Lawgivers II
- August 18, 2023
- Damian Bernardi
- 6h median play time
Lawgivers II is a turn-based strategy game that simulates the political and economic challenges of running a city. As the mayor, players must balance the needs of their citizens while dealing with various crises and issues. With a variety of policies and laws at your disposal, each decision you make will have a lasting impact on the city and its people.
Reviews
- The game has a fantastic concept, allowing players to run for elections and govern, with potential for deep political simulation.
- Frequent updates from the developer show commitment to improving the game, and many players find it enjoyable despite its current state.
- The game is considered one of the best political simulators available, with a lot of ambition and potential for future development.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, making it unplayable for many users, and the current state feels unfinished.
- There is a significant lack of content, with only a few playable countries and simplistic mechanics that do not meet expectations for a political simulator.
- The price is considered too high for the current state of the game, leading many to feel it is not worth the investment at this time.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its overly simplistic mechanics and slow pacing, making it feel more like a casual mobile game than a serious political strategy title. Many users find the interface clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustration, while the core gameplay loop is hindered by bugs and a lack of depth. Despite some promising mechanics and potential for improvement, the current state of the game leaves much to be desired, with calls for a more focused approach to enhancing gameplay content.
“Slowly but surely, we're beginning to see a game with well-oiled, logical and fun mechanics.”
“I enjoy it, and it is fairly easy to understand the mechanics after a couple of playthroughs.”
“As of right now, a bit unpolished, but great concept and mechanics.”
“The mechanics are overly simplistic, making it feel more like a casual mobile game than a serious political strategy title.”
“This, combined with slow pacing, makes the gameplay feel like a repetitive chore rather than a rewarding strategic experience.”
“Navigation through the clunky, unintuitive interface only adds to the frustration, and the slow pacing quickly turns gameplay into a chore.”
- stability11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is generally considered fun and engaging, but it suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and glitches that can hinder gameplay. Many users recommend waiting for updates before purchasing, as the current state is described as rough and lacking in promised features. Overall, while it shows potential, its instability makes it challenging to fully enjoy at this time.
“Very buggy, unplayable; had to refund the game. I'd wait a good few months to think about purchasing.”
“Almost none of the promised features, slow updates, very buggy, just not worth it so far.”
“My final verdict at this time is that the game is fun, playable, but very buggy and has some small but noticeable flaws.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are considered adequate but not a standout feature, with some users noting only slight improvements. Overall, the visual experience is described as underwhelming and not a highlight of the gameplay.
“Despite its slightly improved graphics and design, the overall experience is underwhelming.”
“Graphics are not the highlight of the game; they suffice.”
“Graphics: ⚝⚝”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance without bugs, others highlight significant issues such as glaring bugs, performance problems, and a general lack of polish, suggesting that the game feels rushed and unfinished.
“No bugs (that I have experienced) and it runs smoothly for long periods of time (with no breaks), so props for that!”
“There are glaring bugs, performance issues, and a general lack of refinement in every aspect.”
“After waiting 1.5 years for its alpha release, I expected a more polished product, but instead, it feels rushed and unfinished, with glaring bugs, missing features, and performance issues.”
“Despite not having much to look at, the game is pretty poorly optimized.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, primarily due to a cumbersome user interface that complicates navigation through menus. While some mechanics have improved from the previous installment, the increased difficulty in accessing and managing these elements detracts from the overall experience.
“A lot of the underlying mechanics of the game are improved from its predecessor, but your ability to affect these as a player is much more tedious and frustrating than the very accessible first game.”
“And since the game is basically entirely played through these menus, with the majority of screen space being taken up by a map that is for just occasional reference, it becomes very tedious to click through all the bits that are vaguely labeled by icons to find what you're looking for.”
“UI is really tedious to use.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers express a desire for a more robust character creation system, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive character designer that allows for detailed customization, including age, occupation, and educational background, to enhance the authenticity of the political characters.
“A deep character designer with options like age, occupation, and educational background that creates a politician more accurately would have been a nice addition.”
“The character development system allows for meaningful choices that truly impact the story and relationships within the game.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel significant and personal.”
“I would have preferred a character designer at the very beginning instead of having to click on the character later and open a menu to make changes.”
“A deep character designer with options like age, occupation, and educational background that creates a politician more accurately would have been a welcome addition.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful choices that could enhance the gameplay experience.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect received no feedback or comments from users, indicating a lack of engagement or notable opinions on the narrative elements of the game.