Penkura
- December 19, 2018
- Lionsart
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Penkura is a single-player Role Playing game with a good plot and fabulous visuals. It features a top-down real-time strategy system and first-person exploration, with classic death mechanics that require you to construct your own robotic companions for protection and resource gathering. The game encourages players to choose their own approach, offering a variety of buildings, machines, bots, and items to construct using the Molecular Matter Converter or Command Control Communication."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of exploration, base-building, and an engaging storyline, reminiscent of Subnautica but with its own intriguing narrative.
- The developer is highly responsive to community feedback and actively works on updates, showing a commitment to improving the game.
- Visually stunning with good graphics and a well-designed interface, the game provides an immersive experience in a beautifully crafted alien world.
- The game is still in early access and lacks substantial content, with many players reporting that they can complete the current missions in a short amount of time.
- Some players find the crafting and resource management systems to be overly complicated and not intuitive, leading to frustration.
- There are reports of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, and some players feel that the game has been in development for too long without significant progress.
- story48 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in Penkura is described as intriguing and engaging, with a strong emphasis on lore and mystery that keeps players invested for around 20 hours of gameplay. While the narrative is currently incomplete and the game is still in development, many players appreciate its atmospheric storytelling and potential for future expansion. Overall, the foundation of the story is solid, and players are eager to see how it evolves as the game progresses.
“I love the story; it keeps you wondering if there is a solution and an escape.”
“The game's potential is vast, and much of it has already been impressively realized through its intriguing mix of story, strategy, and meticulous detail.”
“It captivates with an engrossing backstory and a world teeming with mysteries waiting to be unraveled.”
“The game just stops after completing about 7 missions and 2 missions are started, but incomplete from the developers (a red note appears stating as much in the 'journal').”
“Lacks in content/story for the moment, I blasted through it in about 4 hours, but the game mechanics seem to be in place already and the upcoming patch 0.2 is supposed to massively expand on content.”
“This game is very good, love the base building and survival aspects as well as the weather mechanics and UI is really good. However, there is only one area right now and the story, even though the concept and what is there is really good, is limited. You can probably do everything in 2-5 hours; it is more of a tech demo.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by intuitive building mechanics based on modular prefabs, offering around 20-25 hours of engaging content supported by an immersive storyline. While the core mechanics are well-designed, including character stats through genetic manipulation and a blueprinting system, players note a lack of content in the current version, with many completing the game in just a few hours. Future updates promise to expand gameplay significantly, including the introduction of automation features and new areas to explore.
“The existing state of the game (as of the date of writing this review) allows for a comfortable 20-25 hours of engaging gameplay, guided by quite an immersive storyline.”
“The building mechanics are intelligently designed, with straightforward recipes and visible material requirements for constructions.”
“Having your little wrist gadget and having to monitor your oxygen is a really awesome mechanic.”
“One note though: the game is not too friendly towards 'monkey in the shop' gameplay style.”
“Lacks in content/story for the moment; I blasted through it in about 4 hours, but the game mechanics seem to be in place already and are ironed out.”
“Not a whole lot of gameplay has been added yet, but the updates are fairly frequent and the growing community is friendly.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -8 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and smooth performance, even on maximum settings, with many users noting the impressive visuals for a title developed by a small team. While the story is still in development, players find it intriguing and complementary to the overall experience. Overall, the graphics stand out positively, especially in comparison to other survival games.
“The visuals are amazing and the game is a lot of fun to play and explore.”
“Great and silky smooth graphics.”
“The game has a lot of potential, very beautiful graphics and it seems to be a very interesting story - still need a lot of things to be finished!”
“The art style feels outdated and lacks the polish expected from modern games.”
“Even with all graphics settings maxed out, the performance drops to 40-50 fps, which is disappointing during intense combat.”
“The overall visual presentation is underwhelming and doesn't do justice to the game's potential.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive sound design and effective use of lighting, creating a tense and anxiety-inducing experience. Reviewers note the cohesive integration of environmental elements, pacing, and user interface, all contributing to a beautifully crafted world that enhances gameplay.
“Extremely atmospheric game, spent way too much time clenching around every corner while appreciating that this game takes the chance to play with lighting, sound, and story to create serious tension and anxiety, alongside a vibrant alien environment all around.”
“Good pacing and beautiful atmosphere.”
“Everything feels like it belongs together, from the atmosphere to the UI to the way you interact with the world.”
“The atmosphere is bland and uninspired, making it hard to get immersed in the game.”
“Despite the potential, the atmosphere feels empty and lacks any real sense of place.”
“The game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected from the experience.”
- stability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players find it polished and largely bug-free, especially in the earlier stages, there are reports of glitches and terrain issues that can disrupt gameplay and even break save files. Despite these concerns, players appreciate the exploration aspect and see potential for improvement as the game develops.
“The gameplay is very polished, good looking, and surprisingly bug-free after about 30-40 hours of playtime.”
“The game has a few glitches, but overall it is an interesting indie game.”
“The game is still, in my opinion, in early alpha and has some terrain glitches and bugs that break save files.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, noting it enhances the survival crafting experience in a positive way. The grind is described as enjoyable and relaxing, making it a standout title in the genre despite its intensity. Overall, the game combines engaging graphics and an interesting story with streamlined building and farming mechanics.
“This game is great if you just want to veg...mostly because it's one of the most grindy games I've ever played.”
“If you like survival crafting games (that are a bit grindy--but in a good way) then you should check this one out.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's monetization strategy could benefit from increased publicity and advertising, as the current success has been largely driven by minimal promotion from a small influencer.
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its good optimization and performance, indicating that it runs smoothly and efficiently on various systems.
“Good optimization and performance.”
“The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
“I constantly experience frame drops and stuttering, which ruins the immersion.”
“The optimization is so bad that loading times are excessively long, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the music as great, complementing it alongside smooth controls and stunning visuals, contributing to an overall enjoyable gaming experience without taxing system performance.
“The controls are smooth, the sound and music are great, it looks stunning, and with everything maxed out, my PC barely warms up while playing it.”
