Oil Enterprise
- April 19, 2016
- Crafty Studios
- 7h median play time
Get on SteamOil Enterprise is a simulation game where you build and manage an oil company. You explore for oil, drill wells, refine crude oil, and sell petroleum products to meet demand. The game features a dynamic economy, detailed machinery, and realistic production chains. Your success depends on your strategic decisions, efficient operations, and ability to adapt to market fluctuations.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game has a classic exploration feel and can be fun for a few hours of casual gameplay.
- It captures some aspects of the oil business, such as processing optimization and contract management.
- The graphics, while cartoony, are consistent and can be enjoyable for fans of the style.
- The game is plagued by bugs and crashes, especially when producing large amounts of oil, making it unplayable for many.
- It lacks depth and content, with limited building options and repetitive gameplay that can become boring quickly.
- The tutorial is inadequate, leaving players confused about game mechanics and lacking guidance on how to succeed.
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics have received mixed reviews, with some players finding them inconsistent and lacking polish, while others appreciate the intentional cartoony style that aligns with the game's design. However, this choice has led to complaints about immersion, as the visuals may feel more suited to casual games rather than a serious business simulation. Overall, the graphics are considered adequate for the intended style, despite some reservations.
“People seem to be complaining about the graphics, but the designers made a choice to make it cartoony, and the look is consistent. So I'll say the graphics are pretty good for the style they went for and give it a pass on that front.”
“The graphics seem fine/good for this type of game, although many have complained that the cartoony graphics break the immersion of a business sim, making it feel more like a Big Fish Games flash game.”
“There's some cons (graphic artifacts, some unnecessary menu clicking, maybe a bit too cartoony for the subject) about it as a game, and it does look like it could use a little more polish.”
“Graphics are really meh.. the English used within the game is well borderline English.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of effective tutorials, forcing players to independently learn both industry basics and game mechanics, which disrupts immersion and leads to frustration. Additionally, the gameplay experience is described as limited, offering little to engage players after a challenging start.
“The game catches the player up to speed with the mechanics (basic setup practices) and key understandings to be successful.”
“Instead, it forces the player to not only learn the basics of the industry themselves, but also the basics of the game mechanics, which can break immersion and create a frustrating experience compared to other games that have a proper tutorial.”
“But figuring out game mechanics is not the same thing as figuring out best practices or world/game exploration.”
“Instead, it forces the player to not only learn the basics of the industry themselves, but also the basics of the game mechanics, which breaks the immersion and creates an almost hair-pulling experience, especially compared to so many other involved games that have a proper tutorial.”
“Gameplay is limited, and there's not a lot to do after the demanding start.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that render it nearly unplayable. While some players note minor issues, the overall consensus indicates significant stability problems that hinder gameplay.
“Lots of bugs and glitches thus making the game unplayable. I have yet to get more than 10-15 minutes through any scenario before either a bug, glitch, or game crash happens. Only scenarios work for me; anytime I try starting a game of a different type, it never works. It won't let me choose what country I want to start in; it just doesn't want to do anything.”
“I cannot put into words how bad this game is, let alone all the glitches.”
- music3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely criticized as annoying and reminiscent of elevator music, with some players noting that while it can be muted, its presence is still a drawback.
“The music is very annoying too (okay, it can be muted but still).”
“The music is the techno equivalent of elevator music.”
“The music is the techno equivalent of elevator music.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, often requiring significant time investment for minimal rewards, making it suitable only for those willing to engage in repetitive tasks for extended periods.
“It is an okay game if you want to waste a couple of hours with mindless grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users note that optimization is complex, as the performance metrics of individual processing segments do not align with one another. This creates challenges in assessing the overall condition and operational costs of buildings within the area.
“Optimization is not a simple accomplishment, as the measurement of each processing segment doesn't match with adjacent pieces.”
“Basically, it's a condensed location to see the condition, performance characteristics, and operating costs of each building in the region.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game's replayability is limited, as only a few scenarios are available for play, including the tutorial, which may reduce long-term engagement.
“The upshot of this is that only a handful of scenarios are playable, including the tutorial.”
“Once you've completed the main storyline, there's little incentive to go back and replay.”
“The lack of diverse endings makes it feel like a one-and-done experience.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some missions being described as confusing, though this is understandable given the alpha status. Additionally, there is a noted misconception from the developers regarding the use of German as the primary language, which may affect international players' understanding of the narrative.
“Some of the missions are a bit confusing, though (but it's still alpha, so it's okay), and there's a bit of a misconception from the developers that seem to think that their language (German) is the international language.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged with the plot.”
“Character development is shallow, and I found it difficult to care about their motivations or outcomes.”
