Rebel Inc.
- December 5, 2018
- Ndemic Creations
- 5h median play time
Rebel Inc. is a simulation game that serves as an "Insurgency Simulator," offering an interesting plot and splendid game mechanics with outstanding graphics and spectacular music. Despite being very grinding with frequent ads, it provides plenty of replayability and occasional humor, although it does have bugs. Overall, the game offers a wholesome story, challenging players to maintain balance in a simulated country.
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay that requires strategic thinking and planning.
- Well-designed user interface that is easy to navigate.
- Challenging yet rewarding, with a steep learning curve that enhances replayability.
- Many features and advisors are locked behind a paywall, making it difficult to progress without spending money.
- Difficulty spikes significantly after the first few levels, leading to frustration.
- Insurgents can spawn randomly and move quickly, making it hard to manage and stabilize regions.
- gameplay953 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game has been widely praised for its depth and strategic complexity, drawing comparisons to its predecessor, Plague Inc., while introducing unique mechanics that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the engaging and challenging nature of the gameplay, although many express frustration over paywalls that restrict access to certain features and content. Overall, while the game offers a rewarding experience with thoughtful mechanics, the balance and accessibility issues detract from its potential enjoyment.
“It is a really well produced game, with a solid strategy design and enough changes from map to map to keep the gameplay fun.”
“Gameplay mechanics are deeply detailed and thoughtful.”
“The gameplay is strategic and fun; it takes skill but it isn't frustrating in a negative or defeating way.”
“Want to play this game but can't have any fun when all progress is locked behind paywalls or annoying and frustratingly hard gameplay.”
“The gameplay is the same as Plague Inc, except everything is worse than before. Spending your money anywhere else would be immensely more fun, and don't waste your time with this game.”
“The game is way too frustrating; avoid until the mechanics are adjusted.”
- monetization363 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the absence of intrusive ads, which is a rarity in mobile games. However, a significant number of users express frustration over the extensive in-app purchases and paywalls that restrict access to essential features and content, leading to perceptions of the game as a "cash grab." While some players find the microtransactions optional and manageable, others feel that the game is nearly unplayable without spending money, detracting from the overall experience.
“The game is perfectly beatable while free, and there are no ads, but it is strange what's locked behind a paywall.”
“I have to commend the execution of microtransactions as they are actually optional and not necessary, as I beat 4 out of 5 base levels on brutal without premium.”
“No ads makes this 4 instead of 3 stars, but there are large features that make the game very difficult and frustrating unless you pay-to-win, which is disappointing.”
“Unfortunately, a large amount of this is overshadowed by extortionate in-app purchases which are ridiculous.”
“I like the game very much but don't like how they are making me purchase more things when I paid like 20 bucks 2 or 3 years ago for the full game plus all the new content they would release after that but now they are asking to pay to download more of those personal scenarios. It's just a bit of a cash grab, not cool.”
“The game is almost impossible on even normal difficulty, but brutal is just not even giving you a chance to win. Even if you beat it on brutal, all you get is maybe a new map to grind over and over again because it's just impossible to beat. I had to search up gameplay just to even have a chance, and I get helpers, but I can't even use them because I need premium to just use it. This game is a complete cash grab.”
- story222 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around managing military operations in unstable regions, requiring players to balance civil strategy, foreign relations, and military tactics. While the initial missions are engaging, many players find the difficulty spikes in later missions frustrating, often feeling that progress is hindered by a paywall for premium features. Overall, the narrative is seen as interesting but lacks depth and variety, with requests for more story elements and mission diversity.
“Overall, this game has taken up a topic never seen before, that too with good quality and a very interesting story and awesome gameplay.”
“The story is this: you are in charge of an unstable region and you have to balance civil strategy, foreign relations, and military tactics simultaneously.”
“The underlying model is sophisticated and the story engaged me deeply.”
“The second mission is literally designed for you to get pissed off and pay the $2.50 to not have to deal with their bait-and-switch with the income mechanics.”
“The first mission shows what this game could be; however, the second level shows you the true nature of this game, to get the developers paid.”
“While being an entertaining game, it does not have a lot of meat; once you have overcome the learning curve, the game is basically over unless you want to replay the same missions over and over again.”
- graphics219 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many users praising the art style and clarity, noting that they are good for a mobile game. However, some players report performance issues, such as battery drain and lag, particularly in high-resolution settings. While the visuals are often described as simple yet appealing, there are calls for improvements and more detailed graphics to enhance the overall experience.
“Beautiful graphics, wonderful attention to terrain and infrastructure.”
“The graphics are extremely accurate and beautiful.”
“Absolutely incredible, graphics are amazing and many great possibilities in the game.”
“Sadly, however, the graphics appear very underwhelming, especially compared to the previous game which came out many years ago now.”
“The graphics should be more advanced in 3D form, not this.”
“I would say 5 stars if the game had better graphics.”
- replayability109 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while there are enjoyable elements and varied strategies to explore, significant portions of the content are locked behind paywalls, limiting the experience for those unwilling to spend extra. Some reviews highlight a high replay value due to randomized events and different character approaches, while others express frustration over repetitive gameplay and a lack of diverse maps. Overall, the potential for replayability exists, but it is often hindered by monetization strategies and gameplay limitations.
“Simple to play, challenging for all ages, plenty of variety of strategy, and has a ton of replayability.”
“The diverse gameplay gives this an infinite replay value.”
“Fun, challenging, and near infinitely replayable.”
“It deserves a 5 star, except for the lack of replayability without paying.”
“Apart from that, there's really no replay value as all you do is chase red markers around the map.”
“The game lacks replayability unless you pay for premium, which is expensive in my country.”
- music39 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its epic quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, with many users highlighting its originality and engaging vibe. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, and there are calls for improved audio quality and additional tracks, especially compared to the PC version. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its atmosphere and strategic elements.
“The music is epic, the gameplay is even more epic, the insurgents are annoying, the options are almost endless, the corruption is even more annoying.”
“An incredible game with a great soundtrack, it works well and has a lot to it.”
“This game is perfect for anyone who loves government strategy games; the music by itself should be an indication—music 10/10, it's just a vibe no other game has.”
“Music gets repetitive after a while.”
“Too bad the audio quality of the music is better in the PC version.”
“Plus, this only has 4 songs compared to the PC version's 7 songs.”
- stability34 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 79 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting a smooth experience free of glitches, while others have encountered frequent crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay. Many users appreciate the game's logic and overall polish, but a significant number express frustration over freezing issues and the need for restarts. Overall, while some players find the game stable and enjoyable, others highlight persistent stability problems that detract from the experience.
“The game logic is stable with no glitches and engages the user completely.”
“It is a true educational RTS game, no glitches, no lags, and hours of action and fun.”
“Has hardline strategy built into the core mechanics, rewards long-term thinkers, and runs great even on an older phone!”
“And second, it's pretty buggy.”
“I am unable to sign in to Google Pay; it allows me, then freezes the game and I have to restart (repeat). Also, the constant pushes for me to spend money aren't good.”
“Runtime exception - tried to play this game several times, but every time I start this game and click on how to play, the game freezes and then crashes.”
- grinding24 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in relation to the insurgent combat system, which many describe as monotonous and lacking payoff. While some appreciate the challenge and the potential for unlocking features through grinding, the repetitive nature of certain mechanics and the steep penalties for mistakes detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a mixed reception. Many users express a desire for more engaging gameplay elements to alleviate the tedium associated with grinding.
“The gameplay is tedious with no payoff.”
“Combating insurgents isn't fun - it's monotonous and tedious.”
“Dealing with insurgents becomes so tedious and annoying I end up just quitting.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and stability, others experience significant lag, battery drain, and crashes, particularly on lower-end devices. Recent updates have improved performance for some, but issues persist, especially for new players and in specific game modes. Overall, while the game can run well, it still requires further optimization to enhance the experience for all users.
“The game runs smoothly and the overall experience is just what you would expect from a strategy game.”
“Performance and stability are top notch, and gameplay requires strategy to succeed.”
“This game is awesome and the UI is so optimized, nice and tidy. I would recommend this game to anyone who wants a game to run well and push their strategic skills to the limit.”
“However, it does suffer performance issues - it drains the battery and tends to lag as the game goes on (even with high graphics disabled), preventing a higher star rating. The latest update does seem to have reduced this.”
“Decent, but heavily pay-to-win and really not optimized.”
“This game is poorly optimized for new players.”
- humor13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted through quirky achievements like "peace is for wimps" and amusing scenarios, such as troops demanding to go home amidst conflict. Players appreciate the game's unique comedic elements, although some miss the humorous news updates from similar titles. Overall, the blend of strategy and humor contributes to an enjoyable and engaging experience.
“The 'Peace is for Wimps' achievement is funny, as is the 'Nope' achievement, lol!”
“I think Plague Inc. has the edge on fun as it's humorous and an unusual idea, but worth a try if you're into strategy.”
“It's kinda funny when your troops are forcing you to send them home while there's insurgents around.”
- emotional11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game's themes of care and responsibility, particularly in managing both civilians and insurgents. The game effectively immerses players in the complexities of political and military strategy, evoking feelings of power and empathy while tackling real-world issues. However, some frustrations with gameplay mechanics detract from the overall emotional experience, leading to mixed feelings about the game's design.
“I enjoyed the emotional attachment of caring for both the people and insurgents.”
“I have enjoyed the multiple objectives that flowed pleasantly and the depth that made this game emotionally captivating.”
“I love it, touching real world issues and putting the public in an organization's shoes makes them understand how hard it is to stabilize the world, especially in war-torn countries.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive and challenging environment, effectively capturing the complexities of geopolitical issues, particularly in humanitarian contexts. While some users noted shortcomings in the UI and tech tree, the overall ambiance and mechanics contribute to a compelling experience, though a few wished for more engaging music and sound effects.
“This game creates such a great atmosphere, which presents a real challenge!”
“I work in the humanitarian sector working on cross-border aid, and this game captures a lot of the atmosphere and realities of running initiatives in war-ridden countries!”
“It has its flaws mainly with UI and an uninspired tech tree handling, but it shines bright with its atmosphere and balance.”
“Might learn a few things about geopolitical atmospheres.”
“I work in the humanitarian sector working on cross-border aid and this game captures a lot of the atmosphere and realities of running initiatives in war-ridden countries!”