Reprisal Universe
- September 15, 2014
- electrolyte
Get on SteamReprisal Universe is a strategy game where you guide tribes to evolve and conquer. Use a variety of units, buildings, and abilities to outsmart opponents in tactical battles. Explore different planets and adapt to unique challenges in each procedurally generated universe. Your decisions will shape the fate of your tribes and determine if you will rise to galactic dominance.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- A faithful recreation of the classic Populous, capturing its charm and gameplay mechanics.
- The pixel art style and graphics are delightful, providing a nostalgic feel.
- The game offers a fun and casual experience, making it easy to pick up and play.
- The gameplay becomes repetitive and formulaic, lacking significant challenge as players discover optimal strategies.
- Numerous bugs and glitches hinder the experience, including issues with AI targeting and level progression.
- The tutorial and game mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion and frustration for new players.
- gameplay58 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as simple and repetitive, reminiscent of classic god games like Populous, with a focus on expansion and strategy. While some players appreciate the nostalgic elements and find the mechanics enjoyable, many criticize the lack of innovation, poor explanations of game mechanics, and occasional lag, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game offers a casual and accessible gameplay style that may appeal to those seeking a straightforward strategy experience.
“The gameplay is about expanding as quickly as possible so you can snowball, and preventing your enemies from doing the same.”
“Fun gameplay and the art design is simply superb.”
“Challenging gameplay, great ambience, vibrant and soothing colors, well-made UI, and a really fun game.”
“My problem is that the gameplay is pretty simple and so gets repetitive.”
“The mechanics need some work and it's not enough to keep me playing for more than half an hour or so at a time.”
“It's laggy all the time and the gameplay suffers heavily from it.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the charming retro pixel art and delightful art style that evoke nostalgia for classic titles like Populous. However, some players criticize the graphics for being blocky and unclear, which can detract from the gameplay experience. Overall, while the visuals are considered a step up from previous iterations, they may not meet the expectations of players seeking modern graphical fidelity.
“Great graphics, honestly was what sold me, other than it being on sale for a dollar or so.”
“The graphics (with the exception of the aforementioned UI) are very nice, and the pseudo-Grecian architecture and lore are a great touch.”
“The art style is beautiful, the UI is pretty (albeit confusing) and the game is really fun.”
“The graphics are a downgrade, more blocky, but the gameplay is basically the game you knew all those years ago.”
“Rough, sharp graphics can be hard to look at.”
“Unclear graphical elements confuse gameplay.”
- music17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the absence of the original soundtrack from the browser version, which they found integral to the game's atmosphere. While some players noted that the lack of music made the experience feel empty or boring, others were indifferent, suggesting that players could simply listen to their own music instead. Overall, the removal of the soundtrack is seen as a significant oversight that detracts from the game's overall polish and enjoyment.
“The music you had on there, Electrolyte, was great in this game before. What happened to it?”
“I think that was a major error in their judgment because the music from the browser game is simply brilliant.”
“It's not just nitpicking: that music was awesome and was an important part of why Reprisal felt like a fully-polished product even when it was a free browser game.”
“Without the soundtrack, the game feels more empty.”
“There is no music in the game, making it a bit boring after a while.”
“The trouble I have with it, which keeps this game from being a top hit for me, is the music.”
- story15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it weak and underdeveloped, often feeling like an afterthought rather than a central element. While some appreciate the integration of story elements into gameplay and the nostalgic chiptune soundtrack, others express disappointment over the lack of depth and engagement, particularly after investing significant time into the game. Overall, the narrative is seen as a minor aspect, overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and design.
“Pros: great design, simple mechanics, enjoyable story, and an enjoyable take on old school 8-bit/pixel art.”
“I also really enjoy the simple and effective way to involve the story into the tutorial.”
“+ deep story is offered if you want to take the time.”
“For that reason, I'm giving a negative review because I put in almost 70 hours to see the conclusion to the story, only to find that the game's difficulty remains completely flat all the way through, and there is no endgame because I never reached 100%, so I'm really disappointed.”
“There is some setup about regaining your position among the gods or some such, but no one is playing this game for the story.”
“The story is slim and weak – it seems like it was just added in because they needed something.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to slow movement controls and the AI's unfair advantages, which can detract from the overall experience. While the game is praised for its remake quality, the grinding elements can lead to significant player annoyance.
“If you decide to leave the tedious task of flattening your land for a moment and try to inflict some terror on your opponent, the problem shows.”
“Slow and tedious scroll speed (a small nitpick from a StarCraft: Brood War player).”
“A really good Populous remake, but be prepared for some teeth-grinding frustration at the amount of cheating the AI is allowed to do.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players highlight significant replayability in the game, particularly due to the recently re-added skirmish mode and the extensive story levels. The latest updates have improved gameplay mechanics, making it more enjoyable and less frantic, further enhancing its replay value.
“And I can safely say there's enough replay value to keep you occupied for a good while.”
“The recently re-added skirmish mode adds great replay value to the game outside of its nearly 150 story levels.”
“The new update has introduced the option to turn off the 'kindle' feature, which allows you to produce people from houses early. This makes the game much more playable and less of a click frenzy.”
“The latest update has made the game more playable, with the edge scrolling and no kindle option.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the optimization aspect lacking, as the difficulty curve is too easy, failing to provide a satisfying challenge beyond the initial stages. This results in a prolonged unsatisfactory experience for those seeking deeper gameplay engagement.
