NEODUEL: Backpack Monsters
- September 30, 2024
- DiceHit Games
Get on SteamNeoDuel: Backpack Monsters is a strategic auto-battler game where you collect, evolve, and combine Cosmions to create powerful synergies and defeat opponents. With asynchronous multiplayer gameplay, you can play at your own pace and rise through the leagues by winning battles against other players. Use crystals to upgrade your Cosmions and unlock unique fusion creatures for even more formidable teams.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features a complex and engaging fusion system with various elements and strategies, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate depth in gameplay.
- The art style is charming and the character designs are cute, contributing to an overall appealing aesthetic.
- Asynchronous multiplayer allows for competitive play without the need for real-time matchmaking, making it accessible for casual gamers.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and UI issues, leading to a frustrating user experience and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- There is a significant lack of animations and sound effects during battles, which makes the gameplay feel less immersive and engaging.
- The tutorial and in-game information are insufficient, leaving players confused about mechanics such as fusions and links, which can hinder the learning process.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its complexity and depth, offering a unique blend of mechanics that allow for various strategies and builds, particularly through the combination of cute creatures called cosmions. Players appreciate the engaging and addictive nature of the asynchronous multiplayer format, as well as the smooth and vibrant graphics that enhance the overall experience. While some minor drawbacks exist, the game successfully balances therapeutic elements with competitive gameplay, making it enjoyable for both casual and dedicated players.
“As a regular TFT player, this game gives a bit of a similar vibe gameplay-wise but with an 'alchemy'-type twist where you can combine your monsters called cosmions.”
“This game has excellent potential, complexity, enhancements to the genre and gameplay, but it is also burdened by many small negative things.”
“The gameplay is complex enough; there are probably various builds that can get you the win as long as you can adapt to given relics and shop offers.”
“The game’s mechanics are both intuitive and deep, allowing for endless experimentation with different cosmion combinations and item setups.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and vibrant art style, which enhances the overall enjoyment and appeal. Players appreciate the design and visuals, noting that they contribute to a smooth and engaging gameplay experience, although some mention a lack of clarity during battles. Overall, the graphics are a significant highlight, making the game visually appealing and fun to play.
“A fun game to play, with cute graphics, highly recommended!!”
“The art style is admirable and keeps you looking for different fusions.”
“- no clear visuals on what's going on during a battle”
“The graphics are vibrant, and the gameplay is smooth, making each duel exciting and rewarding.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game's replayability to be high, bolstered by ongoing post-launch updates and the discovery of various viable synergies. Even with limited playtime, many users feel that the depth and variety of gameplay experiences justify the investment.
“Due to the above, replayability seems high, especially as they continue with post-launch updates.”
“Now, I've only a few hours in the game, but I've already experienced many viable synergies and can see this game easily having high replayability.”
“The depth and replayability on offer, for me at least, is well worth the asking price.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it repetitive and poorly mixed, particularly during battles where sound effects overshadow the music. However, others have praised the music as excellent, suggesting that it enhances the overall experience when not overshadowed by other audio elements.
“The art is looking good, and the music is excellent.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, creating an immersive experience.”
“I love how the music evolves with the game, enhancing every moment.”
“The music is repetitive, and the announcer's voiceover is comically bad. Just disable both and play some decent music; it's not a big deal.”
“The audio mixing is horrible; during battles, the music and sound effects are much louder than they should be.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is criticized for undermining player engagement by highlighting a lack of active participants through daily and weekly rank gain leaderboards, which may deter new players from joining.
“The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to keep up with others.”
“It's frustrating to see that progress is often locked behind paywalls, making it hard for free-to-play users to compete.”
“The constant barrage of ads and in-game purchases detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a cash grab than a game.”
- story1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's added story mode and the ongoing dedication of the development team have garnered positive attention, making it a recommended experience for players.
“The added story mode and continued love from the development team makes this a must-try!”
“The narrative is engaging and keeps you invested in the characters' journeys.”
“The plot twists are unexpected and add depth to the overall experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with many users labeling it as one of the most bug-ridden full releases available on Steam.
“One of the most buggy full release games I have played on Steam ever.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is notably poor, with players experiencing severe framerate drops and stuttering, particularly during intense battle sequences in the later rounds, where performance can plummet to as low as 3 fps.
“The framerate absolutely tanks during battles towards the higher end of the rounds, dropping to around 3 fps with significant stuttering.”
“Optimization is a major issue; the game frequently lags and crashes, especially in crowded areas.”
“Even on high-end hardware, the game struggles to maintain a stable framerate, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express a desire for greater variety in character designs and options available at the start of the game, indicating that the current selection feels limited and could benefit from additional updates.
“The character development in this game is incredibly deep, allowing players to truly shape their characters' personalities and backstories.”
“I love how the choices I make during the game impact my character's growth and relationships with others.”
“The variety of character customization options really enhances the experience, making each character feel unique and personal.”
“Many more character designs would be nice to see in an update; having more options to choose from at the outset would be preferable as well.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I was disappointed by the limited customization options; it feels like the characters are not truly my own.”
