Mech Engineer

About

Mech Engineer is a single player management game with mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by KiberKreker and was released on May 21, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Mech Engineer" is a robot construction and battle simulation game. Players build their own mechs from a variety of parts, then pit them against enemies in tactical combat. The game features a range of weapons, armor, and movement options to customize mechs to different playstyles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 533 reviews

gameplay27 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Unique gameplay mechanics that encourage experimentation and strategic planning.
Deep customization options for mechs, weapons, and reactors, allowing for varied playstyles.
Challenging and rewarding gameplay that provides a sense of accomplishment as players learn and improve.

Extremely steep learning curve with a confusing and unintuitive UI that lacks proper tutorials.
Inadequate explanations for game mechanics, leading to frustration and repeated failures.
Performance issues and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, including crashes and low frame rates.

gameplay
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
75%
6%
The gameplay of this title is characterized by its unique mechanics and deep tactical elements, requiring players to engage in trial and error to master its complexities. While the game offers a rich experience for those willing to invest time in understanding its systems, many players find the lack of clear tutorials and a convoluted UI frustrating, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, it appeals to strategy and mech enthusiasts but may deter those who prefer more straightforward gameplay.
- “Unique gameplay mechanics, not easy to master, great tactical game.”
- “The game is a gem, and if you can get into it, you'll find a deep game with a lot of emerging gameplay like the original X-COM had, moments of tragedy or heroism with your soldiers.”
- “Once you actually figure out the mechanics, it can be... oddly forgiving?”
- “You have to figure out the mechanics yourself through frustration and trial and error.”
- “The gameplay itself is very easy, but the difficulty comes in the unintelligible UI.”
- “The tutorial popups fail to explain basic mechanics, and places where you would think a tooltip should be, there just... aren't.”
story
136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
87%
4%
The game's story revolves around players controlling an AI managing a walking city, sending mechs on missions to gather resources and uncover secrets to escape a ruined planet. While the premise is intriguing and offers a rich lore, players often find the execution frustrating due to a lack of clear guidance, overwhelming difficulty, and repetitive missions that can lead to frequent failures. Despite these challenges, some players appreciate the depth of strategy involved in managing mechs and resources, suggesting that those willing to invest time may find enjoyment in the narrative experience.
- “The basic premise is that you play the role of an AI with control of a walking city and must send your mechs out on missions in order to uncover secrets and resources that will ultimately help you to escape the ruined planet.”
- “Beyond the viewport you watch through, there is an entire world/story evolving behind the scenes with fascinating lore and an excellent premise.”
- “If you want a game to present its fictional world, to struggle with not being entirely sure whether you're making good decisions, and to really be immersed in what rapidly feels like a mechs vs bugs anime from the perspective of the mission controller, then there's really very little else out there that even attempts to match that feeling.”
- “The story looks like it was farted out of a Russian-speaking ass.”
- “It's easy to get overconfident in a build, only to realize it's useless in a different mission.”
- “The amount of unbalance, poor explanation about everything, and dreadful UI + pathfinding during the missions is too much to bear.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique, lo-fi aesthetic that evokes a dark, gritty sci-fi atmosphere reminiscent of classic 1990s gaming. While some players appreciate the art style and immersive design, others find the visuals simplistic and lacking in detail, which can hinder gameplay understanding for newcomers. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose effectively, but opinions vary widely depending on individual preferences for visual fidelity and style.
- “Love the art style and the world building.”
- “The overall aesthetic of the art, music, setting, lore entries, etc. has a dark, grimy, sci-fi apocalypse feel and it really pulls you in.”
- “First of all, this game has a beautiful art style which reinforces the gloomy and hopeless atmosphere.”
- “Graphically, this is not some AAA style over substance game, quite the opposite.”
- “The graphics are... utilitarian.”
- “Lack of graphical fidelity in combat is also an issue in that you won't know what's going on unless you already know how to look for it.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
22%
14%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and stylish design, creating a gloomy and intriguing setting that enhances gameplay. While some users note that the user interface can be confusing, many agree that it contributes to the overall atmospheric experience, making it particularly appealing for fans of dark sci-fi and mech tinkering. Overall, the combination of art style, sound design, and thematic elements results in a compelling and engaging atmosphere that captivates players.
- “Really nice atmosphere, intriguing setting, and fun (if a bit confusing) gameplay.”
- “Not a high-fidelity game, but that really adds to the atmosphere.”
- “If you like tinkering with mechs and a gloomy atmosphere, this is the game for you.”
- “First of all, this game has a beautiful art style which reinforces the gloomy and hopeless atmosphere.”
optimization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues even on capable hardware, such as running under 20fps on an i5 with a 1050ti. Many users feel that the focus of updates has been misplaced, addressing minor issues instead of crucial performance enhancements. While the game offers interesting mechanics for customizing and optimizing mechs, the lack of effective optimization hampers the overall experience, especially for those with lower-end systems.
- “Look, getting down into the nitty-gritty of tuning a reactor and applying different parts to affect the performance of the mechs is super interesting.”
- “Storm enemy bases, nuke the hellholes they crawl out of, adapt your armament for a variety of enemies, tease extra performance out of various modules by balancing power draws, train up your pilots and outfit them with perks to suit the needs of your team.”
- “Each component of each mech can be customized and tweaked for specific performance, your mobile base is huge and requires a lot of care to keep running, your pilots need to be looked after and can be leveled up in complementary ways.”
- “Inexcusable performance for an 80 MB game.”
- “The optimization is just not there; it runs under 20 FPS on an 8000 series i5 with a 1050 Ti and 16 GB RAM.”
- “- The real problem is in the last update: 'fixed wrong bookmarks' and then 'optimized minimap rendering.' Totally focused on the wrong things.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the unique sound design and atmospheric soundtrack that complements the game's aesthetic, others criticize the limited number of tracks, noting that only two songs can become repetitive during extended play. Overall, the music is praised for enhancing the game's dark, sci-fi ambiance, but many players desire a more extensive soundtrack to enrich their experience.
- “The art, UI, and music really set a cool tone for the game.”
- “The overall aesthetic of the art, music, setting, lore entries, etc. has a dark, grimy, sci-fi apocalypse feel and it really pulls you in.”
- “Fantastic style, art, sound, music, and overall ambiance.”
- “An actual soundtrack would be nice; two songs and silence are not fun to listen to while you spend hours tweaking things.”
- “The overall aesthetic of the art, music, setting, and lore entries has a dark, grimy, sci-fi apocalypse feel, and it really pulls you in.”
- “Sound: extremely unique both in background sounds, UI sounds, and music.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
Overall, the game boasts exceptional replayability, with players highlighting its depth and the variety of challenges available after completion. Many reviews note that the learning curve and evolving gameplay mechanics encourage experimentation with different strategies and playstyles, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging. Recent updates have further enhanced accessibility, inviting both new and returning players to dive back in.
- “Will punish you over and over again, but the replayability is second to none.”
- “A fantastic game made by a single (very active!) developer with loads of depth, replayability, and quite a steep learning curve.”
- “I imagine there is loads of replayability after completion if you choose different challenges.”
- “It would add even more replayability, and encourage people to adapt their squads and experiment with new playstyles to make use of the gear.”
- “A fantastic game made by a single (very active!) developer with loads of depth, replayability and quite a steep learning curve.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is often seen as tedious and frustrating, with players feeling that it detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and immersive elements, many express that the linear progression and the potential for significant setbacks after hours of effort make the gameplay feel overly clunky and unengaging.
- “This makes the game very tedious and not worth my, or your dear readers, time!”
- “Having figured that out for myself after sinking dozens of hours into it, I can confidently say that even with enough 'know-how' this game will still be a linear, tedious, and save-scummy campaign.”
- “The early game can be frustrating and tedious.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while it features a captivating environment, players report significant performance issues, including severe frame rate drops and freezing after the first mission. Although there are minor glitches in windowed mode, full-screen play is more stable, and the developer is actively addressing the bugs, which gives some hope for improvement. Overall, the game is currently considered buggy but shows potential due to the developer's commitment.
- “I would really enjoy this game, but after completing the first mission it always drops to 1 fps and basically freezes and is unplayable.”
- “Buggy as hell, but it's got that 'thing' that most AAA games lack, love for the game.”
- “It is buggy, but the developer is fixing them enthusiastically.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users generally find the humor in the game to be effective and enjoyable, with comments highlighting its fun and amusing elements.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the emotional impact of the game to be profound, particularly in the new game plus mode, which reveals deep, hidden lore that resonates on a personal level, reminiscent of the subtle emotional depth found in works like Evangelion.
- “The new game plus hits hard emotionally; the game is rich in hidden lore - think a less in-your-face Evangelion.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters left me in tears; their struggles felt so real and relatable.”
- “The story's twists and turns tugged at my heartstrings, making me feel a profound connection to the characters.”