Marauders
- October 3, 2022
- Small Impact Games
- 31h median play time
"Marauders" is a hardcore tactical first-person shooter set in a dystopian future. Experience intense PvP combat as you battle for resources, explore derelict spaceships, and customize your loadout with various weapons and gear. Navigate a political landscape filled with factions vying for control, and engage in high-stakes raids and alliances in this immersive, challenging title.
Reviews
- gameplay1,816 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Marauders" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its fun and innovative mechanics, particularly the unique space combat and boarding features. However, criticisms focus on the game's balance issues, repetitive gameplay loop, and various bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some find it a more accessible alternative to "Escape from Tarkov," others feel it lacks depth and polish, indicating that it still requires significant improvements to fully realize its potential.
“The gameplay loop is unique and exciting.”
“The gameplay is great, the audio is great, and the visuals are outstanding!”
“It's a great game, with simple mechanics (simpler than Tarkov at least, from what I've seen) that just makes me keep coming back for more.”
“The gameplay loop has seemingly been relegated to a tertiary concern at best, with the emphasis being placed on other aspects.”
“Unfortunately, the game lacks content and has had its short life-cycle plagued by both a series of questionable changes to gameplay and overall neglect.”
“However, I cannot recommend this game because, after a few rounds, the gameplay loop becomes repetitive, and all it takes is one player hiding in a corner, waiting for you to lose hours of grinding for loot.”
- story892 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Marauders" is often criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players finding the quest system repetitive and uninspired. While the game features a basic narrative framework and some interesting environmental storytelling, the missions tend to feel like a grind, lacking variety and meaningful progression. Overall, players express a desire for more fleshed-out storylines and quest diversity to enhance the game's immersive potential.
“Marauders isn't just a game; it's a thrilling saga of high-stakes piracy, a universe where every encounter is a story waiting to be told.”
“The atmosphere in each point of interest you go to, the sound and level design sets the tone so well, it's a ghost town but through the environment the story is written, from a couple of dead bodies behind a gate that has been hit with a now derelict vehicle, it puts out there that something bad has happened here, and now you're there in it again.”
“The game's world feels alive and dynamic, making each quest and encounter feel meaningful and impactful.”
“The concept is interesting, the maps are great, the gunplay is okay (too much emphasis on headshots in my opinion), but the missions are boring and repetitive.”
“As other reviewers have stated, the wait times to get into missions are rather long right now, the player count is pretty low, with most of the players being super sweaty die-hard fans, which doesn't make missions very fun when the second you get in game, you either get boarded, or if you do manage to make it to the point of interest, you just get airlock camped.”
“The main quest progression system is not fun since it is a slog to progress through, the crafting progression system is not only slow but you just skip a bunch of items, and cheating is rampant.”
- graphics640 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Marauders" have received mixed reviews, with many players praising the unique dieselpunk aesthetic and overall visual appeal, particularly in space environments. However, some users noted issues with graphical performance, including clunky animations and a lack of detail in certain areas, suggesting that while the game looks good on lower settings, it could benefit from further optimization and polish. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point, but there are calls for improvements to enhance the gaming experience.
“The graphics and sound effects are phenomenal, even when running at medium settings for better FPS the game is beautiful (especially in space).”
“The graphics are outstanding; although the character models are a bit lackluster, the maps (outside of the building) look absolutely gorgeous and are amazingly well done.”
“The graphics are amazing for this type of game, definitely worth every penny.”
“The bots have horrible pathfinding and the game's graphics look as if it was developed for a PlayStation 2!”
“Now, graphically, the game leaves much to be desired.”
“Graphically it looks incredibly weak, even on WQHD it looks like it's 4 resolutions lower, it's unsharp, anti-aliasing isn't good, and textures on the highest settings look muddy.”
- stability558 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among players, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that can lead to frustrating experiences, including loss of gear and progress. While some users acknowledge that the game is in early access and expect issues, many express that the frequency and severity of these problems detract from overall enjoyment. Overall, the consensus is that while the game has potential, it currently suffers from a lack of polish and stability, making it difficult to recommend without reservations.
“Great fun, surprisingly beginner friendly, and not too buggy for an early access game.”
“Really looking forward to this getting a full bug-free release.”
“The gameplay seems bug-free as far as I have noticed.”
“Bugs and crashes and freezes for no reason.”
“Game is a point where I simply cannot recommend due to the tsunami of bugs and glitches it is riddled with.”
“This game is so fucking buggy that I'm honestly considering refunding it...... I have gotten stuck on my ship's gun to where I couldn't move or get out and had to be killed, had the screen go black when I'm escaping at the end of the raid with my character full of loot, had my friends spawn in without any loot that they had brought into the raid and way more.”
- atmosphere334 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique diesel-punk aesthetic, immersive sound design, and the tension it creates during gameplay, making it a standout in the extraction shooter genre. Players appreciate the detailed environments that evoke a sense of dread and excitement, reminiscent of classic sci-fi and war themes. However, some critiques mention a need for further polish and additional atmospheric elements to enhance immersion.
“The atmosphere in each point of interest you go to, the sound and level design sets the tone so well. It's a ghost town, but through the environment, the story is written, from a couple of dead bodies behind a gate that has been hit with a now derelict vehicle. It puts it out there that something bad has happened here, and now you're there in it again. The slight horror tone, with the noises of the station creaking, an old record playing along with footsteps coming from somewhere you aren't 100% sure of, makes it an overwhelming sensory experience.”
“The atmosphere is oppressive by design, and the labyrinthine maps successfully conduct concurrent senses of bewilderment and fear.”
“The atmosphere is amazing because you need to be careful walking around in raids.”
“The atmosphere is oppressive by design and the labyrinthine maps successfully conduct concurrent senses of bewilderment and fear.”
“The atmosphere in each point of interest you go to the sound and level design sets the tone so well, it's a ghost town but though the environment the story is written, from a couple of dead bodies behind a gate that has been hit with a now derelict vehicle put its out there that, something bad has happened here, and now you're there in it again, the slight horror tone and with the noises of the station creaking, an old record playing along with footsteps coming from somewhere you aren't 100% sure of make it an overwhelming sensory experience.”
“The atmosphere of the game I do like very much but everything else is piss poor or very mediocre at best.”
- optimization256 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its performance and smooth gameplay, particularly on high-end systems, while others criticize it for significant issues such as stuttering, lag, and poor audio cues. Many users noted that recent updates have negatively impacted performance, and the inclusion of Denuvo anti-cheat has further complicated optimization efforts. Overall, while some find the game well-optimized for early access, others feel it requires substantial improvements to be enjoyable across a wider range of hardware.
“If you want a fun and optimized game for you and your computer, don't hesitate to buy this masterpiece!”
“The game seems to be optimized well, the combat is fluid, and the learning curve is more intense than the average FPS (this is a pro for me), however not too much to take in.”
“Space tarkov but optimized and you don't have suicidal thoughts while after playing.”
“Team17 needs 17 more goddamn employees to properly update/optimize this game. I loved it after the plunder update, but this guild update is honestly terrible because of the ridiculous interaction lag and just choppy performance overall. Loading into raids to be stuck on a black screen and losing my loadout on wipe is not fun at all.”
“Optimization is wretched, filthy even!”
“The performance after this most recent update has really tanked.”
- grinding188 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly due to frequent progress wipes and a lack of engaging endgame content. While some enjoy the grind for loot and leveling, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, especially when compounded by bugs and poor design choices. Overall, the game is seen as a less punishing alternative to titles like Tarkov, but still requires a significant time investment to progress meaningfully.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Fun game, not grindy at all, just loot and shoot!”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“However, I cannot recommend this game because, after a few rounds, the gameplay loop becomes repetitive, and all it takes is one player hiding in a corner, waiting for you to lose hours of grinding for loot.”
“To top it off, they like to wipe progress more frequently than I'd like. If it was just wiping everyone's inventory, I'd have no problem with it, but resetting the in-game quest progress, cosmetics, and things that don't affect gameplay that you need to spend a fair bit of time grinding for really kills the desire to hop back in.”
“This game was amazing at first, but like the original game they copied, they have now updated and made things so difficult that the game is more of a chore than something fun to play. Despite the new content, the delusional minds of the devs to continue to make the game tedious and time-consuming with horrible balancing has killed player population and interest.”
- humor90 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its funny voice lines, chaotic interactions, and amusing gameplay mechanics, such as starting with a comically ineffective weapon. Many reviews mention the hilarious moments that arise from player interactions, both in-game and through community engagement, making it a fun experience, especially when played with friends. Overall, the game is described as a blend of humor and action, providing plenty of laughs amidst its chaotic space battles.
“The voip has led to some very funny interactions.”
“Just the concept of people developing technology to go into the depths of space and then proceed to fight over things like rusty metal and screws is kind of hilarious in its own way.”
“We all die laughing as we spam f1 at each other.”
“I do really want to enjoy this game; however, the amount of bugs is just not funny.”
- monetization62 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to perceived lack of content and unresolved bugs. While some appreciate the absence of pay-to-win microtransactions, others feel the game should be free-to-play with optional in-game purchases. Overall, players express frustration over the developers' focus on monetization rather than addressing gameplay issues and improving the overall experience.
“Unlike Tarkov, this game does not go back on its customers because it doesn't include pay-to-win microtransactions!”
“It should be free-to-play with monetization of the in-game items.”
“Or going to be fixed by microtransactions in the future.”
“It almost seems like a cash grab at this point.”
“Do not buy this game, devs are lazy cash grabbers.”
“This game could've been something really special, but as of now, it is a cheap cash grab with a seemingly fresh coat of paint.”
- replayability42 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a high level of replayability, with many players appreciating the variety of options, missions, and loot that contribute to unique playthroughs. However, some reviewers feel that the replay value may not be as strong for mid-tier to hardcore gamers, citing a lack of content outside of PvP interactions. While many find the game enjoyable and worth the price, there are concerns about its current state and the need for further updates to enhance replayability.
“The variety of options available to players ensures that each playthrough can be unique, offering a high level of replayability.”
“Lots to do, tons of replayability, loads of cool guns and gear, special guns that can only be looted or found in specific zones/areas like the heavy MG42... yes... the buzzsaw but now upgraded with an integrated forward shield.”
“£25 may seem quite a lot but you'll easily get your money's worth with infinite replayability and future updates to come.”
“This game is surface level Tarkov and just doesn't have that replay value in my opinion.”
“When the above is compounded by the lack of content this game offers outside of the replayable PvP interactions, you have a serious problem.”
“But the replayability isn't anything special, if you are a mid-tier to hardcore gamer.”
- music38 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack and intro as fitting well within the game's atmosphere, while others criticize the overwhelming ambient noise that can drown out important directional audio. Players have noted that listening to music can hinder gameplay, as sound cues are crucial for survival, leading to a recommendation to avoid music during critical moments. Overall, the game's music is seen as a positive aspect, but its implementation can be disruptive in certain contexts.
“The maps are nice, the weapons are well chosen and the soundtrack and intro are awesome.”
“Sound and music: 7.0/10”
“Dramatic music playing in the theater... think Platoon but in space.”
“There are spots on some maps near fans, music players, and generators that can drown out directional audio, which can be frustrating.”
“I would also recommend not listening to music since sounds are pretty important to have time to react to others, as often one shot can end it all.”
“In fact, you won't want any music playing because when you board a space station, you're going to need to hear every little bit of sound to guess where an enemy might be lurking around.”
- emotional36 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mix of frustration and attachment, with players expressing feelings of heartbreak over lost loot and the challenges posed by the game's competitive environment. While some find joy in the community and crafting elements, many recommend caution, suggesting that the emotional toll may outweigh the enjoyment, especially in its current early access state. Overall, the game can evoke strong feelings, both positive and negative, leading to a complex emotional experience for players.
“This game makes me want to cry.”
“It's heartbreaking, but it's what keeps you coming back... the idea that next time will be different.”
“Loot has been lost, I yelled, I cried.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Reviewers express a desire for improved character development, noting that while the environments and character designs are visually impressive, the depth and growth of the characters themselves are lacking.
“The environments are beautifully rendered and the character designs are top-notch.”
“One thing I wish they'd add is character development.”