Pandemic Train
- October 18, 2023
- Trigger Labs
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Pandemic Train" is a survival game set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where you command a train crew in search of a plague cure. With roguelike and strategy elements, maintain the train's functionality while fending off dangers in this alternate 20th-century timeline. Your actions will determine the fate of humanity.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique concept that combines survival mechanics with train management and exploration.
- The art style and atmosphere are well-received, creating an engaging environment for players.
- The auto-scavenge feature allows for quicker gameplay, making resource collection less tedious.
- Gameplay is repetitive, with players often revisiting the same maps and facing the same enemies, leading to a lack of variety.
- Combat mechanics are basic and unchallenging, with poor enemy AI and frustrating hitbox issues.
- The game suffers from optimization problems, including bugs and performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay35 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment in its repetitive nature and lack of depth. While some appreciate the survival mechanics and unique concept, others find the combat and exploration uninspired, leading to a feeling of monotony. Overall, the game struggles to maintain engagement, with many aspects needing more polish and development to enhance the experience.
“Some features such as the strategy provided by survival mechanics, base-building, and crew management are pretty good.”
“What I like is the unique idea, the gameplay, the feel, and the music of the game.”
“The gameplay mechanics are solid, the graphics are average, the sound effects average, the music awesome, and overall I think for 17 dollars this game is a really good investment.”
“But it turns out the train is very anecdotal and there's nothing much to manage in it; you actually spend most of your time exploring limited maps with not great level design, terrible combat gameplay, preset looting locations scattered around, all while enduring very basic dialogues with cringe attempts at humor.”
“Honestly a bit boring... I was here for the train part of the gameplay, only to end up realizing it's just a mini part of the gameplay, in between first-person shooting sessions. Worse, you can never add wagons to your train, so the potential is immensely wasted and the train gameplay is extremely basic. Even the shooting/fighting part when on the ground gets boring quite quickly, as it ends up being a contest of rapid clicking. Very disappointed, because the concept could've been so much more.”
“The worst part is that the core gameplay just isn't good enough to keep the game going.”
- story29 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story is set in a familiar post-apocalyptic survival theme, featuring a campaign structured around multiple runs and quests, but it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth. While some players find the narrative intriguing and appreciate the personal quests for leaders, many criticize the overall execution as bland, with a disappointing ending and minimal character development. The gameplay often feels disconnected from the story, leading to a sense of monotony and a lack of meaningful choices.
“They are joined by an interesting story, with an intriguing twist all wrapped in a robust roguelite format that amply fits its repetitive design.”
“Each map run is divided into three acts with a possible 17 quests to discover and conclude over the course of the game.”
“All in all, it's not a perfect game, but I still enjoy it and I'll definitely play more to see how the story unfolds itself.”
“The problem is that the missions are mind-numbingly repetitive, the building area of your train is annoyingly small, and the game is moderately buggy.”
“The story is not that great and the fact you can't go back to visit a different region or city is kind of silly.”
“The story is bland, and the gameplay gets stale after just 3 'journeys'.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the art style and atmosphere as lovely and fitting for the game's tone, while others criticized them as basic and reminiscent of older consoles like the N64. While the aesthetic elements met expectations for some, others felt that the graphics lacked polish and could benefit from further refinement.
“The aesthetic was nice and I was ready to dive in.”
“I added this to my wishlist 3+ years ago after reading a post on /r/thiswarofmine about this game because of the style and atmosphere it showed, and all of that didn't disappoint: the art style, music, and atmosphere are lovely and met my expectations. It's a bit dark and grim, and I like that.”
“Graphics are good, the story is fine, and the gameplay is unique; it feels like you're playing two different games: a top-down shooter and a colony survival.”
“The gameplay, graphics, sound, and mechanics are alright, but every aspect of the game could use just a little more tender loving care and polish.”
“Graphics: 3/10 - very basic and akin to N64 graphics.”
“The graphics are average.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a dark and grim aesthetic, often evoking a sense of gloom reminiscent of Eastern Europe. While some players appreciate the art style and music, contributing to an engaging atmosphere, others find it somewhat dull and unpolished. Overall, the atmosphere is a highlight for many, aligning well with the expectations set by its genre.
“The game atmosphere is very interesting.”
“I added this to my wishlist 3+ years ago after reading a post on /r/thiswarofmine about this game because of the style and atmosphere it showed, and all of that didn't disappoint: the art style, music, and atmosphere are lovely and met my expectations; it's a bit dark and grim, and I like that.”
“Don't get me wrong, the gameplay isn't really similar; it's more about a general atmosphere of gloom, plus I'm guessing it's set somewhere in Eastern Europe.”
“Don't get me wrong, the gameplay isn't really similar, it's more of a general atmosphere of gloom, plus, I'm guessing it's set somewhere in Eastern Europe?”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion I was hoping for.”
“While the visuals are decent, the overall atmosphere fails to evoke any real emotion or connection to the game world.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting that it offers little incentive to play again beyond achievements. While the rogue-styled map introduces some variation in chapter routes, the gameplay itself does not provide enough motivation for repeated playthroughs.
“The rogue-styled map ensures that each chapter is similar but not completely identical, as alternate routes to the end of each of the three acts can be chosen.”
“With how little replay value it has, that being zero unless you want the achievements, no.”
“While the gameplay itself is decent, the replayability is nonexistent.”
“As it is now though, I cannot recommend it simply because of the lack of replayability and will be requesting a refund.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in RTS combat, which becomes repetitive after multiple encounters. The design of the map nodes exacerbates this issue, as players must wait for each character to complete actions, leading to a frustrating experience.
“The first area with human enemies is okay, until you're playing it for the seventh time, and then it's just tedious.”
“The rest in between map nodes has an extremely tedious design where you have to wait about five seconds for each member to complete an action.”
“RTS combat is tedious unless players sample the alternate playstyles afforded by different characters.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its uniqueness and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, contributing to a dark and immersive experience. Reviewers appreciate how it complements the gameplay and art style, making it a standout feature that meets or exceeds expectations. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset to the game's appeal.
“What I like is the unique idea, the gameplay, the feel, and the music of the game.”
“I added this to my wishlist 3+ years ago after reading a post on /r/thiswarofmine about this game because of the style and atmosphere it showed, and all of that didn't disappoint: the art style, music, and atmosphere are lovely and met my expectations. It's a bit dark and grim, and I like that.”
“The gameplay mechanics are solid, the graphics are average, the sound effects are average, the music is awesome, and overall I think for 17 dollars this game is a really good investment.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a bizarre and awkward tone, often detracted by low-quality voice acting and writing. Some players found amusement in specific character designs, such as Ela's resemblance to Michael Jackson, adding a quirky element to the overall experience.
“On a side note that I thought was kind of funny, the character known as Ela looks like Michael Jackson.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization, with rough voiceovers and noticeable stuttering during RTS levels and certain boss fights, particularly on a second playthrough.
“Poorly optimized; voiceovers are rough.”
“There is some stuttering in RTS levels during certain boss fights, especially on the second run.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from moderate bugs that affect stability, alongside issues such as repetitive missions and a limited building area for trains, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The missions are mind-numbingly repetitive, the building area of your train is annoyingly small, and the game is moderately buggy.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered several glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
