Medieval Engineers
- February 18, 2015
- Keen Software House
- 75h median play time
Get on Steam"Medieval Engineers" is a sandbox game set in the medieval era, focused on realistic engineering principles. Players can build various structures, such as castles and siege machines, using a variety of materials. The game also features a physics-based destruction system, allowing for realistic deconstruction and demolition of creations.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique building experience with a focus on medieval architecture and physics-based construction.
- There is a vibrant modding community that enhances the game with new content and features.
- The game can be enjoyable for players who appreciate sandbox-style gameplay and creative freedom.
- The game has been abandoned by the developers, leaving it in an unfinished and buggy state.
- Many promised features and updates were never delivered, leading to disappointment among players.
- The gameplay lacks depth and meaningful objectives, making it feel empty and repetitive.
- gameplay384 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Medieval Engineers" is characterized by a mix of innovative building mechanics and frustrating bugs, leading to a generally shallow experience. While the structural integrity and physics systems offer some fun in construction and destruction, many players find the lack of a cohesive gameplay loop and incomplete mechanics disappointing. Overall, the game has potential but suffers from numerous issues that hinder long-term engagement and enjoyment.
“The structural integrity system was a fun mechanic, which resulted in various different mishaps like half of the castle built on top of the mountain splitting in vertical direction and sliding down the sloped mountainside.”
“The building mechanics are great, and the game itself has a great foundation for a game.”
“This game offers mechanical possibilities and customization that the developer's flagship game, Space Engineers, sorely lacks.”
“There is no gameplay.”
“The game mechanics and physics-based gameplay can be difficult to understand, and the lack of tutorials or guides can make it frustrating to figure out how to progress.”
“Gameplay-wise, the game is a buggy mess and has been for the last four years, and with the devs gone that's not going to change.”
- stability301 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players describe it as a "buggy mess" that feels unfinished and abandoned, with frequent crashes and unresponsive mechanics. While some acknowledge that the game has potential, the overwhelming consensus is that its current state is too unstable for enjoyable play, leading to recommendations against purchasing it.
“Also, surprisingly not buggy for an early access game.”
“It runs great on my computer.”
“Considering Keen Software House's track record with Space Engineers, a lot of these bugs will be fixed within the next few weeks, and more block types will also be added.”
“Game is buggy and ultimately abandoned, so we won't ever find out what it could have been.”
“The game is a glitched, buggy mess the developer openly admits to abandoning two years ago.”
“In its current state, the game is too buggy to recommend.”
- graphics286 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the beautiful visuals and detailed environments reminiscent of a more advanced Minecraft. However, numerous users report significant performance issues, including lag and crashes, particularly on lower-end systems or with integrated graphics cards. While some appreciate the aesthetic quality and physics engine, others express frustration over optimization problems and the game's tendency to require high-performance hardware to run smoothly.
“Imagine if Minecraft had more detailed graphics and actual physics, and that the setting was in medieval times.”
“The graphics are beautiful, and on my new Alienware, I see the grass and trees sway in the breeze.”
“The graphics, engineering, night mode, barbarians, I am out of words to describe this amazing game.”
“The graphics are not crisp, remind me of vintage Windows 95 era, and movement is rough and jerky with a low frame rate, lags and slow response of positioning commands.”
“Graphics cause lag on a brand new built system with 1060 graphics and more RAM than anyone needs -> badly optimized programming.”
“The graphics make this game look like it was made in the 90s.”
- optimization198 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users reporting severe performance issues, bugs, and instability across various hardware setups. Despite some updates aimed at improving performance, players still experience significant lag, especially when interacting with large structures or during multiplayer sessions. Overall, the consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized and feels unfinished, leading to a frustrating experience for many users.
“The game is being improved on a regular basis through updates that add and polish features and content, optimizations, and bug fixes.”
“Recent updates have indeed helped with performance issues.”
“Amazing game, brilliant and realistic physics, awesome construction engine, runs smoothly, good graphics and has an awesome soundtrack!”
“Don't buy it as it is completely unstable, terribly optimized, and not supported.”
“A broken, unoptimized mess that was lately aborted by the developers.”
“The game is extremely poorly optimized for both CPU, GPU, and RAM; I've seen the game consume 22GB of RAM, this game is what Google Chrome would like to be.”
- story84 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many players noting that there is no traditional narrative or quest-driven experience. While some appreciate the freedom of a sandbox environment, others express disappointment over the lack of missions, NPCs, and meaningful progression, leading to a sense of aimlessness. Overall, the consensus is that if you're seeking a structured story, this game will not meet your expectations.
“We built massive, intricate cities and kingdoms, fought many wars and set up entire storylines in our playing together.”
“I think the absence of a set story line is a plus, not a minus, for the game.”
“If you like solving problems with wood, building and breaking stuff, digging tunnels through mountains, with a fair amount of roleplaying and making your own story, admiring creations of other people, gathering together to set up farms, elevators, balistas, counterweight devices, kung fu killer machines, trade centers - if you like dropping stones on your virtual friends' heads, have some friendly sieging engagements, firing a dozen chained balls through the air, copying buildings and churches of medieval times... it is really there.”
“This game has no story.”
“There is absolutely no story mode or any element of narrative.”
“Game hasn't had an actual update in so long I'd think it was Steam forcing it to leave early access if the devs hadn't made an announcement about it; the game's been functionally abandoned for years and was probably only 'released' because some people were still asking about updates.”
- grinding80 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, with players noting that resource gathering and building can feel like a slog without meaningful progression or purpose. While some enjoy the potential for creativity in farming and construction, many find the mechanics frustratingly basic and the overall experience lacking in engaging content, leading to a sense of emptiness in the gameplay. Despite its promising features, the game often requires excessive grinding, which can deter players seeking a more streamlined or rewarding experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“No farming.”
“Be prepared to waste a lot of time working on one seemingly simple project after another while endlessly grinding for resources.”
“It is an unpolished sandbox where you can go grinding like hell to build a castle without any other purpose than to build in an empty world with no real struggles and no real enemies.”
“The current research system is boring, grindy, and again simply not fun.”
- music75 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its beautiful and immersive soundtrack, which enhances the medieval atmosphere and provides a relaxing backdrop for gameplay. Many players find the music uplifting and soothing, contributing significantly to their overall enjoyment, despite some complaints about repetitive tracks. However, there are mixed feelings regarding the value of the soundtrack in relation to the game's pricing and content, with some players feeling underwhelmed by the deluxe edition offerings.
“The music of the game is really fantastic and underlines the medieval setting.”
“A fun game, very relaxing with the lovely music in the background.”
“If you like medieval themed orchestra, then the music alone is reason enough to buy this game!”
“At the end, I feel like someone spat in my face after taking my money as I have paid full price for the game while it was in early access, and all I got at the end after the price was reduced (no wonder why it was reduced) was the 'deluxe' edition, which is just mainly a soundtrack with a few songs and some useless banner.”
“Whoopidoopidooo, we get the soundtrack and an in-game banner... that's it. How is that compensating? These devs yet again ditching a game while cashing in on it, huh?”
“The soundtrack (the only thing that the 4 euros DLC gives you) is terrible.”
- monetization40 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of this game has been overwhelmingly criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many users expressing frustration over its abandonment and lack of meaningful updates. Reviewers describe the developers, Keen Software House, as prioritizing profit over quality, leading to a perception of the game as unfinished and exploitative. Overall, the sentiment is strongly negative, urging potential buyers to avoid supporting what is seen as a greedy and irresponsible business model.
“A low effort, cash grab is all this game is; never buy anything from these developers.”
“Pathetic business practices and a completely disgusting unapologetic cash grab from a lazy and incompetent company.”
“Turns out, this was a lazy cash grab, and is now basically abandonware, as Keen has decided to just ignore any issues the game still has and cease all patches or support.”
- humor25 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding joy in its quirky mechanics and unexpected situations, often leading to hilarious moments. Despite its bugs and unplayable survival mode, many users recommend it for its comedic value, particularly when playing with friends or using mods. Overall, the game is seen as a fun experience that can evoke laughter, even amidst its flaws.
“Extremely fun and funny, I recommend it!”
“So I'm playing, I've used mods from the workshop because I love the mods for this game, and I'm listening to music making a small cannon from one of the mods. Then 'Megalovania' starts playing, and two skeletons kick down my door with flaming swords and kill me. I'm laughing my ass off because of the situation. This game is buggy and laggy at times, but it's fun as hell.”
“Because the items move around, the AI trips over everything, including their own feet, which is really funny to see.”
“Building options are awesome, but survival mode is a totally unplayable, unfunny joke.”
“I just wasted 3 hours on this in the last day and I had so many 'are you shitting me' moments it's not funny.”
“I know what you are going to say, I can build a pendulum. Let me rephrase: please make the ropes have an elasticity coefficient below 1. Perpetual motion is not funny when it's occurring from bottom to top.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it infinitely replayable and creatively rewarding, others feel that a lack of updates and gameplay variety leads to boredom and diminished long-term engagement. The community patch may enhance playability for some, but overall, the game's potential for replayability is hindered by its stagnation since early 2019.
“This game has a lot of replay value to me, like Minecraft but way better than that.”
“I can recommend this game for its awesome replayability and the fact that it lets your creativity run wild while staying really realistic and rewarding.”
“Major replayability! I come back to this game pretty regularly, and when I do, it's for hours on end.”
“This can lead to boredom and a lack of long-term replay value.”
“The lack of gameplay reduces replayability of this game and does not challenge the player to keep playing.”
“This game has been left to die since February 2019 while we were expecting it to be polished and more playable online.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and relaxing qualities, enhanced by medieval music, beautifully designed environments, and vibrant graphics. Players appreciate the peaceful ambiance, complemented by engaging activities like exploring, farming, and interacting with wildlife, despite some minor physics bugs. Overall, the game's atmosphere contributes significantly to the enjoyment and experience of the gameplay.
“I enjoyed the atmosphere in the game, just running around looking for ores and enjoying the view of a clearly very passionately designed planet.”
“The graphics are not hyper-realistic, but the atmosphere created and the quality of the lights sure create a good experience.”
“+really good textures and nice atmosphere”
“The graphics are not hyper-realistic, but the atmosphere created and the quality of the lighting sure create a good experience.”
“The animals, the atmosphere, and the ability to grow crops contribute to the overall enjoyment.”
“There are many physics bugs; however, they are not so severe that getting stuck in a hole results in being shot into the atmosphere.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits strong reactions from players, ranging from heartbreak over its abandonment to moments of joy and nostalgia. Players express a deep connection to the game's mechanics, with experiences that can be both satisfying and devastating, highlighting the game's ability to evoke a wide range of feelings. Overall, the emotional responses are intense, with many users indicating they would relive these experiences despite the pain.
“This is heart breaking.”
“So I give a heartfelt thank you to all the peeps at Keen for the gift that is M.E.”
“10/10 would cry again.”
