Of Gods and Men: The Daybreak Empire

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 62 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Of Gods and Men: The Daybreak Empire Game Cover
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In "Of Gods and Men: The Daybreak Empire," players become a god and build a following in a procedurally generated world. They must manage resources, expand their territory, and navigate political and religious relationships. The game emphasizes strategy, diplomacy, and empire-building in a religious and mythological setting.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 62 reviews
story14 positive mentions
replayability4 negative mentions
  • The game features lovely sprite work and a nice variety of maps, creating a sense of expansion as players progress through chapters.
  • Character variance is commendable, allowing for diverse army configurations and strategies despite having only three troop types.
  • The game is enjoyable and fun, with a decent narrative that keeps the gameplay moving forward without overwhelming players with cutscenes.
  • The game suffers from significant balancing issues, with hero characters being overpowered while standard units feel weak and often die in one hit.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with many battles being easily won by simply waiting for enemies to attack.
  • Technical issues, such as bugs and a cumbersome user interface, detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating at times.
  • story52 mentions

    The story is generally considered serviceable, providing enough narrative to support the gameplay, though it lacks depth and character development. Many players found the plot predictable and short, with a desire for more substantial backstories for the numerous NPCs. While the storyline has its enjoyable moments, it often feels disconnected from the gameplay, leading to a mixed reception overall.

    • “It's a fun game with a nice little storyline.”
    • “The good: enjoyed the graphics, the story (though somewhat short and predictable) has heart, the soundtrack was appropriate, and the gameplay is my preferred mix of turn-based combat and team management.”
    • “Starting with the story, it has an interesting enough one, with just enough weight to justify the gameplay.”
    • “After meeting a dozen NPCs with no backstory, one wonders, 'Why not just add 2 or 3 NPCs and give them a proper story?' This is just to be welcomed by a weird world map and economy that feels wrong because all the units you can hire are one-shotted anyway.”
    • “The pacing at times could be a bit odd; for example, there are several instances throughout the plot where champion characters just manifest out of the ether when you assault their capital, with no preamble whatsoever.”
    • “The gameplay was okay, but the storyline was kind of boring.”
  • gameplay42 mentions

    The gameplay is generally smooth and enjoyable, featuring a mix of turn-based combat and army management reminiscent of titles like Fire Emblem and Advance Wars. While it lacks depth and can become repetitive, the introduction of new unit types and a straightforward QTE system adds some variety. Overall, the mechanics are effective for the game's context, though the story may feel predictable and not overly engaging.

    • “Smooth gameplay, no technical issues or visual problems.”
    • “In terms of gameplay, the game does a fairly decent job at being a turn-based SRPG, ala Fire Emblem, Tactics Ogre, etc., which it balances decently with the war game elements.”
    • “The good: enjoyed the graphics, the story (though somewhat short and predictable) has heart, the soundtrack was appropriate, and the gameplay is my preferred mix of turn-based combat and team management.”
    • “The gameplay was okay, but the storyline was kind of boring.”
    • “The combat gets a bit repetitive after a while, but your unit leveling mechanics and introduction of new unit types as the game progresses make it an interesting experience.”
    • “Don't expect extremely deep mechanics or the longest of games.”
  • graphics20 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many players appreciating the nice pixel art style and nostalgic visuals that enhance the game's world. However, some critiques mention issues like black borders that detract from the visual experience and a lack of engaging content that overshadows the positive aspects of the graphics. Overall, while the art style and character design are praised, the gameplay experience is marred by other shortcomings.

    • “Nice pixel graphics.”
    • “The visuals that were used to give life to the world laid before us meet essentially every requirement and are perhaps the game's strongest point.”
    • “The nostalgic graphics set in a quite decent lore world makes me wish for more titles in the future.”
    • “I expect a paper-thin story in most strategy games by indie developers, but the strategy part is the thing that's supposed to make us forgive the NES-level graphics, and there is no strategy.”
    • “The game has black borders making it less enjoyable to look at, although I do like its art style and the character design.”
    • “But I could forgive the graphics if the controls were smooth.”
  • music20 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it enjoyable and fitting, others criticize it for lacking depth and failing to enhance the emotional weight of key scenes. The soundtrack is described as pleasant but limited, with a desire for more variety and stronger melodies, particularly in the context of 8-bit music. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the gameplay experience for some, it leaves others wanting more in terms of character and impact.

    • “A fun turn-based tactics game with music I just loved.”
    • “Overall, though, I did love playing this game and was bobbing my head to the music and smiling as I found new unit types and saw the different maps.”
    • “I kind of wish there was more music; maybe a decisive battle theme for each of the capitals?”
    • “Ear-clawing sound effects and terrible music.”
    • “Overall, however, despite how pleasant it might be to the ears the first few times, I think that the soundtrack failed to capture any of the weight behind most scenes and major battles, which is especially disappointing given it was used as one of the game's main advertising points.”
    • “The music of this genre and era of gaming is traditionally incisive and melodic, where most of what we hear in 'Of Gods and Men' feels more atmospheric and without as much character.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The game has limited replayability, primarily due to its short length and lack of significant changes in gameplay, even on harder difficulties. Players express a desire for additional modes, such as a sandbox option, to enhance replay value, but overall, it falls short compared to other strategy games like the Fire Emblem series.

    • “Additionally, a sandbox game mode where you could start in whatever capital you wanted and have a free-for-all would be really interesting for replay value.”
    • “Game is also on the short side, and lacks the replayability of the Fire Emblem series.”
    • “If you want a deep strategy experience from this game, you definitely will not find it here (unless you are on the harder difficulties, I have not played them yet but I do not intend to as there is no replay value and the game never changes).”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game relies heavily on puns related to fantasy names and races, but many players find it unengaging and lacking in depth, leading to a general indifference towards the comedic elements.

  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with many expressing that the default settings make the experience feel monotonous and unenjoyable.

    • “The default setting should not be mind-numbingly tedious.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users have reported stability issues, particularly noting that the tutorial for creating units experiences glitches in widescreen mode. This suggests that the game may have unresolved technical problems that could affect the overall user experience.

    • “The tutorial that shows you how to create units glitches out in widescreen mode.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The reviews do not provide any specific insights into the monetization aspect of the game, focusing instead on the soundtrack's effectiveness in enhancing the game's emotional weight. Therefore, no conclusions can be drawn regarding monetization from the provided texts.

  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere in 'Of Gods and Men' is characterized by a more ambient and subdued musical style, lacking the incisive and melodic qualities typical of its genre and era. This creates a unique but less defined auditory experience that may not resonate as strongly with fans of traditional gaming music.

    • “The music of this genre and era of gaming is traditionally incisive and melodic, where most of what we hear in 'Of Gods and Men' feels more atmospheric and immersive.”
  • character development2 mentions

    While the game's art style and character design are appreciated, the presence of black borders detracts from the overall visual experience, potentially impacting the immersion in character development.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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