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MENACE

MENACE Game Cover
90%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, monetization
90% User Score Based on 4,070 reviews

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MENACE Game Cover

About

MENACE is a single player survival role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Overhype Studios and was released on February 5, 2026. It received very positive reviews from players.

MENACE is a single-player sci-fi RPG where you lead a strike force of marines, mercenaries, and criminals in the lawless Wayback system. Command tanks, walkers, and infantry in tactical battles as you unite fractured factions against a mysterious threat. Featuring a gripping story, dense atmosphere, exceptional gameplay, and a spectacular soundtrack, it offers highly emotional and replayable experiences.

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MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
MENACE screenshot
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,070 reviews
story202 positive mentions
grinding30 negative mentions
  • Engaging tactical combat that rewards strategic planning and positioning.
  • Diverse squad customization options with unique squad leaders and equipment.
  • Solid audio and visual design, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
  • AI behavior can be frustrating, often avoiding player units and exploiting cover mechanics.
  • The supply system feels restrictive, limiting player choices and making progression feel tedious.
  • Mission objectives can be unclear, leading to confusion and frustration during gameplay.
  • story
    2,117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of the game is currently considered underdeveloped, with many players noting that it lacks depth and coherence. While there are some engaging character interactions and a basic narrative framework, the majority of missions feel repetitive and disconnected from a larger plot, leading to a sense of stagnation. Players express hope for future updates to expand the story and improve mission variety, as the current early access content primarily revolves around procedurally generated missions with minimal narrative context.

    • “The story so far is good with this unknown menace, but I wish to see how the other opponents respond to this unknown hive mind that just appeared.”
    • “A coherent story with story missions that give you a welcome break from the randomly generated mission slop you have to do to build up your aforementioned base and squads.”
    • “I'm looking forward to more missions where the story truly matters.”
    • “The story feels disjointed and hardly built upon.”
    • “The game is essentially a dynamic campaign with a couple specific story beats sprinkled in.”
    • “The story is barebones and stops somewhat abruptly at the end of the current ea content.”
  • gameplay
    1,164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Menace" has been widely praised for its solid core mechanics and engaging tactical loop, drawing comparisons to classic titles like XCOM while introducing unique elements such as a suppression system and squad leader dynamics. Players appreciate the depth of strategy involved, with a focus on positioning, resource management, and the consequences of tactical decisions, although some have noted that the game can feel repetitive and lacks sufficient tutorial guidance for its complex mechanics. Overall, the game is seen as a promising early access title with a strong foundation, though it still requires balancing and additional content to enhance the experience.

    • “The core gameplay loop is really engaging, with multiple different playstyles that all feel different and strong in different ways (e.g. snipers, mechanized infantry, CQB with jetpacks).”
    • “The gameplay is a mix of multiple different games and genres, and it really scratches the itch with a great gameplay loop.”
    • “The core gameplay is rock solid, and the polish is already showing its promise.”
    • “The gameplay itself is somewhat shallow.”
    • “The actual gameplay mechanics lead you to being aggressive and focus on attacking the enemy rather than setting up ambushes for them.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is solid, but the gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth.”
  • graphics
    255 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received a generally positive reception, with many players praising the well-executed aesthetics that evoke a gritty sci-fi atmosphere reminiscent of films like "Aliens." While some noted that the visuals are not groundbreaking and can feel dated compared to other titles, the overall art style, sound design, and attention to detail in combat animations contribute to an immersive experience. Additionally, the game runs smoothly on lower-end hardware, making it accessible without sacrificing visual quality.

    • “The visuals and sound design are really well done and satisfying, a very addicting strategy game that carves a niche for itself.”
    • “The graphics are sharp, atmospheric, and enhance tactical readability without sacrificing immersion.”
    • “The graphics and sound design are top notch, and while I can't speak to the story yet, this developer's other game, Battle Brothers, is well written.”
    • “The graphics are dated and the overall gameplay seems pointless.”
    • “The weather effects and such are poorly done; everything just has a massive white-screen haze over everything, looks horrible, washes out the colors and overall graphics, takes away all of the contrast.”
    • “For a 2026 release window, the visuals already feel outdated, and performance isn’t great either.”
  • music
    97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, particularly during battles. However, several players noted a lack of variety and repetitiveness in the soundtrack, suggesting that while the existing tracks are solid, more diverse compositions would significantly improve the overall experience. Overall, the sound design, including music and sound effects, is generally well-received, but there is a clear desire for additional tracks and variety as the game continues to develop.

    • “The soundtrack is fantastic, and the tactical gameplay has finally scratched my long-standing XCOM itch.”
    • “The atmosphere is top-notch, the characters are a delight, and the music and sounds are very fitting.”
    • “The music is great, at first, but there's little variance, so you start hearing the same chord progression every time you change to specific screens.”
    • “The soundtrack is incredibly basic, with only a handful of tracks in the game.”
    • “The music that is there is serviceable, until you hit hour 20, and you notice how same-y and kind of generic it all sounds.”
    • “The game really needs more combat music.”
  • replayability
    81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game exhibits high replayability due to its variety of squad leaders, procedural mission generation, and customizable gameplay mechanics, which encourage experimentation with different strategies. However, some players feel that the current content lacks depth and variety, limiting long-term replay potential. Many reviewers express optimism that future updates and modding support will enhance replayability further, making it a promising title for tactical strategy enthusiasts.

    • “High replay value, variety of squad leaders and pilots.”
    • “The squad customization system and equipment variety allow for lots of experimentation. The procedural generation adds potentially hundreds of hours of replay value, and the variety between factions and their constant escalation in capabilities means the player can never get too comfortable with one set of tactics or equipment.”
    • “The missions themselves are procedurally generated and part of a sequence of three to four for a given planet, which, combined with the enemy variety at the moment, makes for a highly replayable experience, especially with the equipment one can find at the black market.”
    • “The game itself is worth a playthrough, but the replay value at the moment does not exist.”
    • “As a result, replayability is basically nil, but the game that is there is really enjoyable, particularly if you like XCOM-likes.”
    • “The only downsides I can speak on is perhaps the replayability; once you've completed a campaign, you have likely employed most of the officers available and developed relations with the factions; the only new thing to experience in a replaythrough would be changing how to skill them.”
  • optimization
    63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-end hardware. However, some users have noted specific issues, such as frame rate drops in certain map environments and occasional loading stutters, indicating that further optimization and balancing may be needed. As the game is in early access, there is optimism for improvements in performance and additional content in future updates.

    • “The game runs smoothly on an 8 GB RAM laptop.”
    • “Performance is great with stunning visuals and killer audio.”
    • “The game is well-optimized, but the backbone map, with its abundance of trees and grass, has lower frame rates than the desert and snow maps.”
    • “This clearly needs better optimization and balancing.”
    • “Unoptimized.”
    • “Could use a little optimization, and once you learn which weapons you have to have and what works, it makes things a lot easier.”
  • atmosphere
    55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and gritty sci-fi setting, enhanced by excellent sound design, detailed visuals, and engaging character interactions. Players appreciate the attention to detail in audio effects and the overall aesthetic, which contribute to a tense and captivating experience during gameplay. Despite some criticisms regarding content and narrative depth, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature that draws players into its world.

    • “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, and the gameplay is so satisfying.”
    • “From the detailed unit designs to the atmospheric environments, Menace successfully creates a gritty and immersive sci-fi world that pulls you in.”
    • “The sound design and excellent OST adds to a very atmospheric game.”
    • “Menace is great with deep and well thought out mechanics and very few bugs but is a little light on content due to its current early access state and has a tone and atmosphere that can be a bit inconsistent.”
    • “[i]Menace[/i] ostensibly seeks to build a gritty, brutal and dark atmosphere, which is completely and utterly ruined by the childish drivel that your squad leaders keep volleying back and forth between them.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is dark, desperate, and heroic.”
  • humor
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the hilarious interactions between squad leaders and enemy factions, particularly the comedic voice lines and banter that add levity to the gameplay. While some find the humor to be campy or cringeworthy, many appreciate the unique character personalities and the funny, often absurd situations that arise during battles. Overall, the blend of tactical gameplay and humor creates an engaging experience, though repetitive voice lines can detract from the enjoyment over time.

    • “Gameplay is very addicting, and the interactions between the squad leaders and the enemy factions have some hilarious moments (especially with the raiders).”
    • “The voice acting is subtly hilarious.”
    • “Having two squad leaders just laughing maniacally with each other after one of them kills an enemy in one shot is just hilarious.”
    • “I was very much taken aback when you get this phenomenal cinematic that feels gritty and dark, only for you to get into a fight with the pirates and hear the least serious and completely unfunny dialogue I've heard in a while. I honestly think the right course of action would be to replace every single dialogue line from the pirates and make them talk like they're actually in a gunfight and dying.”
    • “The humor in this game falls flat, with jokes that feel forced and out of place, making it hard to take the story seriously.”
    • “Instead of clever wit, the game relies on tired clichés and predictable punchlines that fail to elicit any genuine laughter.”
  • grinding
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the limited variety in missions and gear. While some appreciate the strategic depth and variety in squad leader perks, others feel that the grind for resources and upgrades detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of boredom. Overall, the game is seen as requiring significant time investment for minimal rewards, which can be frustrating for players seeking a more engaging experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Ten might be better; it doesn't take away from the tactical need and management of the squad's action points, but isn't as tedious.”
    • “This niche design philosophy fosters an obsessive, tedious mindset in which everything must be quantified and balanced.”
    • “The most substantial limitation I feel at this point is that each campaign basically starts the same - excluding the choice of 4 of 8 starting squad leaders - and until such point as you begin to gain access to a wider variety of gear, combat can become quite tedious.”
    • “It's just more tedious than it needs to be, so you end up not being able to spend your time enjoying this incredible combat system.”
  • stability
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is praised, with many users noting it is largely bug-free and polished for an early access title. While some minor bugs and optimization issues exist, they are generally not disruptive to gameplay, and the game runs smoothly on various platforms, including the Steam Deck. Players appreciate the solid performance and engaging experience, indicating that the developers have done a commendable job in maintaining stability despite being in early access.

    • “Surprising, in the sense that at launch it is largely bug-free, does what it tries to do very well in spite of being an early access release, and generally even makes frustrating gameplay scenarios fun to tackle.”
    • “Menace is already a deeply polished, engaging, bug-free, slightly unoptimized, almost complete game, with minor issues that barely warrant a mention.”
    • “Yes, it's hard, yes, there's still kinks to work out, but for an early access, it's really well polished, bug-free (other than the ones you are meant to shoot in-game) and looks and sounds amazing.”
    • “It has potential even if it's currently unbalanced and buggy (EA be like that).”
    • “There are obvious signs it's in early access like placeholder weapons, not a lot of variety in enemies, or buggy movement interfaces, but it has very good bones and I wanted to support the developers.”
    • “And there were just so many bugs and glitches.”
  • emotional
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while players appreciate the visual and audio experiences that enhance character interactions and create heartwarming moments, there are criticisms regarding the lack of emotional weight in character deaths and the initial lack of investment in squad members. Some players feel a strong attachment to their named characters, reminiscent of titles like XCOM, but others note that the game could benefit from deeper emotional engagement and balance improvements to heighten the stakes of their decisions. Overall, the game shows potential for emotional depth but requires further development to fully resonate with players.

    • “Hearing your stealth guys barely speaking from exhaustion while your Rambo-like character is celebrating his 9th squad wipe and sort of scaring the more timid marine specialist he's with is so heartwarming.”
    • “Their emotional state matters and can be the difference between a resounding victory or absolute bloodbath.”
    • “It maintains the feel of XCOM and Phoenix Point where I have named individual characters with voice lines and personality, and emotional weight if I mess up a mission and start taking casualties.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and uniqueness, with each squad leader featuring distinct bios, appearances, and voice acting that contribute to varied gameplay roles. The flexibility in army creation and customization allows for both strategic and aesthetic choices, appealing to a wide range of players. Overall, while the current character designs are strong, there is potential for even greater development in future updates.

    • “A final shout-out to the excellent character design of the squad leaders; they all feel very different, thanks to the effort gone into their bios, appearance, and voice acting. No two tech trees look exactly the same, lending each character towards a few specific roles in the late game.”
    • “Each squad leader feels unique but remains modular and flexible, supported by incredible character design and voice acting. This appeals to both min-maxers and the more casual player who prioritizes aesthetics; there's a flavor for everyone.”
    • “Considering how many squad leaders there are even right now at the start of early access, it's clear there will be a ton of deep character development in the future, so I'm excited for that.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization of the game is not perceived as a cash grab, indicating that significant effort has been invested in its development. However, players express disappointment with the game's advertising, feeling that it misrepresents certain features, particularly regarding personality clashes, which are overly tied to authority levels and difficult to experience without intentional failure.

    • “Additionally, when the game advertisements mentioned you'd experience personality clashes between different characters, I thought that'd be a nice addition of drama. However, it's exclusively tied to your authority, and it's nearly impossible to hit low authority unless you consistently screw up missions or intentionally try to fail.”
    • “Between their ads on Reddit and here, I am disappointed in the product.”
    • “This is not a cash grab; the game has serious effort put into it.”
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23h Median play time
92h Average play time
10-74h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 50 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

MENACE is a survival role playing game with science fiction theme.

MENACE is available on PC, Windows, Xbox Game Pass and Xbox.

On average players spend around 92 hours playing MENACE.

MENACE was released on February 5, 2026.

MENACE was developed by Overhype Studios.

MENACE has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

MENACE is a single player game.

Similar games include Phantom Brigade, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters, Phoenix Point, Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus and others.