Recruits
- July 31, 2014
- Commotion Games Pty Ltd
Get on Steam"Recruits is an alpha stage, brutal top-down shooter where you command soldiers in a local multi-player or single-player co-op mode, with split-screen feature. Lead your platoon to victory, gain experience, and customize your soldiers to accomplish your missions. Please note, purchasing the game now contributes to its active development and may include bugs and issues."
PC
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox
Reviews
- The game has great potential as a modern day remake of Cannon Fodder, with solid gameplay mechanics and nice graphics.
- The concept of controlling a squad and the variety of missions, including vehicle-based gameplay, adds depth to the experience.
- The game features enjoyable moments with dismemberment and gore, providing a fun and chaotic atmosphere during battles.
- The game has been abandoned by the developers, with no updates or communication since 2015, leading to a lack of content and support.
- The AI is poorly designed, causing frustration as both friendly and enemy units behave erratically and can lead to quick deaths.
- Despite its initial promise, the game is currently unplayable and lacks the necessary updates to justify a purchase, making it feel like a cash grab.
- story21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is currently minimal, featuring only a few basic missions that lack depth and variety, primarily focusing on straightforward objectives like search and destroy or stealth operations. Players express frustration with the AI and technical issues, which detract from the overall experience, and hope for future updates to introduce more engaging narratives and mission variety. Overall, the story feels underdeveloped and is heavily reliant on gameplay mechanics rather than a compelling narrative.
“Your soldiers also currently have customizable nicknames as well as permadeath, so if your highly promoted mission commander is killed, you'll have to replace him with a raw recruit.”
“There is also a stealth-based gather intel mission at night.”
“Saying something like this at such an early stage is a bit redundant, I feel, but replayability is a bit thin, limited to a handful of playthroughs for each mission - you can approach each play slightly differently; I just hope they add some kind of progression or choice so that you can complete each mission in varied and interesting ways.”
“Currently in the game, there are only a few single-player missions available from the early alpha, which are too limited to showcase the gameplay effectively.”
“The issues right now are, as stated, the AI is poor, there are some bugs with mission triggers (I don't seem to be able to complete mission 3 right now), and there is occasional lag during intensive moments, along with missing refinement and features, which is to be expected at this stage of the game.”
“Replayability is quite thin, limited to a handful of playthroughs for each mission. You can approach each play slightly differently, but I hope they add some kind of progression or choice so that you can complete each mission in varied and interesting ways.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players expressing frustration over stale mechanics and overpowering AI, leading to a lack of enjoyment and a feeling of being unplayable. However, others see potential in its core mechanics and multiplayer features, suggesting that with further development and content updates, it could evolve into a more rewarding experience. Overall, while the foundation is considered solid, the current state of gameplay is viewed as lacking and in need of improvement.
“Let's start off with the foot-based gameplay.”
“Developers are doing an incredible job; the gameplay seems so good, and we finally get a good top-down shooter with a multiplayer component!”
“Besides some basic gameplay elements which I think are kind of missing, the foundation is solid and deadly.”
“I have been a massive fan of top-down shooters all my life, and when I saw this game and read the description and watched the trailer, I thought to myself that I must have it. I bought it as soon as it went into early access on Steam and instantly had problems with it. The gameplay was stale, and the AI is way too overpowered. It is not rewarding and just all around frustrating. The devs helped me when I first bought the game due to startup issues, but I have since learned they have abandoned it. It is unplayable and not fun.”
“Whether the game manages to reach the potential it has, only time will tell; however, I would say that there is simply not enough gameplay content currently in recruits to justify a purchase in early access.”
“This game has great potential as a modern-day Cannon Fodder remake, but in its current state, it leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully, after a few months, the gameplay will get tightened up and it ends up being a lot more fun.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their detail and beauty, enhancing the overall experience with dynamic environments and polished visuals. While some reviews note that the graphics are surprisingly good, they also suggest that they are not the sole highlight of the game, which has potential beyond its visual appeal. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere and tactical gameplay.
“The game is very detailed, very beautiful, with a great soundtrack, excellent graphic polish, and dynamic environments (like rain or night) that complete the experience.”
“Excellent graphics.”
“Honestly, this game has a lot of potential and the graphics are surprisingly good.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music in the game is perceived as unrefined and reminiscent of classic titles, serving as a homage rather than an innovative feature. Reviewers note that it lacks depth, with mission music that fails to enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the soundtrack aligns closely with the game's themes of chaos and destruction.
“The music feels uninspired and repetitive, failing to enhance the gameplay experience.”
“The soundtrack lacks variety and often feels like background noise rather than an integral part of the game.”
“The mission music is particularly disappointing, as it does not evoke any sense of urgency or excitement.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game's replayability is somewhat limited, with only a few playthroughs available for each mission. While there are opportunities for slightly different approaches, many hope for additional progression or choices to enhance the variety and interest in replaying missions.
“The replayability is impressive, with multiple paths and choices that make each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
“I love how each mission can be approached in different ways, giving the game a high replay value.”
“The variety of character builds and strategies allows for countless replay opportunities, keeping the game exciting.”
“Replayability feels quite limited, as there are only a handful of playthroughs available for each mission. While you can approach each play slightly differently, I hope they add some kind of progression or choice to make completing each mission more varied and interesting.”
“After finishing the game, I found that there wasn't much incentive to replay it. The missions felt repetitive, and without significant changes or new content, I doubt I'll return to it anytime soon.”
“The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel unnecessary. Once you've experienced the story and missions, there's little motivation to go back and play again.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game shows significant potential but is currently plagued by numerous bugs, affecting its overall stability.
“In short, a lot of potential but very buggy currently.”
