Planet Alcatraz
- April 16, 2014
- Fulqrum Publishing
- 110h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Planet Alcatraz," players manage a prison complex on a distant planet, facing challenges such as alien attacks, escape attempts, and the need to keep prisoners content. The game features real-time strategy and simulation elements, as well as a variety of buildings, units, and upgrades to unlock. The ultimate goal is to maintain a stable and secure prison while surviving in a harsh and unpredictable environment.
Reviews
- The game features a unique and engaging storyline with dark humor and absurd quests that can be entertaining.
- Despite its flaws, many players find the game surprisingly fun and reminiscent of classic RPGs like Fallout.
- The combat mechanics, while clunky, offer a mix of real-time and tactical elements that can be enjoyable for those who appreciate old-school RPGs.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, glitches, and poor translation, which can severely hinder the gameplay experience.
- Voice acting and dialogue are often criticized for being terrible and lacking depth, making it hard to take the game seriously.
- Many players find the gameplay repetitive and the quests unbalanced, leading to a monotonous experience after the initial novelty wears off.
- story29 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for its linearity and poorly written quests, often involving juvenile humor and limited player choices, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the immersive storyline and the rich quest variety, others find the lack of meaningful player agency and the presence of bugs frustrating. Overall, the narrative has potential but suffers from translation issues and a lack of depth, leaving players feeling disconnected from their character's motivations and backstory.
“The story is very rich; I've played this game twice, once in 2008 when I bought a CD and now after more than 15 years, I've finished it again.”
“Overall, the game offers two major mission campaigns with dozens of places to investigate and clear out, and a final push through three extremely difficult areas to reach a shuttle and escape Planet Alcatraz.”
“Pros - immersive storyline and missions which get you really enthused to level up in the right skills.”
“Then you are treated to a tutorial city full of terribly written quests with binary choices.”
“Many dialogues only give two options (yes/no), and there is never an alternate way a quest can be handled like in similar games.”
“A commendable attempt at storytelling suffers from awful translation, if the original is any better, while the lack of actual player options is staggering.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of intentional and unintentional comedic elements, including absurd scenarios, awkward translations, and bland voice acting that often leads to laughter despite its cringe-worthy nature. While some players appreciate the twisted and dark humor, others find the dialogue to be pointless or annoying. Overall, the game's humor is a polarizing aspect, with many enjoying the laughs it provides amidst its flaws.
“What made me laugh in disbelief is when a character makes you deliver booze, accuses you of taking the worms within, and then holds a shotgun at you.”
“The translation is not the best, but the unintended hilarious dialogue makes this game one of my all-time favorites.”
“The game mechanics are alright, the dialogues are cheesy and sometimes you just can't avoid laughing.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a mix of solid combat mechanics with a pause-and-plan system, but it quickly becomes repetitive and frustrating for many players. While some appreciate the RPG elements and quest variety, others find the overall experience marred by disjointed narrative, outdated graphics, and inconsistent polish. Overall, the gameplay is seen as lacking depth and enjoyment, with a general consensus rating it poorly.
“Combat mechanics are fine with line of sight and pause during fights, allowing the player to decide their moves.”
“Fair hit system, smooth gameplay (although the animations are quite wooden), generous XP and money rewards for quests.”
“The gameplay is basically Fallout with real-time with pause combat, and the story (if you can decipher it) works pretty well, providing a good justification for why gear would ramp up the way it does, along with a lot of scrounging.”
“The gameplay pleases only the first few hours.”
“In short, this is an extreme case of a game where the narrative and the mechanics are completely disconnected.”
“I wouldn't recommend the game, but for that low price, or better, on sale, you can try it; there are some funny sequences in it, but the gameplay is very annoying (I often found myself rather forcing myself to play it any further than actually wanting to).”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated and subpar, with many reviewers noting that they resemble those from earlier gaming eras, such as 2002. While some find the visuals to be passable, others criticize them for causing performance issues, like overheating graphics cards. Overall, the graphics do not detract significantly from the enjoyable gameplay and engaging story.
“Don't let the visuals fool you; if you like squad-based combat and translated absurdity, you will love this game.”
“The graphics are not too bad considering the game as a whole.”
“Graphics: passable.”
“Sure, the graphics are terrible at best.”
“2002 called and wants its graphics back.”
“After you install it, your graphics card suddenly takes on a life of its own and nearly kills itself from overheating because the developers of this game forgot to implement actual functioning vsync.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding it relaxing and enjoyable, while others liken it to outdated disco tracks. Overall, the soundtrack features catchy tunes that enhance the gameplay experience, despite some humorous comparisons to 1980s adult films.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“The music score is nice though, has a catchy tune I like.”
“Disco music started playing and I killed my first opponent by kicking him in the balls.”
“The soundtrack feels like it was stripped from 1987 pornos.”
“Disco music started playing, and I killed my first opponent by kicking him in the balls.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, frame freezes, and poor translation that detracts from the experience. Despite these flaws, some players still find enjoyment in the overall gameplay.
“It's buggy; the translation is an incomprehensible mess, and the voice acting is so bland and contextually inappropriate that it made me laugh and cringe every time anyone said anything. But I still enjoyed it.”
“Every second, the game freezes for a few frames, which is very annoying.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that the game features fixed encounters on all maps, eliminating the option for farming items or skills, which may limit grinding opportunities and affect overall progression.
“All maps feature fixed encounters, eliminating the need for farming items or skills.”
“The grinding experience is rewarding, as it allows players to fully explore each map's unique challenges.”
“Engaging in grinding feels purposeful, as every encounter contributes to character development and skill enhancement.”
“All maps have fixed encounters, which means there's no opportunity to farm for items or skills.”
“The grinding feels repetitive and tedious, with little reward for the time invested.”
“Progression is painfully slow, making the grinding experience feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a tense prison setting, filled with dynamic interactions among various groups and frequent conflicts, ensuring a consistently engaging experience for players.
“The prison atmosphere, with its various groups and the constant fights between them, will keep you engaged and never let you get bored.”
“The haunting ambiance of the game immerses you in a world filled with tension and suspense.”
“Every corner of the environment is meticulously crafted, creating a rich and immersive atmosphere that draws you in.”
“The prison atmosphere is dull and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The environment feels lifeless, lacking any real sense of immersion or tension.”
“Despite the setting, the atmosphere fails to evoke any real emotions or reactions.”
