Survivors of the Dawn

About

"Survivors of the Dawn" is a run-based roguelite bullet heaven where you face off against quintillions of alien hordes with strategic sci-fi weapon-item synergies. Die and level up to unlock power-ups and max out weapon classes, while leading invader hordes into extinction in different areas. The newly available Bleumer update introduces a new character, critical weapon-item decisions, and challenging hazards in a new biome.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 471 reviews

gameplay29 positive mentions

stability11 negative mentions

The game features addicting gameplay with a unique atmosphere and great visuals, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
It offers a variety of weapons and upgrades, allowing for different strategies and playstyles during runs.
The developers are actively updating the game, showing responsiveness to player feedback and potential for future content expansion.

The game suffers from significant balance issues, with difficulty spikes that can make it frustrating, especially for new players.
There are frequent crashes and bugs that hinder the overall experience, leading to a lack of polish in the game's mechanics.
Content is currently limited, with many players feeling that they can complete all available content in a short amount of time, leading to a repetitive experience.

gameplay
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
3%
The gameplay is generally described as addictive and engaging, with smooth mechanics and a satisfying blend of classic bullet heaven elements and innovative features. While some players appreciate the action, perks, and upgrades, others note a lack of innovation and polish, particularly in environments and certain mechanics. Overall, the game offers a fun and repeatable experience, though it may benefit from further development and content expansion.
- “This game is a remarkable fusion of classic bullet heaven gameplay mechanics with innovative elements from various gaming genres, resulting in an immersive gaming experience.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's amazing; the visuals are pretty cool as well, and the initial directions of the game make it look very promising.”
- “It's rich in content and mechanics, and when you change your build, it feels like you're playing something entirely different.”
- “Unfortunately, most of the other mechanics at play don’t bring much new to the genre, and ultimately, there’s nothing revolutionary about the game.”
- “...[i]Survivors of the Dawn[/i] has the lack of polish of a late alpha, and is missing both gameplay (like bonuses for levels after maxing regular levels) and quality of life features (like the ability to check your loadout - or even any sort of indicator in the UI of how many weapons you can equip) expected of the bullet heaven genre...”
- “The system is there, but I don't think that it adds a lot to the gameplay both because of the limited content in the game and the system's implementation.”
graphics
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
44%
4%
The graphics of "Survivors of the Dawn" are widely praised for their vibrant visuals and engaging art style, with many reviewers noting it as one of the most graphically advanced titles in the "survivors" genre. While the overall presentation and animations are well-received, some players feel that certain environments lack polish and personality. Overall, the game delivers a satisfying visual experience that enhances the gameplay, despite some minor criticisms regarding graphic options and design consistency.
- “Survivors of the Dawn (SOTD) is one of the most graphically advanced 'survivors like' games I have played, successfully delivering brilliant visuals without being overwhelming.”
- “The graphics and presentation are nice, and the combat is satisfying.”
- “The artwork and animations are really good, creating a very well accomplished atmosphere.”
- “Animations are decent, and core gameplay keeps the player engaged, but I am not the biggest fan of the overall art style; environments could use a bit more polish to add more personality to the game's world.”
- “It has a node travel mechanic like Rogue: Genesia but without the variety, bland bosses, barebones meta progression updates, forgettable graphic design.”
- “Graphics are passable but feel very bland.”
music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
37%
6%
The music in the game has received high praise for its energetic and fitting soundtrack, which blends rock and synthwave elements, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can feel repetitive at times, suggesting a desire for more variety in musical cues for different in-game situations. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The music is great if you like the metal'ish style.”
- “A bullet hell with a banging soundtrack - the music perfectly fits the nature, setting, and tone of the game.”
- “The music is exciting at every level.”
- “As much as I like the soundtrack, there are some times that it feels a bit repetitive.”
- “Some variety would be well noticed, like music stings for when the last wave is arriving, or if you had taken a large amount of damage (or if you are on low HP).”
- “There's an annoying design oversight where the end-of-node victory fanfare overlays the music playing at 100%.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
35%
12%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its freshness and immersive qualities, effectively breaking away from the monotony of similar titles. Players appreciate the high-quality artwork, animations, and the synergy between visual effects and sound, which together create a captivating and engaging environment. Overall, it is considered one of the standout features of the game, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- “The artwork and animations are really good, creating a very well accomplished atmosphere.”
- “The game's atmosphere breaks free from the monotony of similar titles, making you feel like you're truly inside the game.”
- “This game has the best atmosphere among games of its kind.”
- “The atmosphere and the creatures keep you on the edge.”
- “Details such as VFX and sound complement each other very well with the atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is also very important for me.”
optimization
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players experiencing smooth performance even with numerous visual effects and high creature counts. However, some users noted that performance issues can arise at higher levels, indicating that further optimization work is needed. While most players report a satisfying experience, there are mixed feelings about the game's performance on high-end setups during intense gameplay.
- “Frankly, what I liked the most about the game was its optimization; there were full creatures on the screen, but I was able to play the game for hours without experiencing any lag.”
- “Despite the numerous visual effects, there are no optimization issues; the optimization is well-tuned.”
- “Despite the graphics, the optimization is excellent, and I played it smoothly.”
- “I also think that this game needs to be better optimized, as I can hear my PC get louder and louder as the waves increase (it's a high-end setup and does not stutter nevertheless).”
- “However, in higher levels of the game, performance issues start to show up.”
- “There is a lot of work needed for optimization.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The game's story revolves around surviving enemy waves while engaging in various interactive missions and side quests that enhance gameplay depth. Players appreciate the dynamic map events and the freedom to choose their path, which adds to the overall experience, though some express a desire for a more developed narrative or story mode in future updates. The soundtrack and mission variety contribute positively to the immersive experience.
- “When it comes to the missions in the game, I can't put it into words the pleasure I got with the random map events and stores that increased my gaming experience to a very high level.”
- “The missions within the game, the ability to determine where I'll go on the map, and more have added a wonderful depth to it.”
- “I really like the side quests and random weapon/armory shops.”
- “I think it's still a bit of a work in progress, so I look forward to seeing more additions to the game, maybe more maps or weapons or characters, maybe a bit of a story mode?”
- “Like in every point, you have the same mission.”
- “Your primary mission is to withstand the enemy waves or hordes for as long as possible, or until the timer runs out.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
85%
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs, frequent crashes, and poorly implemented quality-of-life features. While some players express enjoyment of the game, they note that glitches and a lack of testing significantly detract from the overall experience. Many users also mention frustrating gameplay mechanics, such as confusing hitboxes and unbalanced character abilities, contributing to a sense of instability.
- “Runs great”
- “Runs great”
- “The game is buggy, crashes a lot.”
- “Buggy, basic quality of life features are missing, feels like it hasn't been tested at all.”
- “The game is buggy, its systems are poorly explained, hitboxes on some bosses are confusing and frustrating, certain weapons are vastly superior to others, items aren't highlighted onscreen for you and are often buried under mob models, there is no minimap, you can't see prior upgrades for your weapons, way too many elements on your stats screen completely lack a tooltip, and by design each stage forces you to leave behind a ton of resources, leading to this constant feeling of scrambling to get something resembling a decent build going.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, often feeling it detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the frantic decision-making involved in farming for experience and currency, many feel that the amount of grinding required can become tedious over time.
- “Cons: too much grinding.”
- “The early game meta for me is making choices between standing in a zone or farming experience orbs.”
- “I have played for 10 hours, which might seem not that long, but trust me, grinding and trying to upgrade for the next difficulties and upgrades is important.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Users generally find the game visually appealing and enjoyable, contributing to its replayability, which is rated around 5/10. While the fun factor enhances the experience, the overall replay value may not be particularly high.
- “The game offers stunning visuals and an enjoyable replayability factor.”
- “The graphics are impressive, and the replayability keeps me coming back for more.”
- “With its beautiful visuals and engaging gameplay, the replayability is fantastic.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replaying it feel like a chore rather than an adventure.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to dive back in; the side quests are repetitive and uninspired.”
- “While the graphics are stunning, the gameplay doesn't change enough on subsequent playthroughs to keep me engaged.”