RODINA

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,120 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
RODINA Game Cover
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RODINA is a dream.A shared vision of a massive, seamless universe to explore. The perfect immersive space sim, where you can go anywhere, do anything, become anyone.I started RODINA because I suspected that no company could ever achieve this dream in a AAA way. I thought that perhaps a single developer, working over a long time frame, could eventually build something great.Join me on this adventur…

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Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,120 reviews
story135 positive mentions
stability8 negative mentions
  • Rodina offers a truly immersive experience with its seamless transitions between space and planetary exploration.
  • The game features a captivating story told through well-written text logs, enhancing the player's engagement.
  • The ship customization allows for a unique personal touch, making each player's experience distinct.
  • Currently, the game lacks content, making it feel repetitive after a short period of play.
  • The planets are mostly barren, with little to explore beyond basic landscapes and enemy encounters.
  • Combat mechanics can feel simplistic and unbalanced, especially when facing multiple enemies.
  • story390 mentions

    The story in "Rodina" is highly praised for its depth and engaging writing, often compared to classic science fiction works by authors like Asimov and Heinlein. Players appreciate the immersive experience of uncovering the narrative through text-based logs and encrypted messages, although some note that the story is currently incomplete and requires significant reading, which may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a standout feature, with many eager for future updates to expand the narrative further.

    • “Rodina is a simple little game, with a deep story and excellent gameplay.”
    • “The story is fantastic, albeit short, but the developer is constantly working on the game so new mechanics and story will be added.”
    • “The story is rich in text, and the lack of any spoken dialogue is actually great, because it adds a mysteriousness to the whole situation of the game.”
    • “All lore and story comes in the form of datapads or encrypted ship files, leaving the world feeling lonely and empty.”
    • “The story is told through text exclusively, a few pages each from dozens of perspectives.”
    • “The story is unfinished and the gunplay and ship combat is basic, but overall everything here has great promise.”
  • music184 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its dynamic and immersive quality, seamlessly transitioning from epic combat themes to calming exploration tracks that enhance the overall atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as beautiful, orchestral, and capable of evoking strong emotions, making it a significant part of the gameplay experience. Many players recommend purchasing the soundtrack separately, emphasizing its exceptional quality and ability to elevate the game's exploration and combat moments.

    • “The music enhances the gameplay experience and sets a tone of adventure, wonder, and potential danger.”
    • “Rodina has an amazing dynamic soundtrack that changes with your environment.”
    • “The soundtrack is gorgeous and stunning.”
    • “The music isn't that good, and it takes hours to get anywhere (maybe I am missing something).”
    • “Soundtrack gets a bit old after a while and I wish it was more in depth in combat.”
    • “The planets themselves, mixed with asteroids of various shapes and sizes are fun to explore for a few hours, especially coupled with the game's amazing, if not slightly repetitive soundtrack.”
  • gameplay150 mentions

    The gameplay in Rodina is characterized by its engaging space exploration mechanics and immersive storytelling, though it is often described as simplistic and repetitive. Players appreciate the smooth flight controls and the fun combat mechanics, but many note that the game currently lacks depth and variety in gameplay content. Overall, while the core mechanics are solid and enjoyable, there is a consensus that further development is needed to enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “Rodina is a fun game with great gameplay and controls.”
    • “The gameplay is just so much fun and the ability to mod the game makes it even better.”
    • “The physics and exploration mechanics are fun to learn and master, the combat is engaging, if in dire need of tweaking, and the story is interesting.”
    • “The gameplay side is a little barebones, but I think it does its job, which is to serve the writing.”
    • “Overall, the entire experience is rather simplified and lacking many details that would enhance the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay in Rodina is, as of now, mediocre for a space game.”
  • graphics147 mentions

    The graphics of "Rodina" are generally described as simplistic and reminiscent of retro games from the 90s, often characterized as low-resolution or "programmer art." While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and unique art style, others find the visuals lacking and in need of improvement, particularly in terms of detail and variety. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they do not detract significantly from the engaging gameplay and immersive experience the game offers.

    • “Rodina is fun, with enough content to keep you busy, and the graphics feel nostalgic.”
    • “A captivating soundtrack, engrossing story, challenging combat, and graphics that grow on you.”
    • “The graphics seem basic at first, but there are some genuinely beautiful things to see.”
    • “The graphics are simplistic and the content update rate is minimal, but given that this is mostly created by a single person, that is forgivable.”
    • “The graphics in Rodina have a cute little pixel charm to them, specifically the fire extinguisher effects after putting out a fire.”
    • “The game in its current state is extremely spartan and the graphics lack any aesthetics.”
  • atmosphere131 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and intense experience, characterized by the seamless transition between space and planetary atmospheres, which enhances the sense of scale and realism. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics of atmospheric entry, where managing speed and trajectory is crucial to avoid burning up, alongside a captivating soundtrack that complements the environment. While the game excels in creating a unique atmospheric vibe, some reviewers express a desire for more diverse planetary life and activities to enrich the overall experience.

    • “The atmosphere created by the ambient music is perfect.”
    • “The seamless transition from space to atmosphere of the four planets is great, and the entry effects are very nice.”
    • “The incomprehensible, lonely scale of everything and the clouds of hostile aliens around each world sell the impression that everything wants you dead -- even the planets' atmospheres.”
    • “I would've loved to see something living other than the normal enemies; even if it couldn't speak, having wildlife or anything populating the galaxy would add a lot to the game's atmosphere.”
    • “Graphically, Rodina looks very pretty, particularly when you dive down into the atmosphere of the vast planets; however, this is countered by far more blocky animations as seen during ship fires or firing up the limnal drive.”
  • optimization23 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while many players praise its impressive performance and smooth gameplay on high-end systems, others report issues such as stuttering, lag, and frame rate drops, particularly during loading sequences or in specific modes. Some users have noted that despite the game's vast environments, it can still struggle on lower-end hardware, indicating a need for further optimization. Additionally, the presence of various graphical options allows players to tailor performance to their systems, but persistent performance issues remain a concern for some.

    • “The scale of things is also insanely impressive and the fact that this game is so performance optimized while simultaneously containing such vast environments is endlessly commendable.”
    • “Performance is nice and smooth, with tons of graphical options to suit your needs and preferences.”
    • “The game is well optimized for PC.”
    • “This game used to run flawlessly for me and now it has constant stuttering.”
    • “What isn't amazing is that the game is so poorly optimized that even on my gaming computer the frame rates took me out of the world that the game attempts to create.”
    • “The framerate gets really choppy when trying to load new enemies or regions, so that could be optimized.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its blend of hard sci-fi and philosophy, with players experiencing deep connections to the characters and their stories through logs. While some found the emotional impact lacking, others were moved by the powerful soundtrack and atmospheric visuals, which enhanced the storytelling and evoked feelings of nostalgia and wonder. Overall, the game offers a mix of heartfelt and humorous narratives that resonate with immersive players.

    • “It's the loveliest combination of hard sci-fi, philosophy, and some really touching stories (all told through logs).”
    • “The combination of listening to the awesome soundtrack while reading the incredibly emotional dialogue in the encrypted communications...beautiful.”
    • “Well-written, emotional story.”
  • stability12 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a generally enjoyable experience with minimal bugs, others highlight significant issues such as lag and control problems. Many users note that despite being in early access, the game runs well on lower-end PCs and is surprisingly bug-free for its stage of development, though a few persistent glitches remain.

    • “The price is very reasonable for what you are getting; it's very fun, and it runs great on low-end PCs like mine. If you are a fan of space exploration, then I absolutely recommend this game.”
    • “This game is practically bug-free.”
    • “Surprisingly bug-free for an early access game.”
    • “The game is a bit buggy, but more than that it is laggy.”
    • “It's extremely buggy and the controls are unclear.”
    • “This game is insanely buggy; landing sends the ship into some sort of ghost mode where all you can do is sit back from the keyboard and watch your ship spin uncontrollably and phase through the ground, while the message 'the ship has landed' shows up repeatedly.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and absurd elements, such as exaggerated size proportions and witty, sarcastic lore that enhances immersion. Players find amusement in the game's unexpected scenarios, like using a fire extinguisher in space or discovering humorous datasticks, which contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience. Overall, the blend of funny storytelling and chaotic gameplay moments creates a unique and enjoyable atmosphere.

    • “I like how wonky the size proportions are as well, like the interior of your ship is much bigger than the exterior; it's hilarious and interesting.”
    • “The data sticks are these little bits of the story and surprisingly funny.”
    • “All the logs you can find in the game are both hilarious and heartfelt.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in ground combat where avoiding enemy fire can be challenging. While the game offers a high degree of freedom in exploration, some feel that the repetitive nature of combat and the dullness of planet surfaces detracts from the overall experience.

    • “It gives (nearly) absolute freedom to go wherever you want, do whatever you want (aside from a minor planet-locking system, which is not grindy and well-done in my opinion).”
    • “Just tedious.”
    • “Ground combat is tedious; some enemies just shoot constantly, and it's hard to avoid their bullets while hitting them with yours.”
    • “Still find the game slightly tedious, and the planet surfaces boring.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has raised concerns among users, with some fearing it may devolve into a cash grab, a common issue in the indie game market. Despite these worries, players express a strong appreciation for the game itself, hoping it will realize its full potential without resorting to exploitative practices.

    • “This is probably my favorite sandbox game I've ever played and really hope this isn't one of those cash grabs and run indie games because this game has the potential to be so much more.”
    • “I hope it does not become what many games have; a cash grab.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the game's replayability is expected to increase significantly as more content and improvements are added in future updates. Suggestions for enhancing immersion and replayability include the addition of player ship wrecks on planets, which could provide new exploration opportunities.

    • “Another suggestion I have for a bit more immersion and replayability is to include spaceship wrecks on the planets, specifically wrecks of the player's ship.”
    • “A while from now, the game will be much more developed in content and generally improved, allowing for vast replayability.”
    • “Another suggestion I have for a bit more immersion and replayability is to have spaceship wrecks on the planets, specifically wrecks of the player's ship.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

7hMedian play time
18hAverage play time
4-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

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