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 gameplay that combines necromancy with tower defense mechanics.
- Fun and engaging character creation with a variety of body parts to experiment with.
- Great value for the price, providing hours of entertainment.
- AI is often unresponsive and can lead to units wandering away from the base, leaving it undefended.
- Limited control over units, as players can only control one at a time, making micromanagement tedious.
- The game can feel repetitive and grindy, especially in the late game when the challenge diminishes.
- gameplay260 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its unique mechanics of assembling units from body parts and the engaging core loop that encourages experimentation. However, criticisms highlight issues such as repetitive gameplay, clunky controls, and a lack of depth, leading to a grindy experience that can become tedious over time. While the game offers a fun and creative premise, it suffers from design flaws and AI limitations that detract from the overall enjoyment.
“This was a fun afternoon, with interesting mechanics, charming audio and visual, and a legitimately tense ending.”
“The gameplay loop is satisfying and you always feel like you're progressing.”
“Necrosmith offers a fun core loop that will keep you hooked with its 'one more run' gameplay style.”
“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.”
- grinding65 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding, often described as tedious and repetitive, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some players appreciate the strategic elements and find the game entertaining, many express frustration with the lack of quality of life improvements and the overwhelming micromanagement required, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel monotonous and overly reliant on luck. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game has potential, its heavy emphasis on grinding and poor controls can make it a chore to play.
“Good game, good game loop, not too grindy, all around solid game for strategy players, good upgrade tree.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The game is not bad, but it emphasizes grinding too much.”
“This game depends too much on grinding and luck to win.”
“The progression gets a bit grindy in the late game, but it's always rewarding.”
- graphics53 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a colorful modern retro pixel art style that many players find nostalgic and aesthetically pleasing. However, some users note issues such as a constricting graphical overlay, minimal aesthetic variety, and occasional dissonance between enemy and ally sprites. Overall, while the art style is generally well-received and considered charming, there are concerns about optimization and a lack of graphical depth.
“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.”
“Despite the simple graphics, this game is poorly optimized.”
- replayability35 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability across the game, with many players noting limited replay value after completing the main objectives. While some highlight enjoyable mechanics and potential for future updates to enhance replayability, others express disappointment in the lack of content and repetitive gameplay. Overall, the game's replayability is seen as variable, with some players finding it high and others feeling it falls short.
“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.”
- story34 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often described as simplistic, with players noting a lack of depth and character development. While some appreciate the lighthearted and cute elements of the narrative, many feel that the gameplay could benefit from a more substantial story and meaningful progression. Overall, the story serves its purpose but is not a focal point, leaving players divided on its impact on the overall experience.
“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.”
“There are also a bunch of different upgrades you can get, spells you can learn, and a story to boot.”
“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.”
- music31 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its catchiness and retro charm, with many reviewers noting its ability to enhance the overall experience. While some mention a limited number of tracks that can become repetitive, others appreciate the pleasant and immersive quality of the soundtrack, which complements the game's aesthetic. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite some players opting to turn it off after a while.
“Silly game with a good soundtrack 10/10.”
“The music is pleasant to listen to, although the limited song count can overstay its welcome for completionists such as myself.”
“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: 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.”
- humor28 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its chaotic and whimsical nature, with players enjoying the absurdity of creating funny and grotesque monsters from mismatched body parts. Many reviews highlight the comedic interactions, particularly between the necromancer and their cat, as well as the amusingly poor AI and the entertaining gameplay that offers memorable moments. While the humor can be hit-or-miss, it generally provides a lighthearted and enjoyable experience, especially for those who appreciate creative and silly combinations.
“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.”
- stability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed; while some players report a bug-free experience and solid performance, others encounter significant bugs and freezing issues. Many users appreciate the fun gameplay despite these stability concerns, indicating that while the game is not perfect, it remains enjoyable for many.
“It's fun, well designed, bug free, and the AI is actually interesting to play with. My only wish is for some RTS mechanics like selecting multiple units, group move, and group target.”
“The game is solid and bug free from what I can tell; I don't think I ran into a single bug!”
“Still bug free for me and not terrible; I will try a sequel.”
“Just freezes up.”
“Fun but buggy.”
“I didn't experience any bugs or glitches, but as many other reviews have pointed out, it's very clear that there wasn't much thought put into the gameplay itself.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players report no performance issues, others criticize the sound optimization as poor and the overall game as poorly optimized despite its simple graphics. Additionally, there are concerns about balance issues related to creature parts' cost versus performance. Overall, while the game shows potential, it could benefit from further optimization, especially for 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's also some balance issues with creature parts' cost vs. performance.”
“Terrible sound optimization; having a bunch of enemies banging on your tower gets very loud and annoying.”
“Despite the simple graphics, this game is poorly optimized.”
“I wish it was optimized for the Steam Deck, though.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism, with players feeling that the developer's focus on advertising and the quick announcement of a sequel after minimal updates suggests a cash grab mentality. While the gameplay aligns with the advertised experience, the lack of ongoing support raises concerns about the developer's commitment to the original title.
“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.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally engaging due to its blend of humor and memorable moments, despite its smaller scale. While some express frustration with gameplay mechanics, the overall sentiment highlights a strong appreciation for the fun and value it offers, making it a standout experience.
“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 must say they sure figured out how to still keep it challenging even with AI knowing to avoid enemy units from touching them.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's strong premise and immersive atmosphere, suggesting that it effectively draws players into its world.
“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 in the environment contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.”
