Supreme Ruler 2030
- July 25, 2023
- BattleGoat Studios
- 795h median play time
"Supreme Ruler 2030" is a strategy game that lets you manage a country's military forces, conducting research, producing and trading military equipment, and assembling battlegroups for combined force abilities. Building and deploying naval fleets, arming units with missiles, and managing relationships with other nations through treaties, trade, and covert operations are also crucial components of the game. The game requires careful management of all aspects of your chosen country, from military and intelligence to diplomacy and resources.
Reviews
- The game features significant improvements over previous titles, including better AI, enhanced graphics, and a more user-friendly interface.
- The developers are actively engaging with the community, addressing bugs, and implementing feedback, which shows their commitment to improving the game.
- The gameplay offers a unique blend of geopolitical strategy, allowing players to manage economies, military forces, and diplomatic relations in a detailed and immersive environment.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios, which can hinder the overall experience.
- Diplomacy and AI behavior can feel unrealistic and frustrating, with countries declaring war for seemingly no reason and lacking coherent strategies.
- Many players feel that the game does not offer enough new content compared to previous installments, leading to disappointment for long-time fans of the series.
- graphics106 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have seen some improvements, with updates to unit models and map visuals, but many players feel they still fall short of modern standards, often describing them as outdated or merely a reskin of previous titles. While some appreciate the modest enhancements and find them visually appealing within the context of gameplay, others criticize the lack of significant upgrades and the overall aesthetic quality. Ultimately, the consensus suggests that while the graphics are better than before, they are not the primary focus of the game, which is more about strategy and gameplay mechanics.
“With dynamic gameplay, realistic graphics, and a responsive user interface, it offers an unparalleled gaming experience.”
“The graphics are engaging, striking a balance between visual appeal and functionality.”
“The graphics have been overhauled and while they may not be super mega HD or whatever, they are better than the previous games and a pleasure to look at as you play.”
“The graphics were poor 10 years ago; now they are dreadful.”
“I honestly don't understand how they keep remaking the same crappy game with crappy graphics and crappy menus you aren't even supposed to realistically access manually.”
“The graphics truly look outdated, lack of any animation persists and resource management/supply chain menus appear scattered all over now.”
- gameplay85 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Supreme Ruler 2030 is characterized by a mix of strategic depth and complexity, offering players a rich experience if they are willing to invest time in learning its mechanics. While the game has seen improvements in its engine and some mechanics, it still suffers from issues like a confusing user interface and various bugs, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, dedicated players appreciate the game's potential for extensive gameplay and variety, making it a worthwhile endeavor for fans of grand strategy.
“With dynamic gameplay, realistic graphics, and a responsive user interface, it offers an unparalleled gaming experience.”
“If you're patient though... and you're a 'geo-political, economic nerd' especially... and you take the time to really learn the mechanics and the economy aspect of everything, they're great.”
“It's easy to learn, you are completely free to decide your own goals and gameplay, you can try to conquer the whole world if you want, or you could just mind your own business, it's up to you.”
“After more than half a year since full release and a lot of big updates, the game is still (maybe) a fraction better than its predecessor just because of the new engine and some new mechanics.”
“I love strategy games and I think this game has a great idea and concept, but the implementation is really terrible in many areas (UI, AI, diplomacy, unit management, battle clarity, research, economy, and domestic management). I spend a lot of time fighting with the game and trying to figure out what the developers had in mind. This is not a 'next-gen' game, but rather a 'previous-gen' game.”
“Gameplay-wise, it seems full of bugs.”
- optimization57 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant improvements over previous titles, particularly in terms of smoother performance and better graphics. However, some users have reported persistent performance issues, especially during large-scale troop movements and after extended play sessions, indicating that further optimization is still needed. Overall, while the game shows promise with its new 64-bit engine and quality of life enhancements, it struggles with certain performance bottlenecks that detract from the experience.
“The performance improvements are great over Supreme Ruler Ultimate; the game is much smoother.”
“The difference in just the game’s optimization compared to any of the previous games is pretty significant and easily justifies getting this game.”
“And it is without a doubt the best optimized game in the franchise.”
“Performance compared to single player is abysmal.”
“The game really needs optimization regarding the speed.”
“As always after a few dozen turns, the game starts to break in performance and becomes unplayable.”
- stability31 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting persistent bugs and glitches that can severely disrupt gameplay, particularly in sandbox mode. While the development team is small and actively working on improvements, the slow pace of polishing has left some players frustrated, especially given the game's solid foundation. Despite these issues, some players still find enjoyment in the game and believe that ongoing updates will eventually address the problems.
“It's not bug-free, but it took 6 hours of continuous play to encounter my first bug and my first crash.”
“So, to summarize, it is still buggy and not worth the money, which really pains me to say as I have had every iteration of the Supreme Ruler franchise and really enjoyed them all. I have almost 1500 hours in Ultimate.”
“However, this game keeps having glitches that severely disrupt gameplay.”
“Had two glitches consistently in sandbox mode that make it unplayable.”
- story29 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is criticized for lacking depth and engagement, with players noting a minimal role-playing value and a need for more dynamic interactions between allies and enemies. Reviewers express disappointment in the absence of a compelling narrative, suggesting that the game could benefit from a more intricate story-building system akin to titles like EU4 and CK3. Additionally, technical issues with the spy mission system further detract from the overall storytelling experience.
“Game has huge potential; technologies and economics are great. It just needs some more EU4, CK3 kind of story building while time in the game evolves.”
“Let me tell you a story, dear reader...”
“It's a classical snake's tail story.”
“It's no story happening while playing, little role-playing value.”
“Game has huge potential, technologies and economics are great; it just needs some more EU4, CK3 kind of story building while time in the game evolves.”
“Its a classical snake's tail story.”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its absurd scenarios and bugs, such as allies fighting each other and nonsensical geopolitical situations, which players find both hilarious and frustrating. Additionally, the game's commentary on real-world politics is met with irony, as players note the stark contrasts between the game's portrayal and actual events, leading to a mix of laughter and disbelief. Overall, the humor is often unintentional, stemming from the game's shortcomings and bizarre narrative choices.
“Some bugs are making many scenarios almost unplayable, like allies from both sides fighting both sides and even themselves (hilarious).”
“Thailand sending troops to reinforce the Taiwanese invasion of the mainland via Hong Kong was hilarious to see though.”
“Funny thing is when confronted, I was told that the game is a reflection of 'what is happening around the world' lmao.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and unnecessarily complex, often requiring a significant time investment that feels more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay. Despite these frustrations, some still manage to find enjoyment in the overall experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Needlessly complex where it shouldn't be and just tedious.”
“However, I played 3 long and tedious years in 2030 and not a single state did anything except pass judgment on the other states.”
- music9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is primarily country-themed, with the added feature of customizable tracks, allowing players to upload their own MP3s for a personalized experience. Many users appreciate the option for small animations accompanied by voice and music, enhancing the overall engagement.
“Ideally, this is a small animation with voice and music!”
“Country-themed music, or customizable music (i.e. I put my MP3s in a folder and when I enable the option, the game plays them).”
“Country-themed music, or customizable music (i.e. I put my MP3s in a folder and when I enable the option, the game plays them).”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with many reviewers feeling that the high price point does not reflect the quality of the product, which appears rushed and unfinished. Despite some new features, players believe it is merely an update to a previous title, leading to disappointment and negative feedback regarding its value.
“There's obvious clues of lazy or rushed development in the game. Yes, it does do a couple new things, but I just feel this could have been more. Everything seems rushed, and for what they are charging, it kind of feels like a cash grab from the fans that are left. This game also set itself up for failure with the price point and started complaining when people left negative reviews for charging so much for an unfinished game.”
“It's just an update to SR2020 being used as a cash grab.”
“Cash grab.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its excellent replayability, with multiple users highlighting this aspect positively.
“It has great replayability as well.”
“It has great replayability as well.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted as exceptionally wholesome, evoking feelings of warmth and positivity among players.
“Wow, so wholesome.”