Shoulders of Giants: Ultimate
- August 12, 2024
- Moving Pieces Interactive
- 8h median play time
Get on SteamSimultaneously control a sword-wielding robot and a gunslinging space frog in Shoulders of Giants, an explosively colourful sci-fi roguelike designed to put your teamwork to the test. The forces of Entropy are spreading chaos through the stars, corrupting living planets and urging on the heat death of the universe. Led by the psychic Owl, one scrappy team of space survivors are fighting to re…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The unique dual-character control system offers engaging and dynamic combat, allowing players to switch between a frog and a mech seamlessly.
- The game features a variety of abilities, weapons, and power-ups, providing significant customization and replayability, especially in co-op modes.
- The vibrant visuals and energetic soundtrack enhance the overall experience, making the gameplay feel fast-paced and fun.
- The art style and environment design may not appeal to everyone, with some levels feeling repetitive and lacking detail.
- Combat can feel clunky at times, particularly with melee attacks, and some players have reported issues with enemy AI and hit detection.
- The game's progression can become monotonous, as the core gameplay loop may lead to repetitive experiences over extended play sessions.
- gameplay23 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a fresh and engaging roguelike experience, featuring smooth dual-character mechanics and dynamic co-op options that enhance replayability. While the core mechanics are addictive and the combat is satisfying, some players find the gameplay loop can become repetitive and the melee mechanics less enjoyable. Overall, the game offers a fun and active experience, with unique features like "best friend mode" and diverse environments, though it may lack the depth of more narrative-driven titles.
“A fresh and exciting roguelike with smooth dual-character mechanics, dynamic co-op, and satisfying progression.”
“Overall, 'Shoulders of Giants' is a fresh and fun take on the roguelike genre, with its unique dual-character control system, satisfying combat, and engaging co-op gameplay.”
“Great visuals, great sound design, fun music, fluid movement/gameplay, tons of replay value, diverse enemies, diverse power-ups, progression feels impactful, risk vs reward is well implemented, and the game feels complete.”
“It’s a simple yet serviceable setup that gives the gameplay some context, though it lacks the depth seen in more story-driven games.”
“The melee and shooting mechanics really drag the game down.”
“The gameplay loop also feels rather repetitive, even for a roguelite type of game.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a bold and cartoonish art style that is vibrant but may not appeal to everyone, with some players loving the visuals while others find them divisive. While the graphics and environment design are striking and enhance the gameplay experience, performance issues on platforms like the Steam Deck have been noted, leading to mixed feelings about the overall visual presentation. Despite these critiques, many players appreciate the game's unique aesthetic and fluid movement.
“The visuals are really striking and the battles intense at times.”
“Super fun so far and looks awesome, great art style and effects.”
“I really liked the visuals and how the landscape changed throughout the missions.”
“Overall, the game’s art style won’t be for everyone—it’s bold and cartoonish, which may not appeal to those looking for a more refined aesthetic.”
“Art style and environment design may not appeal to everyone.”
“My other, slightly less fair complaint is the Steam Deck performance. The developer notes had me optimistic, but this game just does not run very well on Deck. It both looks like garbage and has notable performance issues. While not shocking, given the 3D graphics and long draw distances, it is a bit disappointing.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The story revolves around cleansing corrupted planets and restoring light to the galaxy, serving primarily as a backdrop for the action rather than a deep narrative. While the plot is simple and features quirky characters like a psychic owl guide, it lacks the depth of more story-driven games, with side quests adding some context to the gameplay. Overall, the narrative is considered minimal and somewhat underwhelming, but the engaging gameplay and visuals compensate for it.
“The story centers around cleansing corrupted planets and restoring light to the galaxy.”
“While the plot is minimal and more of a backdrop for the action, the narrative’s charm comes from its quirky characters, including a psychic owl guide who adds flavor to the lore.”
“Plus you will also get side quests along with the main story.”
“The plot is minimal and more of a backdrop for the action, lacking the depth seen in more story-driven games.”
“That's the entire storyline.”
“The dialogue and story are kind of meh in my opinion, but the gameplay is very fresh and addicting.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally satisfactory, with most players noting smooth performance on PC. However, there are some concerns regarding frame drops during specific actions and disappointing performance on the Steam Deck, where graphics quality and frame rates fall short of expectations. While some users feel it could benefit from additional polish, it is not a major issue for most.
“Needs a bit of performance polish overall but not enough to justify a complaint.”
“Gameplay is actually really good, and feels great to control; performance is pretty good but could maybe use just a tiny bit more optimization.”
“Really glad to see that this runs smoothly on the deck (and has a UI scaling option too!).”
“Bit of performance polish; some moves cause frame drops, such as the melee sand.”
“My other, slightly less fair complaint is the Steam Deck performance. The developer notes had me optimistic, but this game just does not run very well on Deck. It both looks terrible and has notable performance issues. While not shocking, given the 3D graphics and long draw distances, it is a bit disappointing. Still, I'll just play it on my PC - keyboard and mouse controls are way better than gamepad for this sort of thing, anyhow.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its energetic soundtrack that complements the fast-paced gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the fun and engaging sound design, noting that it contributes significantly to the game's replay value and immersive atmosphere.
“The only reason I bought this game is because I like the composers of the soundtrack.”
“Great visuals, great sound design, fun music, fluid movement/gameplay, tons of replay value, diverse enemies, diverse power-ups, progression feels impactful, risk vs reward is well implemented, and the game feels complete.”
“The soundtrack is energetic and matches the game’s fast pace.”
“The music is banging.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its randomized levels, extensive upgrade options, and engaging co-op gameplay, encouraging players to return for new experiences.
“Thanks to randomized levels, a large array of upgrades, and strong co-op play, the game has significant replay value.”
“The variety of character builds and dynamic events keeps each playthrough fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and choices that affect the story, I find myself coming back to explore different outcomes.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted by charming designs, particularly the frog-mech duo, though some reviewers note that the surrounding environments may lack depth and detail, which could impact the overall immersion.
“The character designs are charming, especially the frog-mech duo, but the environments sometimes lack depth and detail.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing characters, contributing to an engaging experience that enhances replayability.
“The characters are hilarious, and everything ties together into a fantastic game with a lot of replayability.”
“The humor is spot-on, making every interaction a joy and keeping me engaged throughout the game.”
“I love how the witty dialogue and funny situations keep me laughing while I play.”
