Rise Of The White Sun

About

"Rise of the White Sun" is a real-time strategy game set in an ancient Asian-inspired world. Players must build and manage their kingdom, expanding through conquest and diplomacy while contending with supernatural threats. The game features a unique spiritual philosophy system, influencing unit abilities and empire development, and intense PvP multiplayer modes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+16

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Unique and immersive setting in the Warlord Era of China, with a rich historical context and a variety of factions to play.
Engaging gameplay that combines strategy, character management, and political maneuvering, offering a high level of depth and replayability.
The developer is responsive and actively updates the game, addressing player feedback and improving the overall experience.

The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to navigate menus and access important information, which detracts from the overall experience.
The game has a steep learning curve, which may be overwhelming for new players, and lacks clear explanations for many of its mechanics.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues that can disrupt gameplay, indicating that the game is still in need of polish despite its potential.

gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
8%
The gameplay offers a diverse experience across various factions, each with unique mechanics, goals, and historical events that enhance immersion. However, many players find the user interface clunky and some mechanics poorly implemented, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game provides engaging strategic gameplay that can lead to hours of enjoyment, especially once players become familiar with its systems.
- “There is a lot of variety between factions, unique starting positions, strengths, and goals. Some have specific mechanics (horde, party), while historically significant factions have unique story events.”
- “The gameplay loop is easy to get the hang of, and the strategy itself is incredibly chaotic. This makes the game, at least in sandbox mode, ripe for quick sessions of interesting and teeth-clenching gameplay.”
- “It's so rarely been attempted because it's a history of factions and impromptu, shifting alliances between figures with their own armies, backing, and resources. This game actually models that as a mechanic, and it's lovely.”
- “Many of the mechanics seem rushed, and you aren't provided with the feedback you need to not only play the game well (not super important to me) but to get immersed (very important to me).”
- “The problem is the UI is abysmal and that means 99% of the gameplay is abysmal.”
- “Just because x information is technically available on y random screen, or z makes sense because of opaque unclear mechanic w doesn't mean it's acceptable.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The game's story is enriched by its diverse factions, each with unique backstories, mechanics, and historical events, particularly set during the intriguing Chinese warlord era of the 1920s. Players appreciate the scripted events in campaigns, which enhance immersion, though some desire more detailed lore and context about the factions to deepen their understanding of the narrative. Overall, the story aspect is seen as a significant draw, especially for those who enjoy narrative-driven gameplay.
- “There is a lot of variety between factions, unique starting positions, strengths, and goals. Some have specific mechanics (horde, party), while others, which are historically significant, have unique story events.”
- “I've been fascinated by the warlord period ever since reading Pearl Buck's _Sons_; it's certainly a niche book, and I think it's set a bit earlier than this game. It's wonderful to have a game set in this period!”
- “Third, while this may just be indicative of my appreciation for more story-based games, I feel like I enjoyed the first campaign the most because it had more specific scripted events.”
- “I feel I need to share a bit of story in this review in order to provide a full view of this game from my perspective.”
- “I also think it would be neat if there was some kind of optional text blurb explaining the backstory of the faction, why they split off from other people, what they believe, what their allies are, etc., as I don't believe I was ever able to find stuff like that.”
- “Starting out, you're going to sink over a few hours into some of the early missions.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game offers strong replayability due to its unique historical setting and diverse scenarios and factions, allowing players to explore different strategies and goals. Users highlight the variety in gameplay, particularly with the Shanghai Uprising, making it an engaging experience for fans of the warlord era in Chinese history.
- “Excellent replayability between all scenarios and factions.”
- “Since the more important factions play differently and there are several goals you can pursue to win, there is lots of replayability in what is already there.”
- “Overall, the replay value is there; the historical era is previously unexplored, making this a great indie addition.”
- “I have mainly played the Shanghai Uprising and was surprised at how much replayability and variety there was to it.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, primarily due to cumbersome mechanics and frequent window switching. While the game offers diverse activities such as land battles, economic development, and various farming strategies, the overall execution feels opaque and laborious, detracting from the enjoyment of these features.
- “This isn't just a case of too many clicks and annoying, tedious window switching (and believe me, it's horrible in this regard).”
- “It's just opaque in its mechanisms and tedious.”
- “A suggestion from a farming party:”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The graphics are visually appealing and align with the provided screenshots, featuring a unique and cool art style that stands out for a Chinese chess game. While the music and sound effects are considered acceptable, they are not a primary focus for the reviewer.
- “The art style is so cool for a Chinese chess game.”
- “I've never seen this art style before.”
- “Graphics are as per the screenshots, but they feel outdated and lack detail.”
- “The art style is unique, but it doesn't resonate well with me.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and fail to impress.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly in the amusingly treacherous behavior of characters who can betray you, which adds both comedic and frustrating elements to the experience. Additionally, the lighthearted tone of the tool-tips and pop-up boxes enhances the overall enjoyment, making the learning process entertaining. Overall, the blend of humor and gameplay mechanics contributes to a memorable gaming experience.
- “The fact that your own characters can, and will, backstab you and join other factions is not only historically accurate but also really funny and anger-inducing in the right way.”
- “I played through the tutorials and must admit that the tool-tips and pop-up boxes are a great help in explaining the game's mechanics in layman's terms; the humor therein is funny.”
- “Having just finished the Shanghai scenario, which was both frustrating and humorous at times, I can say that I love the game and I can see it becoming one of my favorites!”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, citing frequent bugs that disrupt gameplay, such as NPCs behaving unpredictably. Overall, the game is perceived as incomplete and unreliable.
- “The last straw for me was when I paid bandits to go one direction, but the game was too buggy and they went the opposite direction, further into my territory.”
- “This is a very buggy and incomplete game.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music and sound in the game are considered acceptable, though they do not significantly impact the overall experience for some players.
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't add anything to the overall experience.”
- “While the graphics are decent, the music feels repetitive and uninspired.”
- “The soundtrack lacks variety and fails to engage the player.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply resonant, appreciating the wholesome portrayal of characters in the 1920s and feeling a sense of humility as they witness their journeys before achieving greatness. This nostalgic glimpse into their past evokes a strong connection and anticipation for their future successes.
- “There is something so wholesome about seeing these characters in the 1920s—long before their moments of glory in the 30s and 40s—that I find humbling. (Do not worry, Chiang, your moment will come!)”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
The game's collage style effectively establishes a gloomy and brutal atmosphere, immersing players in a stark representation of China.
- “The haunting soundtrack perfectly complements the eerie visuals, immersing players in a world filled with tension and mystery.”
- “The richly detailed environments and dynamic weather effects contribute to an incredibly immersive atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
- “The collage style of this game creates a gloomy and brutal atmosphere of China.”
- “The overall ambiance feels lifeless and fails to immerse players in the game world.”
- “The sound design is lackluster, making the atmosphere feel flat and unengaging.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game enjoyable but express a desire for further optimizations to enhance overall performance and player experience.
- “I personally find this game quite fun, and I hope that more improvements can be implemented when needed to enhance player experience and game performance.”