Particle Fleet: Emergence

About

Particle Fleet: Emergence is a real-time strategy game that takes place in space. Players must build and command a fleet of ships made out of particles, using them to fight against enemy forces and complete objectives. The game features a variety of upgrades and abilities to customize your fleet, as well as a campaign and skirmish mode for replayability. Construct and battle with particle ships in this unique space RTS.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 996 reviews

story86 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay that combines RTS and tower defense mechanics, providing a unique experience.
Extensive customization options for ships and maps, allowing for endless replayability.
Well-designed levels with a gradual difficulty curve that keeps players challenged and invested.

The campaign is relatively short, leaving some players wanting more content.
Some players found the story and character development lacking or uninteresting.
The user interface can be clunky and lacks tooltips for ship modules, making it difficult to understand their functions.

story
429 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
76%
4%
The story in this game, while set in the familiar Creeper World universe, is generally considered short and somewhat simplistic, often described as a rehash of previous narratives. Players noted that the campaign consists of 16 missions with a mix of text exposition and gameplay, but many felt the story lacked depth and engagement, with some missions being too easy or repetitive. Despite its shortcomings, the story serves as a foundation for gameplay, introducing mechanics and challenges, and is complemented by a robust community of user-generated content that extends the experience beyond the main narrative.
- “The story is surprisingly engaging, to a point where I found myself racing through missions just so I could view the story at the end.”
- “The story mode is a joy to play through and relatively easy to play through, especially if you've played the other games of the Creeper World series.”
- “The story that evolved from the original Creeper Worlds is amazing.”
- “The story is extremely weak, but the gameplay itself has a remarkable amount of depth.”
- “The story mode seemed relatively short to me, but like previous Knuckle Cracker games, a big draw is the ability to have endless randomized maps and easily accessible community maps.”
- “The story is a bit on the short side but there are user-made missions, hard missions, and random missions which still gives a lot of content.”
gameplay
222 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
60%
2%
The gameplay of "Particle Fleet: Emergence" is generally praised for its engaging mechanics and strategic depth, offering a fresh take on the familiar "Creeper World" formula. Players appreciate the complexity of managing mobile fleets and the unique challenges posed by the particulate enemy, although some find the learning curve steep and the mechanics occasionally unclear. Overall, the game provides a satisfying blend of strategy and action, with ample replayability through user-generated content and diverse mission designs.
- “Gameplay: 4.5/5 overall fun, individual missions don't take long and are similar to Creeper World in that you need to capture enough objectives early on to stop from being overrun, but slightly more complex in how you go about doing that.”
- “The gameplay is as addictive and satisfying as it ever was, and while the campaign won't take a terrible long time to finish, these games really shine post-campaign.”
- “The gameplay is strategy that's simple to get into, but can have deep complexity.”
- “None of the mechanics are really explained, so I spend way too much time on every level poking about trying to figure out why it isn't doing something that worked last level.”
- “The gameplay is clumsy, unintuitive, and slow.”
- “The ui is incomprehensible, the gameplay is boring, and there is zero help available for most of the features of the ui.”
music
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
32%
5%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising the soundtrack as "amazing" and "incredible," often describing it as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. While some noted that the music can become repetitive over time, the majority found it fitting and enjoyable, with a few even expressing a desire for a standalone soundtrack. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's atmosphere and engagement.
- “The music is incredible, absolute fire OST.”
- “A hidden gem on the Steam store, the music was surprisingly outstanding and I frequently go back and listen to the OST on YouTube.”
- “Epic soundtrack makes you feel like you really are taking on the apocalypse itself and saving the universe.”
- “The music gets super annoying but you can mute it and fire up some spacey tunes from elsewhere.”
- “Next is the music, it's absolutely mind-blowing at first, but gets old over time.”
- “I think there are only 5 tracks that play in the main missions, and honestly hearing the same 5 songs over and over again gets old.”
graphics
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The graphics in the game are generally described as simplistic and functional, serving their purpose without being visually stunning. While some players appreciate the clean and clear visuals that enhance gameplay, others note that the graphics have a retro or prototype feel, which may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the aesthetic is considered pleasant and effective, complementing the addictive gameplay rather than detracting from it.
- “The graphics are good, especially if you zoom right in on the ships, but in practice, it's more helpful to stay zoomed well out as this game is definitely more about grand strategy than micro-management.”
- “Breathtaking visuals and epic soundscapes merge in a hypnotic way that allows for hours of casual fun or an enthralling race to the finish of each level.”
- “The graphics are simple but pleasing.”
- “Graphics are obviously not the appeal of this game.”
- “The graphics are pretty simplistic so the game has a bit of a 'prototype' feel - so it's not a first choice.”
- “The graphics are relatively simplistic, but don’t let that turn you off.”
replayability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
32%
9%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, largely due to its robust map generator, user-friendly ship and level editors, and a thriving community that creates custom content. While some players feel it doesn't quite match the replay value of similar titles like Creeper World, many agree that the combination of random level generation and community maps offers near-infinite replay potential. Overall, it is regarded as a fun and engaging experience with significant replay value.
- “Endless replayability and really easy to use ship and level editor.”
- “With the ability to create your own ships, maps, and even styles of play, the replayability of this game is off the charts.”
- “Great replayability thanks to user-generated levels.”
- “To be honest, I don't think this has the replayability of Creeper World, not even the first one.”
- “But sadly, it hasn't the replay value of Creeper World 3.”
- “Not as good and lacks the replay value, but still worth picking up on discount to play.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, with many missions feeling tedious and lacking in strategic depth. Despite some positive elements like fleet building and the ability to speed up gameplay, the repetitive nature of combat and the overwhelming number of enemies can lead to frustration and a sense of stagnation in progress. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the campaign.
- “I made it exactly two levels into the campaign before grinding to a halt at the point I'd destroyed every enemy unit and more kept pouring in without any indication of what to do or even anything I could do.”
- “Most missions are really grindy, even by the standards of the genre, and there's not much in the way of clever tactics or strategy.”
- “While I liked the idea of building a fleet, and from the screenshots on Steam a mix of tower defense and RTS, the strategy is pretty minimal and each level starts to feel very grindy very quickly.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
80%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report a smooth experience with minimal glitches, particularly on Linux, others have encountered significant issues with the map editor, including crashes and unresponsive features.
- “I played on Linux with a mid-range graphics card, and it was all smooth and perfect; no glitches found.”
- “The game runs flawlessly on my setup, providing a stable experience throughout.”
- “I experienced no crashes or performance issues, making for a very stable gameplay experience.”
- “The map editor is extremely buggy, prone to crashing upon creation of a new map or locking the save/finalize buttons so you can't apply changes you've made.”
- “Although the game offers nice graphics and environments, there are some ugly glitches here and there that detract from the experience.”
- “I had no issues with performance nor glitches, which is rare nowadays.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the exceptional music that complements the overall experience, despite some repetitiveness. The later levels intensify the atmosphere significantly, contributing to a challenging and immersive environment.
- “The music and atmosphere are amazing.”
- “The later levels get absolutely insane, and the difficulty spike hits the upper atmosphere.”
- “The music is great; I really feel that it fits the atmosphere the game presents, even if it's repetitive.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game fails to evoke emotional engagement, with a short campaign and disappointing plot twists that leave players feeling their efforts were wasted. Overall, the lack of meaningful narrative and emotional payoff detracts from the gaming experience.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Overall, users report a positive experience with optimization, noting a lack of performance issues and glitches, which is increasingly uncommon in modern games.
- “I had no issues with performance or glitches, which is incredibly rare nowadays.”
- “The optimization of the game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job optimizing the game, ensuring a seamless experience across various platforms.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a commitment to no DLC or microtransactions, with the developer known for ongoing support and improvements until their next release. However, some users express concerns that the promotional material may raise expectations that have not yet been met.
- “The advertising from the video creates some hopes that have not yet been delivered.”
- “There will never be any DLC or microtransactions, and from past experience, I can tell you the developer will support and improve it until the moment his next game comes out.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as consistently entertaining and fun, though some players find the story to be disappointingly absurd, adding a layer of dark comedy to the experience.
- “I'll never tire of doing this, it's just hilarious fun.”