Pion

About

A fast-paced sci-fi top-down shooter with roguelike elements. Pilot exotic hovercraft and battle your way through ancient drones and defense systems to retake Earth. Collect powerful weapons and technology from the remnants of Earth's techno-cults.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 22 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Fast-paced gameplay with a variety of weapons and ships, providing a fun and addictive experience.
The roguelike elements and leaderboard competition add replayability and challenge.
Visually appealing with satisfying combat mechanics that create intense moments.

Controls are sluggish and can feel awkward, making gameplay frustrating at times.
The difficulty spikes significantly at certain levels, which can be overwhelming.
Lack of polish and unfinished elements, including bugs and unclear mechanics, detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of smooth, fast-paced mechanics and engaging roguelike elements, offering a fun and immersive experience despite some clunky controls and AI issues. While the game showcases great weapon mechanics and replayability, it still requires optimization and fixes to enhance overall performance. Overall, the gameplay shines through its indie charm and fluidity, making it a standout experience.
- “Don't be put off by such nitpicks, the gameplay is superb!”
- “The fluidity of pion's gameplay is truly what makes the game shine.”
- “Fast-paced gameplay with a super smooth flow, that not only looks great but also provides some seriously butt-clenching moments!”
- “The hacked together menu, slowly viewable pilot and ship properties, odd pilot pictures, and loading screen freezes let you immerse into the true one-dev gameplay-first indie gem feel.”
- “However, it still needs a bunch of work for optimizations; gameplay and fixes for the AI are crucial as they are seen blowing up their own buddies and running into walls.”
- “However, buried within the mildly clunky controls and somewhat non-intuitive game mechanics, there is a solid rogue-like element.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game offers significant replayability, with players finding it enjoyable and easy to return to, despite some criticisms regarding its style and originality. Overall, it is well-crafted for repeated playthroughs.
- “Will definitely keep playing this as the replayability is fun and easy.”
- “It's a one-man project that is really well made; it has a lot of replayability but lacks style and originality.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The music in the game is described as odd yet surprisingly fitting, with many users finding the soundtrack to be interesting and unique.
- “The soundtrack is surprisingly fitting.”
- “The soundtrack is interesting.”
- “The soundtrack is oddly fitting, but not in a good way.”
- “The music feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
- “The audio quality of the music is disappointing and detracts from the overall experience.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are highly praised, contributing to an immersive gameplay experience that feels fantastic. Players appreciate the impressive visuals, particularly during explosive moments in the game.
- “Pair that with the great visuals, the game simply feels amazing to play.”
- “The graphics are good, and blowing things up is great.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is characterized by a rough, indie feel, with issues such as slow loading times, freezes, and a disjointed menu system, which contribute to an overall sense of an unfinished product.
- “The hacked together menu, slowly viewable pilot and ship properties, odd pilot pictures, and loading screen freezes give you a true sense of the one-dev gameplay-first indie gem feel.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
100%
The game requires significant optimization improvements, particularly in gameplay mechanics and AI behavior, as players have reported issues such as AI characters causing friendly fire and getting stuck on obstacles.
- “The game has a solid foundation, but optimization is key to enhancing the overall experience and ensuring smoother gameplay.”
- “While the core mechanics are enjoyable, further optimizations are necessary to improve AI behavior and reduce frustrating moments.”
- “Optimizing the gameplay will significantly enhance player engagement and reduce issues like AI mishaps and environmental collisions.”
- “However, it still needs a lot of work for optimizations. Gameplay and fixes for the AI are crucial, as they are seen blowing up their own teammates and running into walls.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is generally engaging, though some users noted that it felt somewhat simplistic or linear. Additionally, there were minor frustrations related to getting the controller configured in the settings, which detracted slightly from the overall experience.