameplay. While some critiques mention gameplay mechanics, the overall consensus is that the atmospheric elements significantly elevate the game's appeal.

    • “Set in a 1920s-inspired dieselpunk world where massive, bipedal mechs walk alongside infantry, the game creates a unique atmosphere that combines the gritty realities of war with fantastical technology.”
    • “Its single-player campaigns offer a rewarding blend of storytelling and strategy, enhanced by detailed visuals and sound design that create an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “Iron Harvest is a fun and uniquely atmospheric game with creative world-building and design choices.”
    • “I bought this game to play RTS in a steampunk atmosphere, but all I get is two people trying to hunt a deer. I couldn't pass the first level; very bad game design.”
    • “I recommend buying it on sale because it has its own atmosphere, but its condition may cause some people to feel disgusted.”
    • “While the story is okay and cutscenes help with the atmosphere, the game itself has 'unity' written all over it.”

  • grinding

    90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    3% positive mentions, 5% neutral mentions, 92% negative mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized, with players noting that resource accumulation and unit management can be painfully slow and tedious, particularly on higher difficulty levels. Many reviews highlight repetitive missions, frustrating AI behavior, and a lack of engaging gameplay mechanics, leading to a sense of monotony and boredom. Overall, the game suffers from excessive grind, detracting from the enjoyment and replayability, with players often feeling that progress is more about time investment than skill.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The more you play, the more repetitive and grindy it becomes, to the point that it gets boring.”
    • “The campaign is painfully slow and tedious.”
    • “The combination of very slow unit movement, low unit cap, and the AI enemy just endlessly throwing wave after wave at you because of apparently infinite resources makes the campaign way too grindy and boring.”

  • replayability

    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    29% positive mentions, 64% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed, with some players appreciating the variety offered by the campaign, skirmishes, and the new world map mode, which enhances replay value through challenges and unlockable content. However, many reviewers note limitations in multiplayer and map variety, leading to a sense of stagnation after initial playthroughs. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replay, such as custom content and achievements, the core gameplay may not sustain long-term interest for all players.

    • “Unit cosmetics and profile pictures can be unlocked by completing achievements and progressing through the game, adding more replay value and a season system that allows you to unlock limited-time items through completing challenges and leveling up.”
    • “Fully fleshed out campaign (that you can play with friends too!!!), and endless replayability with solo skirmish/world maps and multiplayer matches.”
    • “The different teams or playable characters give the game much-needed replay value.”
    • “The single player experience is fine, but honestly this game lacks the depth of its predecessors in the genre, giving it near zero replayability with both the multiplayer and quick game vs AI being a mix of unbalanced and, to be blunt, unfun.”
    • “Really fun, but the lack of depth to the multiplayer forces me to say never pay full price for this game because the replay value is only a month or two before you get bored and tired of playing the same 10 or so maps.”
    • “The new world map mode can add some more replay value to the game, but the core game itself feels mediocre.”

  • humor

    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    96% positive mentions, -1% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying a mix of intentional and unintentional comedic moments, such as hilariously bad accents, funny unit interactions, and absurd scenarios involving mechs. Many reviews highlight the charm of the voice acting and the amusing dialogue, which contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere, making it a fun experience, especially in multiplayer settings. Overall, the game's blend of humor and engaging gameplay creates memorable and entertaining moments for players.

    • “Really interesting concept, good gameplay, fun missions, funny story... nothing else is needed.”
    • “Huge mechs just walk through buildings (and destroy them) instead of around, hilarious.”
    • “It's a funny little game that has steampunk mechs fighting each other, and it gets really ridiculous once it's pure mech on mech action.”
    • “The game has some funny bugs that can be amusing at times.”
    • “There are moments of humor, but they often come from glitches rather than intentional design.”
    • “While the game tries to be funny, the humor mostly stems from its bugs.”

  • emotional

    37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    84% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 16% negative mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its rich lore, memorable characters, and heartfelt storytelling that evokes strong feelings, while others criticize the narrative for being bland or lacking depth. Many reviews highlight moments of emotional investment, particularly in the campaign, but also note inconsistencies in character development and pacing. Overall, the game succeeds in creating emotional moments, though opinions vary on the effectiveness of its storytelling.

    • “The stories weave together personal dramas, political intrigue, and the brutal realities of war with a surprising degree of emotional depth.”
    • “The rich lore, combined with memorable characters and their intertwining destinies, ensures that you become emotionally invested in their journeys.”
    • “The campaign is beautiful, touching, and really exciting.”
    • “This is an example of boring storytelling, gameplay, and game feel all in one!”
    • “I would recommend the game to anyone who enjoys a fun but challenging campaign with quite the boring story.”
    • “It sucks because the setting and universe is really interesting and something that I would have loved to explore more, if it weren't for the boring story and arguably worse gameplay compared to similar games like Company of Heroes.”

  • monetization

    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    10% positive mentions, 17% neutral mentions, 73% negative mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players feeling misled by advertisements that promise a more expansive experience than what is delivered. Users express frustration over the prevalence of in-game purchases and DLC that seem like cash grabs, suggesting that much of the content should have been included in the base game. While some appreciate the game's artistic elements, the overall sentiment is that the monetization strategy detracts from the experience and feels exploitative.

    • “Don't worry, no microtransactions here.”
    • “It's great to see a developer who cares about their game and doesn't shove microtransactions in your face every 5 seconds.”
    • “Remember the days when you could earn cool unit skins without having to pay for them with microtransactions?”
    • “The end product fell short, and all of the DLC they are releasing feels too much like a cash grab.”
    • “With this level of in-game purchases, the game should be free.”
    • “One of the biggest no-nos of putting a game into full release is advertising features on the store page and those features being minimal or non-existent.”

  • character development

    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    47% positive mentions, 37% neutral mentions, 16% negative mentions

    Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and quality, with many reviewers noting that the storyline and character arcs are engaging and well-crafted, comparable to high standards set by major titles. While some players found the initial pacing slow and expressed a lack of attachment to certain characters, the overall aesthetic and character design received positive remarks, contributing to a cohesive narrative experience. However, a few critiques highlighted a lack of depth in character development for some units, suggesting that while the art and design are strong, gameplay mechanics may feel simplistic.

    • “The cut-scenes are nice, too; some nice action sequences, as well as character development, evolving narrative, a lovely aesthetic, smooth animation.”
    • “In fact, I think I could say that this is one of the best that I have played in an RTS from a character development and story point of view as well.”
    • “The story and character development is excellent.”
    • “When it comes to character designs overall the mechs are really interesting, but everything else is boring and generic.”
    • “Other than the lack of character development and over simplistic gameplay, it's worth the buy.”
    • “- The story is somewhat lacking in character development.”
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Critic Reviews

76%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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Play Times

18h Median play time
50h Average play time
9-42h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 38 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Iron Harvest is a casual real-time strategy game with violence and science fiction themes. Common tags for Iron Harvest include world war i, alternate history, real-time, war, steampunk and others.

Iron Harvest is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 50 hours playing Iron Harvest.

Iron Harvest was released on August 31, 2020.

Iron Harvest was developed by KING Art.

Iron Harvest has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Iron Harvest for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Iron Harvest is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.