Precipice
- May 1, 2019
- LRDGames, Inc.
- 2h median play time
Despite promises of great strategic and tactical depth, Precipice relies heavily on random chance and bad AI decision-making. Shamefully shallow, you're better off playing an actual board game for your strategy-game fix.
Get on Steam"Precipice" is a strategy game where you can play as the United States or Soviet Union, providing aid to guerrillas and avoiding direct confrontation during the Cold War. With stunning visuals, the game emphasizes subterfuge and avoiding standoffs to prevent nuclear annihilation. Play against a responsive AI, in hotseat mode, or online multiplayer with leaders from 72 countries depicted as native animals.
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and humorous take on Cold War strategy with animal personifications of world leaders, making it visually appealing and entertaining.
- Gameplay is engaging and encourages strategic thinking, with mechanics that allow for various approaches to diplomacy and conflict resolution.
- The developers are actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to enhancing the game based on player feedback.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes and bugs, particularly during multiplayer sessions, which can significantly hinder the experience.
- AI behavior can be inconsistent and overly aggressive, often leading to nuclear war scenarios that feel unbalanced and frustrating.
- The game lacks depth and can become repetitive quickly, with limited strategic options and a simplistic approach to Cold War dynamics.
- gameplay38 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by simple yet engaging mechanics that blend elements of board games and grand strategy, making it accessible for casual gamers while offering depth for those seeking a challenge. However, many players note issues with repetitiveness, balance, and a lack of depth in certain strategic elements, alongside a vague tutorial that can hinder the experience. Overall, while the game provides fun and innovative gameplay, it could benefit from more complexity and refinement to enhance its strategic depth.
“The gameplay is very unique as well as enjoyable, as is the art style.”
“The mechanics are simple enough to allow a quick play but deep enough to entertain and provide interesting strategic decisions.”
“Innovative gameplay and lots of fun.”
“It is very fun and has some cool concepts and mechanics, but it is also too repetitive, easy, very unrealistic, and quickly becomes too simple.”
“Had potential, but it is ruined by the vague tutorial and complicated gameplay.”
“Easily accessible, addictive, and fun for a few hours, though it must be said, the mechanics are a little shallow and pretty unbalanced.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style and charming aesthetic, effectively capturing the Cold War theme. While there are minor graphical bugs reported, the overall presentation is considered engaging and visually appealing, with a strong emphasis on creativity and character design. Players appreciate the slick user interface and the developers' commitment to improving the game's visual experience.
“The art style and aesthetic are also gorgeous, and I'd love to see more animalized takes on famous Cold War imagery within the game itself.”
“A really interesting strategy game with an amazing art style.”
“It really does the Cold War 'resource war' aesthetic very well and looks very charming.”
“Minor graphical bugs from time to time, but overall very fun, engaging, and replayable.”
“The graphics are unique and the presentation is simplified in many ways.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its grand and engaging nature, while others feel it doesn't fit the game's strategic context, preferring a more retro 80s synth or 8-bit style. Overall, the soundtrack is generally well-received, with many praising its quality and expressing a desire for additional content. However, a few players noted that it could be a bit overwhelming for the game's atmosphere.
“The artwork and music is rad!”
“Wonderful art + music, with interesting mechanics that capture the strategic nature of the time period.”
“Also, the soundtrack is dope.”
“Music is dubstep inspired, somewhat inappropriate for this game. I was expecting 80s synth 8-bit themes. It's not a serious con, but just not my taste.”
“Music is decent, if a bit too grand for a strategy game like this.”
“My only criticism so far is the music.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of occasional laughs and more consistent comedic moments, with players enjoying its "tongue-in-cheek" decisions and absurd scenarios, such as AI invasions. While some reviewers find it hilariously entertaining, particularly with its quirky animal characters and chaotic gameplay, others feel it lacks depth and may improve in future iterations. Overall, the game has the potential for a fun and humorous experience, especially in multiplayer settings.
“First impression was it was a humorous board game variation with various 'tongue-in-cheek' decisions.”
“This game is hilarious!”
“Fun, like Risk on acid with nukes, and the animal characters for country leaders are quite funny.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by frequent glitches, particularly in multiplayer mode, which is reported to be non-functional. While there are minor bugs that can disrupt gameplay, the overall experience remains enjoyable, though improvements to AI predictability and clearer troubleshooting instructions are necessary for a more stable experience.
“First of all, the glitches.”
“While playing, glitches were frequent, like when somehow the person I was playing against rigged South Korea's election when it was full blue, which is something that's not supposed to happen.”
“Multiplayer doesn't work at all, and the instructions on troubleshooting it are just a link to a webpage that has complex instructions. The AI is also unpredictable in that nuclear war can happen randomly. It's a fun game, but multiplayer and the AI need to be fixed before I recommend it.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it enjoyable and engaging with good replay value, others feel it lacks sufficient features to warrant multiple playthroughs. Minor graphical bugs are noted, but they do not significantly detract from the fun experience.
“Replayable, enjoyable, and very well made!”
“Minor graphical bugs from time to time, but overall very fun, engaging, and replayable.”
“Good replayability”
“It is very hard to review this game as the replayability is very low.”
“All in all, there aren't enough features in most aspects of the game to give it any replay value.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story encompasses a wide range of political and espionage themes, including trading aid, protests, coups, and sabotage, highlighting a complex narrative. However, players note a lack of user interface elements when engaging with their country if they cannot participate in space missions, which may detract from the overall experience.
“From trading aid to protests, from coups to sabotage, various spy missions and more.”
“The story feels disjointed, jumping from trading aid to protests, coups, and sabotage without a coherent narrative.”
“If you can't afford to do the space missions, there is no user interface at all when you click on your country, leaving you lost in the gameplay.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is generally viewed positively, as players find it enjoyable and more complex than initially suggested by its marketing, indicating that the value offered may justify any associated costs.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a visually appealing interface and engaging mechanics, complemented by a strong soundtrack, which contribute to an enjoyable experience. However, players may need to exercise patience with the emotional ups and downs that come from occasional losses.
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly with evident effort put into its performance, complemented by charming art design.
“The game has hard work put into it, runs smoothly, and features cute art.”
“The optimization is impressive, allowing for a seamless gaming experience.”
“I appreciate how well-optimized the game is; it runs flawlessly on my system.”
