Poly Roam
- December 21, 2023
- NightTime Co.
![Poly Roam Game Cover](https://img.gamebrain.co/games/503/poly_roam_nighttime_2023_20_xl.jpg)
"Poly Roam" is a chaotic road trip game set in a procedurally generated world, where players must drive, loot, and shoot to survive. Building a base and customizing your car with found items is crucial, while avoiding dangerous bosses and navigating treacherous environments are key to staying alive. The game also features humor and pop culture references, adding to its quirky charm. With its focus on survival and exploration, "Poly Roam" offers a unique and unpredictable gaming experience.
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and quirky experience with extensive customization options for base building and vehicles.
- It provides a relaxing gameplay loop of driving, looting, and decorating, with a variety of items and NPCs to discover.
- The mechanics of shrinking and carrying buildings and vehicles add a unique strategic element to the gameplay.
- The driving can become repetitive and boring, with long stretches between points of interest and limited challenges.
- Combat mechanics are unpolished, with melee attacks feeling ineffective and enemies often overwhelming players.
- The game suffers from design inconsistencies, such as confusing controls and a lack of meaningful content in buildings.
- gameplay44 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Polyroam is characterized by a shift towards more structured mechanics compared to its predecessor, The Long Drive, featuring innovative elements like the ability to shrink and carry objects, which adds strategic depth. While some players appreciate the engaging mechanics and procedural world, others criticize the driving experience as clunky and lacking weight, suggesting that despite improvements, the game still feels somewhat unrefined. Overall, Polyroam offers a mix of fun and frustration, with a focus on survival and inventory management that sets it apart from similar titles.
“The game introduces an innovative mechanic allowing players to shrink down various elements, including cars and buildings, to carry them in their quest for survival.”
“This unique twist adds a layer of strategy, as players must decide what to shrink and carry, enhancing the overall depth of the gameplay.”
“Its engaging mechanics, procedurally generated world, and distinct art style make it a standout title that keeps players hooked from start to finish.”
“I love the concept of games like The Long Drive and was hoping this would be a good fresh start for the dev, but as far as I could see, it's pretty much the same game with better but more generic visuals and the same lack of thoughtfulness in regards to gameplay.”
“Firstly, the driving itself: I get it, the whole point of the game is to drive, but surely there must be some way to spice up this part of the gameplay loop.”
“This game looks like an asset dump, the gameplay feels clunky, the cars have no weight and too much grip, and for some reason they thought it would be a good idea to make your car batteries go dead after a while, and after the battery dies your car is stuck.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are primarily characterized by a charming low-poly art style that enhances its visual appeal and fits well within the indie game aesthetic. While some players appreciate the distinct visuals and smooth performance, others feel that the graphics are somewhat generic and reminiscent of previous titles, lacking innovation. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, though opinions vary on their originality and depth.
“The visuals, characterized by a polygonal art style, contribute to the game's distinct charm, creating a visually engaging environment.”
“Its engaging mechanics, procedurally generated world, and distinct art style make it a standout title that keeps players hooked from start to finish.”
“It has nice low-poly graphics; the cars are fun to drive, and it has a long way to go but is definitely worth grabbing in my opinion.”
“I love the concept of games like The Long Drive and was hoping this would be a good fresh start for the dev, but as far as I could see, it's pretty much the same game with better but more generic visuals and the same lack of thoughtfulness in regards to gameplay.”
“- the low poly art style suits our indie game era”
“+graphics simple”
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimalistic and straightforward, focusing on gameplay mechanics rather than a complex narrative or political themes. Players engage in grindy quests that require extensive resource farming and exploration across vast environments, while also utilizing an innovative mechanic that allows them to shrink objects for survival purposes.
“No BS story... no political agenda or whatsoever, just turn on the engine, hit a tree, and let the car fall apart.”
“- Quests are extremely grindy and demand a lot of resource farming / driving around looking for one tiny thing on a 50km biome.”
“The game introduces an innovative mechanic allowing players to shrink down various elements, including cars and buildings, to carry them in their quest for survival.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game's humor to be a standout feature, highlighting its hilarious elements, particularly the comedic portrayal of zombies and the fun of hitting them with vehicles. The game is praised for its enjoyable and relaxed gameplay, along with a wealth of customization options that enhance the overall experience.
“Bought the game myself, been absolutely worth it, it has a ton of hilarious enjoyable features and is actively worked on and updated!”
“It's really good fun, it's pretty chilled gameplay, the zombies are funny, loads of customization for the vehicles and stuff to collect.”
“Hitting zombies with your car is funny!”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be significant, particularly when it comes to utilizing traders and completing quests, which often require extensive resource farming and tedious exploration over large areas. The repetitive nature of these tasks can detract from the overall experience.
“Quests are extremely grindy and demand a lot of resource farming, driving around looking for one tiny thing on a 50km biome.”
“Grindy if you want to use traders.”
“Quests are extremely grindy and demand a lot of resource farming, driving around looking for one tiny thing on a 50km biome.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a high level of stability in the game, with minimal to no glitches or crashes experienced during gameplay. The game runs smoothly, contributing to an enjoyable and immersive experience.
“The game runs great; I've experienced almost 0 bugs and 0 crashes on the first patch. I didn't even notice 3 hours fly by, and I haven't even gotten to beating one boss yet!”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's music system, which requires players to manually turn on the car radio, adds an immersive touch; however, the absence of music can leave a sense of emptiness. Additionally, the engine and weapon sounds are noted to be surprisingly underwhelming, detracting from the overall audio experience.
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a desire for improvements in minor details to enhance the game's replayability, indicating that while they appreciate the game, adjustments could make it more enjoyable and engaging for repeated playthroughs.
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a "lazy unity asset-flip cash grab," indicating that it relies on minimal effort and pre-made assets to generate revenue rather than offering a quality gaming experience.
“Lazy Unity asset-flip cash grab.”