Life is Feudal: Forest Village
- August 26, 2016
- Mindillusion
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam"Life is Feudal: Forest Village" is a medieval village-building simulation game. Players must manage resources, build and maintain structures, and guide villagers in order to ensure the survival and growth of their settlement. The game features a realistic environment, with natural disasters, weather, and resource management adding to the challenge. Players can explore the vast game world, interact with NPCs, and engage in various activities to ensure the prosperity of their village.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Beautiful graphics and immersive gameplay.
- Challenging resource management that keeps players engaged.
- Ability to control villagers in first-person mode adds a unique touch.
- Frequent crashes and save file errors make the game frustrating.
- Poor AI behavior leads to villagers starving or freezing despite ample resources.
- Game feels unfinished and lacks polish, with many bugs and unbalanced mechanics.
- graphics386 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players praising their beauty and realism, often comparing them favorably to those of "Banished." However, some users report issues such as lag, graphical glitches, and performance problems, particularly on lower-end systems. Overall, while the visuals are generally considered a strong point, they are marred by technical shortcomings that can detract from the gaming experience.
“I recommend this game because of beautiful and very realistic graphics.”
“The graphics are beautiful, the gameplay ranges from casual to brutal, resource management is on point and I would play this game for the rest of my life.”
“The graphics are amazing, coupled with the complexity of the game.”
“The graphics are somewhat lackluster and the tutorial is not very helpful.”
“I found the graphics were an improvement but it didn't improve the gameplay.”
“Even with better graphics, it seems Banished has a much better game engine and AI.”
- gameplay290 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant bugs, crashes, and performance issues that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the depth and complexity of the mechanics, likening it to "Banished" but with improved graphics, others criticize the slow pacing and frustrating AI behavior. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further optimization and bug fixes to enhance the gameplay experience.
“The gameplay is far more important, and this game has that in spades.”
“The graphics are beautiful, and the gameplay is fun, especially being able to go first person.”
“This game has a lot of depth and complicated game mechanics which make it great fun to play.”
“Unfortunately, the game often freezes during gameplay, so I have to save periodically.”
“The gameplay is very flawed - villagers starve to death despite having plenty of food, of a mixed variety.”
“I really love this game and have got over 150 hours of gameplay, I recently came back to it after a while and it's non-stop crashes every game I play with or without mods gets to a certain point and it's game over, even reloading the game it just crashes again and again.”
- stability123 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of frequent freezes, crashes, and various bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players express frustration over the lack of updates and fixes from the developers, leading to a perception that the game is abandoned and unfinished. While some users find it playable despite the issues, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game is too buggy to recommend.
“Sure, it's not bug-free, but how many games are?”
“This game looked so promising, but if at any point a game should seem clean and bug-free, it should be the tutorial. This is the first experience a new player will have, and when you can't even get that right, how should we expect the rest of the game to look?”
“Unfortunately, the game often freezes during gameplay, so I have to save periodically.”
“This game is clunky and buggy.”
“Every time the game auto-saves, it freezes.”
- music98 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and enchanting qualities, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. While many players find the soundtrack beautiful and fitting for the game's atmosphere, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, though a desire for more variety has been expressed by several reviewers.
“The music in the game will lull you into hours flying by while you think of what building to place next and how to design your village.”
“It's beautiful, the music is enchanting, it has such potential.”
“The soundtrack makes the game very peaceful.”
“Music plays on an endless annoying loop.”
“After some time of play, the music is very bothersome; better to silence it and focus on the ambient sounds.”
“If you're going to play this for hours, you better bring your own music to listen to.”
- optimization67 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 39 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly as player settlements grow, leading to severe performance drops, stuttering, and lag. Many users report that the game struggles to maintain smooth gameplay beyond a certain population threshold, with issues exacerbated by weather effects and camera movement. While some players have noted improvements following recent patches, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization work to enhance long-term playability and stability.
“It runs smoothly, the graphics are nice, the resource management is sensible, and it's fun to watch your village and city grow.”
“Edit: as of the latest patch, the performance has been drastically improved, so go buy it now if you haven't already!”
“I do however recommend this game wholeheartedly: all the right ideas are there and performance problems should easily be fixed by the developers.”
“259.5 hours into the game and I have reached a point where I have too many things, buildings, people, activities, etc. If the game isn't paused, my CPU starts to cook, performance takes a swan dive off a cliff, and everything gets choppy.”
“The game is poorly optimized; the biggest issues I have seen other players talk about is reaching a population level and the game begins to fail.”
“There is a lack of optimization, which means that when you reach a certain amount of villagers, your game will start to lag quite hard.”
- grinding58 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the micromanagement required for farming and resource gathering. Players often find themselves managing villagers inefficiently, leading to frustrating delays in tasks like harvesting crops, which can result in wasted resources. While some enjoy the depth and complexity of the farming system, many feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the gameplay feel excessively grindy and slow, especially in the late game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grind is beyond imagination.”
“The gameplay is extremely slow and tedious until you get like 30 villagers, and this game is kind of difficult to learn so I had to restart several times.”
“Ultimately feels more grindy, more buggy, and less fun than the game it is actively copying.”
- story28 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized, with many users noting the absence of a coherent narrative or goals, likening it to a sandbox experience with no engaging storyline. Some players express a desire for missions or quests to enhance gameplay, while others highlight the lack of motivation and depth in the game's current structure. Overall, the consensus is that the game would benefit significantly from a more developed story or objectives.
“Epic story.”
“Perhaps create missions or a storyline.”
“This game has no story.”
“Story: 0/5 (no storyline - sandbox game).”
“Great city builder game, only thing I would add is some sort of story or goal.”
- atmosphere23 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and immersive qualities, with many players highlighting the stunning graphics, relaxing soundtracks, and the ability to create aesthetically pleasing environments. However, some critiques mention issues with visibility due to atmospheric effects and a lack of building variety, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as a calming and enjoyable space for players who appreciate a well-crafted atmosphere.
“The game is absolutely beautiful and very atmospheric.”
“Very immersive atmosphere.”
“While the nice soundtrack and cozy atmosphere make this game great for unwinding, don't let it fool you - this game is challenging.”
“It gives the game atmosphere but without any building variety it’s wasted potential.”
“Overall the game looks like it could be a good sandbox, only that it is not engaging enough due to the really sad graphics and uninspired atmosphere of the game. Like, why should I even try to get this village to grow? They're all so depressed already.”
“If you think that this game looks good, then I strongly suggest that you pick up Banished instead since that game feels more balanced, has a better overall atmosphere, and more building variety.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while the modding community has introduced various enhancements that can improve gameplay and offer new experiences, many players find the base game lacking in replay value due to its steep learning curve and AI issues. Some users appreciate the diverse starting locations and the potential for freeplay, but overall, the game's replayability is hindered by its initial frustrations and the developers' lack of ongoing support.
“The replayability comes from the myriad of locations available to start and create a new village.”
“Overall, a much more enjoyable game with replayability and difficulty that isn't overbearing.”
“The good: challenging, amazing and deep production chains, awesome freeplay replayability, mod support.”
“Almost no replay value.”
“And beware: the learning curve is steep and considerable, and it has been abandoned by its devs before the game was properly refined to iron out its problems and make it more playable and less frustrating.”
“I bought this game expecting it to be a little more playable than it is.”
- monetization9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with multiple users labeling it a "cash grab" that prioritizes profit over quality. Reviewers express disappointment in the game's rushed development and lack of polish, suggesting that it feels more like a quick money-making scheme than a well-crafted product. Overall, players feel that the game fails to deliver value for their time and money.
“Please, for the love of god, don't waste your time or money on this awful cash grab.”
“The game is broken, a cash grab by developers who don't give a dime, as simple as that.”
“This could have been the best game ever; too bad it was a cash grab!”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted as a highlight, with players finding amusement in various quirks, such as the lack of animal interaction and the absurdities of farming mechanics. While the game itself may not be highly rated overall, its comedic elements provide a lighthearted experience, particularly in its unexpected moments and character designs.
“I would rate it 2/10 just because that patch note made me laugh.”
“Animals not interacting with people could be considered a bug, I guess, or a lack of effort from the devs, but the rest of the game is pretty fleshed out, so I just find it funny that the critters don't do anything except roam.”
“But anyway, nice game dev, and it's very funny when you have a 3-year-old child who looks like they're 20 years old, haha.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game appears to evoke strong negative feelings, with users expressing frustration and disappointment, particularly regarding the game's mechanics and realism. This suggests a disconnect between player expectations and the game's execution, leading to a lack of emotional engagement.
