Otherwar
- February 27, 2023
- kantal collective
Get on Steam"Otherwar" is a unique blend of Tower Defense and Bullet Hell gameplay, with pixel art aesthetics and the theme of defending against an encroaching hell horde. As the defender angel, you must strategically plan out defenses while facing off against formidable adversaries. The game offers a challenging and engaging experience, combining strategic planning with fast-paced action.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Otherwar offers a unique and engaging blend of bullet-hell and tower defense gameplay, providing a challenging experience that rewards skill and strategy.
- The pixel art graphics and atmospheric soundtrack effectively enhance the game's dark, immersive environment, making it visually appealing and thematically cohesive.
- The game features a satisfying difficulty curve, where each victory feels earned, and the variety of towers and upgrades keeps the gameplay fresh and interesting.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly in later levels where players can become overpowered, making the gameplay feel trivial and less challenging.
- Some players find the initial difficulty too steep, leading to frustration, especially for newcomers to the tower defense genre.
- Technical shortcomings, such as uncustomizable controls and low-quality visuals, detract from the overall experience and may hinder enjoyment for some players.
- graphics19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the simple yet effective pixel art that captures the dark atmosphere, while others criticize it as outdated and poorly executed, likening it to a "hamfisted mess." Despite the lackluster visuals, the sound design is highlighted as a strong point, enhancing the overall immersive experience. Overall, the game's graphics seem to fall short of contemporary standards, leaving players wanting more in terms of quality and authenticity.
“The visuals are simple but effective, with a style that captures the dark, intense feel of the game.”
“Complementing the intense visuals is a masterfully crafted soundtrack.”
“Set in a pixelated hell, Otherwar makes great use of its pixel graphics - along with the eerie music that sets the ambiance to a lovely hellish landscape.”
“The chief problem is the developer phoned in the graphics instead of doing their job properly.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“Visually, this is a hamfisted mess, a dog's breakfast of bad visuals, and this kind of laziness and poor quality should never be foisted on gamers.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Otherwar" is a captivating blend of bullet-hell action and strategic tower defense, offering a challenging and addictive experience for fans of both genres. The variety of towers, upgrades, and enemy types adds depth, while the unique combination of arcade and roguelike elements keeps players engaged. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can detract from the experience, making certain moments feel tedious.
“The unique blend of bullet-hell action with strategic tower defense is highly engaging.”
“Variety: the different towers, upgrades, and enemy types add enough depth to keep gameplay fresh.”
“The unique combination of managing defenses while engaging in heart-pounding battles creates an addictive gameplay loop that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
“I feel at least part of the reason was due to the dull, slow soundtrack that makes the gameplay feel tedious at best and sometimes a bit monotonous when there aren't any projectiles on screen, and like I'm doing a job instead of having fun.”
“In my opinion, Otherwar is a gem for fans of tower defense games who crave more than just mindless gameplay.”
“Gameplay idea - a very unique combination of arcade, tower defense, and roguelike.”
- music9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with a dark and immersive soundtrack that complements the intense visuals and adds tension. However, some players find parts of the soundtrack dull and monotonous, which can detract from the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the quality of the music and sound effects significantly contributes to the game's eerie ambiance and engaging environment.
“The music is dark and perfectly suited to the game’s tone, adding a layer of tension and immersion that keeps you hooked through every wave of enemies.”
“Set in a pixelated hell, Otherwar makes great use of its pixel graphics, along with the eerie music that sets the ambiance to a lovely hellish landscape.”
“I feel at least part of the reason was due to the dull, slow soundtrack that makes the gameplay feel tedious at best and sometimes a bit monotonous when there aren't any projectiles on screen, making it feel like I'm doing a job instead of having fun.”
“The soundtrack complements the atmosphere, adding tension without overwhelming the action.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its dark, demonic visuals and effective sound design, which together create an intense and immersive experience. The combination of simple yet striking pixel art and a haunting soundtrack enhances the game's challenging gameplay, drawing players deeper into its cursed world. Overall, the atmospheric elements are praised for their ability to evoke tension and engagement without overshadowing the action.
“The soundtrack complements the atmosphere, adding tension without overwhelming the action.”
“Otherwar is a breath of fresh air in the crowded tower defense genre, blending a challenging difficulty curve with a strikingly heavy demonic atmosphere.”
“The dark, demonic theme sets the game apart, with its haunting atmosphere pulling you deeper into its cursed world.”
“It’s not just the visuals or gameplay that pull you in—the sound design plays a massive role in building the game's intense atmosphere.”
“The screenshots perfectly capture how good the pixel art in this game is, but the special atmosphere it creates with the sound effects, ambient music, and dozens of projectiles flying around on the screen is hard to describe with words.”
- story7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game appears to be frustrating for players, with complaints about mission design and pacing, particularly regarding time constraints that feel unrealistic. Players also express dissatisfaction with the need to replay older maps for experience points, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the narrative progression. Despite these issues, there is a sense of achievement in improving character skills through gameplay.
“However, as you defeat enemies, complete quests, and earn stars per level and per difficulty, you can improve your angel with skills.”
“There is one thing that yelled 'yes, this is factually bad.' In level 2, the bonus mission is 'clear this level in under 5:00', but even spamming summon waves faster at the maximum the game will allow, it took 13 minutes for the final wave to even arrive.”
“Annoying at the start, need to redo old maps to do quests to get XP.”
“But brother, let me tell you, I got crushed on the first mission here on normal.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, often feeling like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. While a speed boost helps alleviate some of the boredom, the overall gameplay remains slow and unengaging, compounded by a dull soundtrack. Additionally, the requirement to complete multiple farming games on easy difficulty, with the risk of failure, further contributes to the grind's frustration.
“Without that speed boost, the game felt monotonous at best. The speed boost definitely helps, but not enough to save it from feeling tedious.”
“I feel at least part of the reason was due to the dull, slow soundtrack that makes the gameplay feel tedious at best and sometimes a bit monotonous when there aren't any projectiles on screen, making it feel like I'm doing a job instead of having fun.”
“Which requires between 4-7 games of farming on easy, in which you can still fail!”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering a fun experience that encourages players to return multiple times.
“Solid and fun game with a ton of replay value!”
“The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh and exciting, making it hard to put down.”
