Necrosmith
- July 13, 2022
- Alawar
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Necrosmith" is a single-player fantasy hack and slash game with excellent mechanics, splendid visuals, and a fabulous soundtrack. As a Necromancer, you assemble and upgrade an army of undead creatures, combining body parts to optimize their combat abilities. Explore diverse biomes, build up your necro labs, and escape from this strange world. The game offers a good plot and humor, with some grinding required. Don't forget to check out Necrosmith 2 and Wall World.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 5
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- Unique and fun concept of creating undead from various body parts.
- Great value for the price, providing hours of entertainment.
- Recent updates have improved AI and gameplay mechanics, making it more enjoyable.
- gameplay520 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Necrosmith is characterized by a unique mechanic of assembling undead units from various body parts, which offers a fun and engaging core loop. However, many players find the experience marred by clunky controls, repetitive tasks, and a lack of depth, leading to a grindy feel that can diminish long-term enjoyment. While the game has potential and provides a decent amount of content for its low price, it suffers from design flaws and AI issues that detract from the overall experience.
“This was a fun afternoon, with interesting mechanics, charming audio and visual, and a legitimately tense ending.”
“Simple, fun, gameplay-focused - my favorite type of game.”
“The gameplay loop is satisfying and you always feel like you're progressing.”
“Sadly it's held back by several design flaws, which makes for a very unrefined gameplay experience.”
“It seems like a good basis for a game, like it should be enjoyable, but current gameplay is tedious and lacks the depth.”
“The gameplay is very slow and boring and you can't do too much to affect it.”
- grinding130 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding, often described as tedious and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the lack of quality-of-life improvements and the micromanagement required for unit control. While some appreciate the game's concept and find it entertaining in short bursts, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment, making progression feel slow and unfulfilling. Overall, the game is seen as overly reliant on grinding, which can lead to a frustrating experience for players.
“Good game, good game loop, not too grindy, all around solid game for strategy players, good upgrade tree, cons include a little heavy on RNG, 8/10”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The game is not bad but it emphasizes a lot on grinding, even too much.”
“This game depends too much on grinding and luck to win.”
“There are further issues like no auto creation for zombies, no AI option to defend the tower while also dodging, and the game not having any decision-making or skill involved, which makes this game a boring, tedious grind.”
- graphics106 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a modern retro pixel art style that is colorful and nostalgic, appealing to fans of pixelated aesthetics. However, some players noted issues such as a constricting graphical overlay, minimal variety in aesthetics, and occasional dissonance between enemy and ally sprites. Overall, while the art style is generally well-received and considered charming, there are calls for better optimization and more graphical variety.
“The game is stylized in modern retro pixel graphics, very colorful yet not in a way that would overburden our attention.”
“The art style is beautiful, the animations are neat in their pixelated splendor, the music makes me happy and immerses me into this fantasy world.”
“Great pixel graphics that match the relaxing dynamic soundtrack.”
“Huge graphical overlay at the corners constricts your field of view way too much.”
“Very minimal variety in aesthetics.”
“Graphics lacks style and quality.”
- replayability70 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability across different games, with some titles praised for high replay value due to engaging mechanics and updates, while others are criticized for limited replayability after completing the main objectives. Many users express a desire for additional content, such as randomized maps or upgrades, to enhance replayability. Overall, while some games offer significant replay potential, others fall short, leaving players with little incentive to return after the initial playthrough.
“It has a high replay value and I'm looking forward to a new update!”
“Cool cozy game in the same idea of Vampire Survivors, very high replayability, very enjoyable and cheap game.”
“Great game, high replayability, and lots of potential.”
“Cool little game, sadly I don't see any replayability once you've beaten it.”
“Don't see much reason to keep playing after escaping, not much replay value.”
“This game has serious potential, but almost no replay value.”
- story68 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often described as simplistic, with many players noting a lack of depth and character development. While some appreciate the lighthearted and cute elements of the narrative, others feel that the absence of a substantial story detracts from the overall experience, suggesting that meaningful progression could enhance the gameplay. Overall, the story serves its purpose but is not a focal point, leaving players divided on its impact.
“The story, what little of it I've gotten to, is pretty cute, also.”
“The story was also surprisingly fun with a totally unexpected plot twist.”
“It's not a game you will put a huge amount of time into, but getting through its story is a nice fulfilling experience.”
“The game has almost no story.”
“I haven't noticed any kind of deep story or character building.”
“Not a lot of story, and kinda grindy.”
- music62 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its catchy and pleasant nature, often likening it to retro 1990s soundtracks. However, some reviewers noted the limited number of tracks can lead to repetitiveness over time. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's aesthetic and enhances the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for many players.
“Silly game with a good soundtrack 10/10.”
“The music was perfect - this one song plays during the game, and yeah it's just one song but I never got irritated by it because it was this perfectly charming classic MIDI music throwback and I absolutely loved it.”
“Music is retro 1990's excellence adding to the relaxing addictive quality for those who love that sensual spooky sound such as myself who grew up playing the likes of Zombies Ate My Neighbors.”
“Music: it's ... I ... look, just turn it off in the options and listen to something on YouTube.”
“The music lasted about 10 seconds longer before I turned it off than most games.”
“Music and animation still playing, but just the intro screen and that's it.”
- humor56 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as chaotic yet entertaining, with players enjoying the absurdity of creating funny and horrifying minions from body parts. Many found the interactions between the necromancer and the cat to be particularly amusing, alongside the game's quirky mechanics and character controls. Overall, while the humor can be hit or miss, it contributes to a lighthearted experience that players appreciate, especially for its price point.
“You slowly collect body parts at first, which you are 100% free to mix and match onto hilariously tiny bodies and vice versa.”
“Conversations between the necromancer and the cat are hilarious!”
“The assembled minions look horrifying and hilarious.”
- stability18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The stability of the game received mixed reviews, with some players reporting a bug-free experience while others encountered freezing issues and mild bugs. Overall, many found the game enjoyable and well-designed, though some noted a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics. While not perfect, significant game-breaking glitches were generally absent.
“Games solid and bug free from what I can tell, don't think I ran into a single bug!”
“It's fun, well designed, bug free, the AI is actually interesting to play with.”
“Still - bug free for me and not terrible, and will try a sequel.”
“Just freezes up.”
“Fun but buggy.”
“Buggy”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players report no performance issues, others criticize the sound optimization and balance between creature parts' cost and performance. Additionally, there are calls for better optimization on platforms like the Steam Deck.
“Performance: haven't had any issues.”
“This game has a lot of potential; performance issues are no more, but it seems the spamming of enemies has decreased significantly.”
“There are some balance issues with creature parts' cost versus performance.”
“Despite the simple graphics, this game is poorly optimized.”
“I wish it was optimized for the Steam Deck, though.”
“There are also some balance issues with creature parts' cost versus performance.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism, with some players perceiving it as a cash grab due to the limited updates following the initial release and the quick announcement of a sequel. While the gameplay aligns with the advertised experience, the developer's lack of ongoing support raises concerns about their commitment to the game beyond initial sales.
“The developer releasing the 1.0 game and a total of about 3 updates before going radio silent, and then announcing a sequel just 5 months after the last update, makes this game feel like a cash grab.”
“What you see in the ads above is what you get gameplay-wise, and if that interests you?”
“It's crazy that people are tripping about them advertising on their own game hahaha.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally engaging due to its touching humor and memorable moments, despite its smaller scale. The balance of challenge and fun, along with the anticipation of AI updates, contributes to a positive emotional experience, making it a worthwhile purchase for many. However, some players express frustration with gameplay mechanics that hinder their enjoyment, indicating a desire for improvements to enhance the emotional connection further.
“Not a majesty game, this is a much smaller proposition, but some nice touching humor and easy to understand meta is a fun and simple way to generate some memorable moments while you are fighting against the world.”
“When comparing price and the fun I got with it, this game is definitely one of the best, if not the best game I have bought. I saw the AI update coming and was like that will surely make the game way too easy, but I must say they sure figured out how to still keep it challenging even with AI knowing to avoid enemy units from touching them.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised, with users highlighting its strong premise and immersive environment.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
“The game's ambiance perfectly complements the storyline, creating a captivating experience.”
“Every detail contributes to a haunting atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
