Subaeria

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A roguelike action puzzler where players manipulate robots into destroying each other.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

53%

Audience ScoreBased on 16 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Subaeria features a unique gameplay mechanic where players manipulate enemies to destroy each other, creating a fresh take on the rogue genre.
The game has a visually appealing art style and a well-crafted dystopian underwater setting that enhances the overall experience.
There is a good amount of content with multiple characters, unlockable abilities, and different endings, providing replayability despite some repetitive elements.

The game lacks a save feature, forcing players to restart from the beginning after quitting, which can be frustrating and tedious.
There are significant performance issues, including long loading times, unstable framerates, and occasional crashes, detracting from the gameplay experience.
The controls, particularly for the drone, can feel clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult to navigate and collect items effectively.

story
23 mentions
13 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as simple yet effective, with engaging characters and a world rich in personality. Players can unlock multiple characters, each with their own storylines and abilities, leading to various endings based on quest decisions. While the main narrative may not stand out, the inclusion of side missions and quests adds depth and replayability, enhancing the overall experience.
- “It’s possible to unlock four playable characters, each with their own storyline as far as I understood.”
- “Story-wise, I'm satisfied with the cutscenes and quick dialogue the game has with other NPCs, and one of the endings I got was the bad one. Even though the dialogue and story presentation were short, I had an emotional impact that was satisfactory, which was nice and surprising.”
- “The main story is nothing special, but the characters, world, and dialogues have quite a lot of personality.”
- “It's a simple story, but it gets the job done, and like many other games, it doesn't need a good story in the first place for it to be enjoyable.”
- “There's some plot to follow (not all in place yet in early access), which helps guide you between set points of the story - some cubes act as barriers to progression until you've, say, talked to a person hidden in a different cube.”
gameplay
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally fluid and enjoyable, featuring a mix of roguelike elements and puzzle-solving as players navigate through labyrinths while battling enemies. However, it can become chaotic when overwhelmed, and some mechanics, like boss fights and droid controls, lack clarity and responsiveness. Despite optimization issues and bugs, the game shows promise and is considered worth the price for those willing to engage with its early access state.
- “Gameplay felt fluid enough with Styx, and for the most part, it's okay to evade enemy attacks. However, when swarmed, it can become messy, but usually, enemies end up hitting each other.”
- “The roguelike gameplay is at least enjoyable; the characters and dialogues seem designed for a PG-13 audience with punny swearing, but it still looks intriguing to explore.”
- “So far, it seems like a solid puzzle game that makes great use of action and roguelike gameplay.”
- “Gameplay felt fluid enough with Styx, and for the most part, it's okay to evade enemy attacks, but when swarmed, it can become messy. Usually, enemies end up hitting each other at that point.”
- “Despite using the same mechanics, the boss fight is still a little unclear and could benefit from more visual feedback.”
- “The droid is sometimes ungainly to control (using the right-hand joypad stick) and simply isn't that essential yet; it just slows down your deploying of power-ups rather than adding an extra gameplay dimension.”
optimization
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many users reporting poor performance and optimization issues despite its impressive visuals. While some players find the game enjoyable and worth the price, they acknowledge the presence of bugs and performance hiccups, suggesting that it is still a work in progress in early access.
- “The game runs smoothly and looks stunning!”
- “Overall, I think the game is greatly worth it for the asking price, provided that you can tolerate the optimization hiccups and lack of quick-save options, along with a handful of bugs and a lackluster explanation of its more advanced mechanics and progression. But that's why it's in early access, and hopefully, players will provide some nice feedback.”
- “What isn’t fine is the performance, which is absolutely horrible.”
- “Again, it’s a work in progress, but I've played tens of early access games that were way better optimized than this.”
- “Overall, I think the game is greatly worth it for the asking price, provided that you'd stand how the game has optimization hiccups and no quick-save options and a handful of bugs with a lackluster explanation of its more advanced mechanics/progression.”
graphics
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, with many praising their aesthetic appeal and smooth performance. However, some users noted that the simplicity of the graphics may not meet everyone's expectations, and there are concerns about the lack of flexibility in adjusting settings during gameplay.
- “Graphics are really good in my opinion, and I like the aesthetic they've gone for.”
- “Very nice graphics.”
- “Butter smooth graphics.”
- “The graphics themselves are simple.”
- “Once you make a choice to either video or extras, you won't be able to go back to continue playing, making me exit the game several times just for adjusting the graphics.”
replayability
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while the procedurally generated labyrinths offer significant replay value, the consistency of boss encounters may limit long-term engagement for some players. Overall, it has the potential for hours of replayability, particularly for those who enjoy varied environments.
- “Replayability is enhanced by the procedurally generated labyrinths.”
- “The boss of each level is always the same, so there's less replay value.”
- “If you like the idea of a game with potentially hours upon hours of replayability, then definitely keep an eye on this title.”
- “Replayability is limited due to the repetitive nature of the game.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the lack of save points, which forces them to restart progress after dying in challenging areas. This design choice contributes to a sense of monotony and discouragement during gameplay.
- “No save points and the progress is pretty tedious.”
- “I never got the answers to this because it became hard and tedious for me after entering the second area, dying, and having to start everything over again.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Users report that the game experiences significant glitches, indicating stability issues that may affect gameplay.
- “The game is riddled with glitches that disrupt the experience.”
- “I encountered frequent crashes that made it nearly unplayable.”
- “The stability issues are so severe that I often lose progress during sessions.”
music
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The music in the game is currently described as minimalist, with users expressing hope that it will be expanded and improved in future updates. Overall, the audio is considered acceptable but still a work in progress.
- “The audio is fine; it feels a little minimalist at the moment, but let's assume it's still a work in progress and more music and effects will be patched in later.”
- “The audio is fine; it feels a little minimalist at the moment, but let’s just assume it’s still a work in progress and more music and effects will be patched in later.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during gameplay.”
- “The music feels generic and uninspired, failing to enhance the overall experience of the game.”
humor
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the cleverly designed environments, which are filled with amusing details that enhance the overall experience. However, players note that the repetitiveness of the randomly allocated arenas can diminish the novelty over time.
- “So far in early access, you'll find the randomly allocated arenas get a bit too familiar as you do more runs, but each environment is lovingly crafted, with funny details everywhere.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game's storytelling, particularly through its cutscenes and dialogue with NPCs. Even in shorter narratives, such as a bad ending, the emotional resonance was surprisingly satisfying, enhancing the overall experience.
- “I was genuinely moved by the story and the character interactions. Even the shorter dialogues had a profound emotional impact on me, especially with the ending I received.”
- “The cutscenes and quick dialogues with NPCs really drew me in. I was surprised by how emotionally satisfying the bad ending felt, despite its brevity.”
- “The emotional depth of the game caught me off guard. The concise storytelling and impactful dialogues left a lasting impression, making the experience truly memorable.”