Sprocket
- August 26, 2021
- Hamish Dunn
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam"Sprocket" is a tank design game that allows players to create and customize tanks using a dedicated designer. The game presents realistic armor mechanics and covers tank design challenges from WW1 to the late stages of WW2. Players can design hulls, turrets, armor, and cannons by setting thicknesses, shapes, and angles, while considering the trade-offs between space, weight, and firepower. Currently, tutorials are lacking, so a solid understanding of tanks is recommended .
PC
Windows
Reviews
- gameplay504 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Sprocket" is characterized by a moderate learning curve, with players finding the tank-building mechanics both engaging and complex. While the game offers a sandbox experience that allows for extensive customization and experimentation, many users note a lack of content and a need for better tutorials to help newcomers grasp the intricate mechanics. Overall, the game shows promise with its unique design elements and potential for future updates, but currently feels somewhat bare in terms of active gameplay and mission variety.
“Sprocket looks hard at first, but once you learn the mechanics, it's really fun to be able to build anything you want.”
“The intuitive building mechanics make it easy to experiment and iterate, ensuring that every tank is unique.”
“This game takes some time to get the hang of, but once you start to figure out how the mechanics work, it becomes a playground with endless possibilities.”
“First of all, there's not a whole lot of gameplay to this game.”
“Gameplay is okay, if a bit lackluster.”
“At the moment there is not much gameplay.”
- story374 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and cohesion, with many users noting that it feels more like a sandbox experience than a narrative-driven game. Players express disappointment over the limited number of missions, which are often described as bland and lacking engaging objectives, leading to a desire for more diverse and compelling content. Overall, while the tank design mechanics are praised, the missions and story elements are seen as underdeveloped and in need of significant improvement.
“There is something for everyone in the game; you can purpose-build tanks for each 'scenario' (essentially missions) that take place in various different eras, or you can just have dumb fun and build whatever your heart desires in the sandbox mode.”
“The developer has a few fun scenarios that you build tanks in specific times (which means weight, cost, and performance limits) and have to design a combat-effective chassis to beat these missions.”
“Some other reviewers recommend skipping the first mission due to its difficulty, but I found it to be the most engaging mission due to the design constraint of creating a fighting vehicle that can also cross trenches reliably.”
“As of now, the game lacks a cohesive narrative or compelling missions that drive the gameplay forward.”
“The only cool thing about this game is building the tank, but that's pretty useless if you can only play 8 missions which are as bland as oatmeal.”
“The game's true fault currently lies in its limited scope, both in lack of volume for missions and the scope of the missions/maps themselves.”
- graphics228 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising their realism and quality, likening them to AAA titles, while others criticize them as subpar, especially on higher settings. Many users note that the game runs well even on lower-end hardware, but some experience performance issues or find the visuals lacking in detail. Overall, the graphics are generally considered decent for an indie game, with potential for improvement as development continues.
“This game is an incredible experience to play, it has amazing graphics and is incredibly realistic while not needing too fast of a computer.”
“The graphics are top quality as well, probably the best I've seen in any vehicle designing game, tank or otherwise, and I would say is comparable to AAA titles like War Thunder in visual quality.”
“The visuals are amazing, and the game is very well optimized.”
“Don't recommend, looks so bad especially on ultra wide and max graphic settings. I've seen games on Roblox that look way better. The UI just looks so lacking for a game all about customizing your own tanks. I tried to mirror a turret and couldn't figure it out; either you can't mirror it or the button to do so is just hidden. Who knows where? Then it doesn't have multiplayer or much to do at all.”
“Give this a skip - not worth the dollars unless you are a serious specialized mechanic: suspension is overly complex with no guidance or feel to what you are changing, the UI is incredibly small to read the specifics, and the graphics look like they were created 10 years ago.”
“Depending on your graphics card, the game may just have a black screen on launch, making it unplayable.”
- stability212 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game is currently in a highly buggy state, with numerous glitches affecting gameplay and design features, which is typical for an early access title. While many players find the core mechanics enjoyable and promising, the instability can lead to frustrating experiences, particularly with the building system and AI behavior. Overall, while the game shows potential, it requires significant improvements to its stability before it can be fully recommended.
“Updates come very often, and the game is mostly bug free.”
“Not too buggy either, which is great.”
“Very enjoyable game, can easily take up hours without you realizing, and for just one developer, it's very bug free.”
“Very buggy in the current state, playing the game and installing and deleting causes many issues that are very annoying to deal with.”
“Too many bugs and glitches that take so much time to try and fix your design, all for your time to be wasted by a glitch that makes your design unusable.”
“Do not buy unless you're happy with the basic and buggy state it is in right now.”
- humor112 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the absurdity of designing and experimenting with comically impractical tanks. Many reviews highlight the joy of creating "funny tanks" that often lead to hilarious outcomes, such as exaggerated designs and unexpected explosions. Overall, the game is praised for its lighthearted approach and the fun derived from its sandbox mechanics, making it a delightful experience for those who appreciate humor in gameplay.
“If funny random stuff plus making tanks was a game, this would be the game.”
“The controls are a bit weird, but when you learn them and make a few tanks, the game gets really fun and is really funny when you put a 250mm gun on a 2-meter tank and make the barrel 60 meters long.”
“Build massively cursed tanks and just die from laughing with friends.”
“I am not funny.”
“I am not funny.”
- optimization94 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players report smooth performance and good graphics, many others experience significant issues such as crashes, low frame rates, and high CPU/GPU utilization, particularly in custom matches with multiple tanks. As the game is still in early access, there are hopes for future improvements, but current optimization problems detract from the overall experience.
“From selecting the perfect chassis and turret to fine-tuning every aspect of your tank's performance, the possibilities are endless.”
“The visuals are amazing, and the game is very well optimized.”
“Every detail change brings feedback in scenarios and sandbox, so that I can adjust my designs for hours to get the best performance.”
“It's a good game in terms of what it's trying to achieve, though it really needs some optimization fixes as my game always crashes about 4-5 minutes after loading into a map.”
“Very poor optimization considering War Thunder with 32 much higher fidelity models and in-depth damage models will run at 144fps.”
“However, it seems to be poorly optimized as of this review, along with no FPS cap, causing even high-end PCs to run at 100% CPU and GPU utilization, almost like crypto mining.”
- grinding44 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 59 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that grinding in the game can be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest significant effort without clear rewards. While some players appreciate the detailed mechanics, many find the experience frustrating and lacking purpose, suggesting that it may appeal more to those familiar with similar grind-heavy games. Overall, the consensus leans towards grinding being a major drawback, with some players feeling it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“Everything is free except for the base game, no grinding required.”
“The only game in its genre that isn't as tedious as voxel-based games.”
“I've tried giving this 'game' many chances but it's empty, a shell, tedious, and has horrible control navigation just in the building section of the game, you know, the meat and potatoes of the game.”
“The game is way too tedious at the moment.”
“While both of those games are fun in their own right, they are grindy at best and rage-inducing at worst.”
- replayability28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it limited due to a lack of scenarios, others appreciate the extensive customization options and challenge levels that offer near limitless replayability once the mechanics are mastered. The potential for user-generated content and modding could significantly enhance replay value, but currently, the experience is enjoyable yet somewhat constrained. Overall, many players agree that the game has strong replayability, especially with its engaging scenarios and tank design features.
“Once you master the mechanics and have a good understanding of how to fight other tanks and improve your own, you will find near limitless replayability.”
“Its replayability is good because you can design almost everything about your tank, and if you want a challenge you can play a challenge level, or if you just want to build to your heart's content you can do that too!”
“This game is not an experience that one can easily forget, and it has (to some degree of creativity) endless replayability.”
“At the moment, the scenarios are quite limited, so the replayability is fairly low.”
“If the ability for users to mod the game and create additional items and features for tanks is added, then the replay value of this game will see a huge boost as well.”
“Otherwise, for the sake of overall content and replayability, I'd wait if/until the devs add a mission designer.”
- music22 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its calm and thoughtful soundtrack that enhances the gaming experience. Some find it to be a perfect backdrop for relaxing gameplay, while others describe it as weird or even depressing. Overall, the soundtrack is generally well-regarded, with suggestions for customization options to further enhance the audio experience.
“One surprising thing that I quite like is the soundtrack; it's got a very calm and thoughtful soundtrack that really resonates with me.”
“A perfect game to chill, play music or YouTube, and build a tank.”
“My only gripes with it are the really depressing music and the bare-bones damage model, but other than that, I would absolutely recommend.”
“- Add the option to implement your own gun/engine sounds, music, and decals to the game for that added extra touch (Battlefield 1's music would work wonders for the WWI scenario).”
“The music is an absolute banger.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, making it a refreshing choice in a genre often plagued by monetization issues. Players appreciate its community-driven approach, which enhances the experience without the interference of scummy monetization practices. Overall, it is considered one of the best tank-themed games on Steam due to its straightforward and fair monetization model.
“There's no microtransactions in it, but maybe a multiplayer mode and workshop are needed; otherwise, it's pretty good.”
“Many tank games tend to have issues with monetization, game design, etc. so I'm happy to inform you that this one is purely community-driven and very likely won't have any of that!”
“Build tanks, fight tanks, all without scummy monetization and terrible teammates - okay maybe the AI is a bit rough - but this game is great.”
“The best tank-themed game currently available on Steam simply because it lacks any microtransactions.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling empowered and immersed in the experience of designing and maneuvering tanks. The gameplay evokes a sense of creativity and satisfaction, despite some technical challenges encountered in sandbox mode.
