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
- gameplay252 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Sprocket" is characterized by a moderate learning curve, where players can enjoy a deep and creative tank-building experience once they grasp the mechanics. While the building mechanics are intuitive and allow for extensive customization, the actual combat and gameplay scenarios are currently seen as lacking depth and variety, with many players suggesting the need for tutorials and more engaging content. Overall, the game shows promise for tank enthusiasts, but it requires further development to enhance the gameplay experience.
“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.”
“The game feels like it needs more content and fleshing out in terms of the environments, gameplay, and the game engine side.”
- story187 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and variety, with many users noting that there are only a few missions available, which feel bland and uninspired. While the tank design mechanics are praised, the missions often lack a cohesive narrative or engaging objectives, leading players to view the game more as a sandbox experience rather than a story-driven one. Overall, players express a desire for more missions and a more compelling campaign to enhance the gameplay experience.
“The missions are a lot of fun as well... well except the first one but hey that's WW1 tank combat.”
“The developer has a few fun scenarios that you build tanks in specific times (means weight, cost, and performance limits btw) and have to design a combat effective chassis to beat these missions.”
“The game also has scenario and sandbox missions that are very fun to play (very much enjoyed building a heavily armoured 75mm long-gun monster and destroying a swarm of interwar tanks that couldn't really do much unless they got very close).”
“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.”
- graphics114 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, especially for an indie title, while others criticize them as subpar or lacking detail, particularly on ultra-wide settings. Many users note that the game runs well even on lower-end hardware, but some experience performance issues or find the graphics demanding. Overall, while the visuals are generally considered decent to good, there is a consensus that improvements could enhance the experience further.
“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 graphics are very high and the game runs smoothly.”
“Don't recommend, looks so bad especially on ultra wide and max graphic settings. I've seen better graphics on Roblox. The UI is lacking, especially for a game focused on customizing tanks. I struggled to mirror a turret, and it seems like the option is either hidden or non-existent. Plus, there's no multiplayer or much to do at all.”
“You need a discrete GPU or lots of RAM to play at decent FPS on decent graphics.”
“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.”
- stability106 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game is currently plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, which can significantly hinder the user experience, especially in its early access state. While some players appreciate the game's potential and the developer's efforts to address issues, many express frustration over the instability and frequent technical problems. Overall, stability remains a major concern, with many recommending caution for potential buyers.
“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 is 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.”
“This game is a buggy mess and keys sometimes don't work.”
- humor56 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -4 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the absurdity of designing and building comically impractical tanks. Many reviews highlight the joy of experimenting with outrageous designs and the laughter that ensues from the game's quirky mechanics and glitches. Overall, the game is praised for its entertaining and lighthearted approach to tank creation, making it a fun 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.”
“The jokes fell flat and felt forced.”
“The humor was cringeworthy and not enjoyable.”
- optimization47 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. The game is still in early access, and while the developer is actively working on improvements, there is a consensus that optimization needs to be addressed further to enhance the experience, especially for lower-end PCs.
“From selecting the perfect chassis and turret to fine-tuning every aspect of your tank's performance, the possibilities are endless.”
“The game is actively worked upon by its developer and features few bugs and great performance.”
“The visuals are amazing, and the game is very well optimized.”
“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. I have yet to find out which ones do and don't crash.”
“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.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 59 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a significant focus on grinding in the game, with many players expressing that it can be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring a "second life" to fully engage. While some appreciate the detailed mechanics involved, such as tuning engines, others find the overall experience frustrating and lacking purpose, leading to a mixed reception regarding the enjoyment of grinding elements.
“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.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“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.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it limited due to a lack of scenarios and short story missions, others appreciate the extensive customization options and challenge levels that offer significant replay value. The potential for user-generated content and modding could further enhance replayability in the future. Currently, the game is seen as having good replayability, especially for those who enjoy experimenting with tank designs and tackling various challenges.
“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.”
“Otherwise, for the sake of overall content and replayability, I'd wait until the developers add a mission designer.”
“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.”
- music11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % 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 enjoyable and fitting for a chill atmosphere, while others criticize certain tracks as being depressing or weird. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point, 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 vibe 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.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, offering a purely community-driven experience without the typical monetization issues found in many tank games. Players appreciate the focus on gameplay rather than profit, making it a standout title in the genre.
“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 and game design, so I'm happy to inform you that this one is purely community-driven and very likely won't have any of that!”
“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.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of emotions, noting that the game evokes a sense of strength and resilience, akin to feeling like a tank. However, some experience frustration with gameplay mechanics, such as design limitations in sandbox mode that hinder their creative expression.
