Oil Rush

About

Oil Rush is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Unigine Corp. and was released on January 25, 2012. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

Oil Rush is a naval strategy game that takes place in a world where nuclear war has melted the ice caps, changing the face of the planet forever. Oil Rush offers unique gameplay, avoiding micromanagement of every single unit, while still providing full control over all important aspects of strategy and economy.

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48%

Audience ScoreBased on 331 reviews

gameplay21 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

Graphics are impressive and have aged well, providing a visually appealing experience.
Unique mix of real-time strategy and tower defense with a simple yet somewhat engaging gameplay style focused on capturing nodes.
Easy to pick up for casual or less experienced RTS players, with a functional campaign and some challenging moments.

Gameplay is overly simplified with very limited control over individual units, leading to shallow and repetitive strategy.
AI is unbalanced and sometimes cheats, spawning units off-map and making the game frustrating and unfair especially in later levels.
Poor voice acting and writing diminish the narrative experience, alongside technical issues and clunky controls that disrupt gameplay flow.

gameplay
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
60%
13%
The gameplay in this RTS title is generally noted for its unique concept and solid strategic foundation, combining base control and unit management in a post-apocalyptic setting. However, many reviewers find it simplistic, slow-paced, and lacking depth or complexity, with limited unit control and repetitive mechanics that diminish long-term engagement. While visually appealing and well-optimized, the gameplay often feels derivative or shallow, appealing mainly to players seeking straightforward, casual RTS experiences rather than those desiring rich, intricate strategy.
- “Great strategy game with interesting mechanics.”
- “The story is forgettable, but the core of this game is in its gameplay, and that's where it shines.”
- “Interesting gameplay & setting, great graphics: it's no standard RTS but a real cool game!”
- “The gameplay is incredibly slow, the story is boring, and I'm incredibly sad that I paid a small portion of the humble bundle for this game.”
- “The mechanics of the game are extraordinarily simple, and the control of the units so coarse that any sort of micro control is entirely absent.”
- “While the graphics are certainly impressive, and it makes me wonder why more games don't use the Unigine engine, the gameplay is flat-out boring.”
story
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
66%
15%
The story in this game is widely regarded as clichéd, predictable, and filled with stereotypes, with many finding it corny or naive. While some praise its simple premise and post-apocalyptic theme centered on a war for oil, the narrative execution, voice acting, and writing quality are generally criticized, and the campaign is often described as short and tedious. Overall, the story is considered forgettable and not a strong motivation to endure the gameplay's difficulty or repetitive missions.
- “The dialogue and story are delightfully corny, as long as you don't try to take them seriously.”
- “Well-made, amazing, and a great story.”
- “The story is simple and straightforward, with a few foreseeable twists and developments that, while largely unimaginative, are still disturbing and well done.”
- “The plot is naive and simply bad; gameplay is dull with many minor technical and translation issues in the English version.”
- “The plot is predictable, the characters are mind-numbingly simple, and the campaign ended too soon (13 hours).”
- “The campaign story is composed of a predictable plot with bland characters and filled with stereotypes.”
graphics
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The graphics across these games are frequently praised for their high quality, impressive detail, and lasting visual appeal, often described as modern, beautiful, and immersive—especially with water and environmental effects. Many reviewers highlight the use of advanced engines like Unigine to create visually stunning experiences that hold up over time. However, despite the strong visuals, some note that impressive graphics sometimes mask simplistic or uninspired gameplay.
- “The graphics still hold up today and I caught myself looking at some of the scenery that is just well-designed.”
- “Excellent graphic environment, wonderful details, and excellent variety of forces. I wish this masterpiece game would be seen more or at least be advertised a little.”
- “The top-notch visuals, sound design, and cinematic battles really help to draw you in; this is definitely a fun one to sink some time into.”
- “On launching a round, it immediately becomes obvious why this is being called an uninspired mobile game clone with pretty graphics.”
- “The graphics are fine, but that doesn't matter since you spend 90% of the time looking at the mini-map.”
- “Unfortunately, the graphics and building defensive turrets around the bases is all the main screen is used for.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is widely seen as tedious and unbalanced, with long, repetitive missions and slow progression that detract from enjoyment. Players find micromanagement and difficulty frustrating, contributing to a monotonous experience that rarely improves over time.
- “The game is fun for about half the campaign then starts becoming tedious; the chasing missions are annoying, and the 20 waves missions are horrible and long.”
- “This game is a mixture between an action real-time strategy game and two subgenres: from the action RTS comes unit management, RPG powers, and tedious micromanagement.”
- “And from MOBAs comes the mechanic of your or the opponent's actions deciding the game in the first third of the match, but stretching it out for the sake of completeness and as tribute to the practice known as 'grinding'.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game receives mixed feedback, with some users finding it catchy and suitable, while others criticize it as obnoxious or poor quality. Overall, the soundtrack is considered decent but not always fitting for the game's strategic tone.
- “Great soundtrack.”
- “The textures and music, however, are awesome.”
- “The music is suitable, and quite good too.”
- “Half of the music tracks in the game are either too action-oriented or straight-up obnoxious, which doesn't complement the strategic feel the game is supposed to have.”
- “The music is decently catchy but the quality is poor.”
- “The music is also meh.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted by its funny and sometimes hilariously acted story, with entertaining yet often poorly translated dialogue. While the campaign's humor is cliche and can feel dragged out, multiplayer moments add to the overall comedic experience.
- “Almost worth staying for the poorly translated, hilariously acted story.”
- “Also very funny in multiplayer!”
- “Funny game, campaign is a little short but you still want to finish 'one more mission' before you turn it off.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and an illogical AI system. Players experience crashes and problems with saving progress, making it difficult to advance and enjoy the game.
- “The AI system isn’t quite logical and handling activities as expected; besides, bugs and glitches bring no joy to repeating the same missing.”
- “I can't get past level 2 because the game switches to windowed mode by itself, then forces me to save and close it, after which my save file is gone. The game is riddled with bugs, glitches, and a poor setup overall.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a decent and engaging atmosphere that complements its gameplay well, making it a fun option for casual play and time-killing.
- “A fun game to kill some time, with decent gameplay and atmosphere.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization aspect appears to be criticized indirectly through poor voice acting quality, suggesting possible budget constraints or inexperience among the development team rather than technical performance issues.