Thunder Tier One

About

Thunder Tier One is a top-down tactical co-op shooter set in the 1990s. Players take on the role of elite operatives tasked with defeating a global terror threat. The game features realistic weapon behavior, destructible environments, and mission planning. Work together to complete objectives, secure the area, and extract safely.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,812 reviews

story64 positive mentions

replayability5 negative mentions

The game offers a unique top-down tactical shooter experience reminiscent of classic titles like SOCOM and Ghost Recon.
Customization options for characters and loadouts are extensive, allowing players to tailor their gameplay style.
The graphics and sound design are impressive, creating an immersive atmosphere.

The AI teammates are poorly designed, often failing to respond effectively in combat situations, making solo play frustrating.
The game lacks sufficient content, with only a handful of missions available, leading to repetitive gameplay.
The developers have abandoned the game shortly after release, leaving players without promised updates or new content.

story
414 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
80%
4%
The game's story is described as minimal and somewhat disjointed, with a focus on tactical missions rather than a deep narrative. Players appreciate the variety in mission objectives and the ability to approach them in different ways, but many express frustration with the limited number of missions (only nine) and the lack of engaging content post-campaign. While the missions themselves can be enjoyable and visually appealing, the overall experience is hindered by poor AI and repetitive gameplay, leading to a desire for more substantial updates and community-created content.
- “The campaign is a really good storyline, with a nice briefing beforehand detailing exactly what you need for the mission.”
- “Some of the missions in the campaign are absolutely fantastic, namely the sea dryad mission that feels like a recreation of the first mission in SOCOM 1, op sitting duck which pulls a neat surprise in where you have to go and cold stone where you get to hunt caches and rescue a VIP from some terrorists that may or may not be hiding in caves.”
- “The missions are varied and fun; remaining stealthy or going guns-blazing are both fun and viable options, and the AI always makes things interesting once a plan goes wrong.”
- “The story is not immersive, but the missions are, trying new ways to complete.”
- “The campaign itself was fine, the story was fine, even the ending was fine... but that was all!”
- “The game is fine but no one plays it anymore, and single player gets impossible after a couple of missions due to bad AI teammates.”
gameplay
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
51%
3%
The gameplay of this title is generally praised for its tactical depth, unique mechanics, and solid gunplay, particularly in cooperative modes. However, many players express disappointment over the limited content, with a short campaign and underwhelming AI, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game shows great potential and offers enjoyable mechanics, it suffers from a lack of updates and player engagement, leading to a feeling of abandonment.
- “The gameplay is outstanding as well as the customizations, which is the best customization mechanism I've ever seen.”
- “The game is very well polished, dialogues and environments are immersive, gameplay is very fun (especially in coop, but also in single player) and can also be very challenging, and the game delivers in the 'milsim' aspect by providing a wide range of customization and realism.”
- “The gameplay is smooth, fun, and I love playing co-op with my friends.”
- “It just feels like it's one of those early access titles - if they'd marketed it better, gave a few game mechanics more than a simple overhead shooter, made a storyline that could be affected by player decisions - hell, made interesting innovations in general - the good gameplay would have a 'soul' to back it up.”
- “The limited missions and gameplay makes the game very fast reaching its end cycle/life.”
- “The gameplay is decent with friends but only has around 3 hours of content if you don't care about the PvP modes and the AI in singleplayer is awful so co-op is really the only fun time to be had.”
graphics
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
33%
4%
Overall, the graphics of the game have received positive feedback, with many users praising the detailed visuals, impressive special effects, and well-designed environments. The aesthetic is often described as polished and immersive, particularly for a top-down shooter, although some critiques mention that the graphics can be basic in certain aspects. Customization options and the game's overall atmosphere contribute to a visually appealing experience that enhances gameplay.
- “The graphics, in terms of lighting effects, detail in the characters and environment, as well as the general atmosphere the game creates are excellent and not just for a title in this genre.”
- “The graphics for a top-down shooter are amazing; I have played plenty in my time, and this one is gorgeous.”
- “Graphics and sound design are amazing, physics are incredible, and more importantly, gameplay is top-notch.”
- “☐ ms-dos has better graphics”
- “Can run most games on high/medium graphics settings with stable 60 fps, meanwhile this game tanks to 20 fps constantly while on low settings?”
- “Graphics are serviceable up close, but work well for a top-down game.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
58%
26%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag. While some players find enjoyment in the tactical gameplay and varied missions, many express disappointment due to a lack of content and limited replay value in the current state, particularly in single-player mode. However, there is optimism that future mods and updates could significantly enhance replayability.
- “As of now, I have yet to even try multiplayer, but from my experience playing the campaign, I can assure you that the replayability is just huge there.”
- “Once mods come into play, the replayability of this game will skyrocket.”
- “The gameplay is highly tactical, and the missions offer a lot of replay value.”
- “Was enjoyable on my first playthrough, but this game offers no replay value at all.”
- “I have 100+ hours in the game and while I clearly loved it, you'll get through the content in a weekend and you'll be scratching your head as to where the rest of the content is as well as why the replay value is so low.”
- “Launched in an irrefutable early access state with 9 missions that have no replay value and a non-existent map editor, the only potential saving grace this game has is an extra hard top-down milsim experience.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting excellent performance and high frame rates on powerful hardware, while others have experienced significant issues, including overheating and stuttering. Overall, while some users praise the game's optimization, others feel it requires further improvements to enhance the experience across various systems.
- “Graphics are good, sound design is good, and it's decently optimized performance-wise.”
- “I've seen complaints of optimization but have had no issues, had no frame drops or lag spikes.”
- “The game is very well optimized, and runs at a flat 100fps with everything on ultra with a GTX 1070 and a newer Intel i7-10700F in 2K.”
- “Performance on this game leaves a lot to be desired.”
- “The way the game is structured, you will attempt to diversify your arsenal, but over and over the feeling of inferiority or sub-optimization will prevail.”
- “Game does need further optimization; I've never seen my 5900X spike up to 89°C until I played this game.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance with no significant crashes or frame drops, others encounter frustrating bugs, particularly related to AI behavior and command instructions. Some users have experienced minor glitches that are reminiscent of classic tactical games, but these do not seem to detract significantly from the overall experience. Despite the issues, many still find the game enjoyable and worth the price, suggesting that it is largely playable despite its imperfections.
- “The game runs great, and I haven’t had any frame drops or crashes on max settings. I average more than 60fps with an outdated rig.”
- “I fear this game will get lost in the shuffle, and it's such a shame because this game is a true gem. Not only that, it's almost completely bug-free. As of writing this, I have 9 hours in and have encountered almost no bugs we've become accustomed to.”
- “It gets super buggy when one of the AI dies, so you have to restart the whole mission from scratch.”
- “Shooting into buildings (through windows or doors) and uphill or downhill is just extremely finicky and buggy.”
- “The PvP is pretty trash, and frankly the game is pretty buggy in a lot of regards but still playable.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
56%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the need for micromanaging AI teammates, which can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the straightforward system, many feel that the repetitive nature of grinding, especially in online PvP, makes it less engaging and potentially not worth the investment unless players enjoy farming for unlocks.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This system is very straightforward and 'fair' towards all users, but has massive pitfalls that greatly influence a game that is based on repetition and grinding.”
- “Online PvP feels a bit lackluster and grindy.”
monetization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over its lack of development and advertising support. While some features, like ad-based enhancements, are noted, the overall sentiment suggests that the game feels undercooked and primarily focused on quick financial gain rather than delivering a quality experience.
- “Cash grab, avoid.”
- “Another under-cooked trash game released for a quick cash grab.”
- “Really could have been something special if development continued and more resources were put into advertising the game.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a nostalgic emotional connection to the game, particularly when reminiscing about past experiences with similar titles. The co-op missions evoke fond memories, enhancing the overall emotional impact, though some feel that playing with friends could amplify this sentiment. Despite some critiques, the community and customization options contribute positively to the emotional experience.
- “The missions really took me back and made me feel like I was playing one of the old SOCOM games as a kid.”
- “It's heartbreaking, to be honest.”
- “Kinda touching, the community seemed really cool.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by excellent sound design, stunning graphics, and immersive lighting effects that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers note that the game successfully creates a beautiful and engaging world, making it stand out even as a top-down title. Despite its short length, the combination of diverse levels and captivating atmosphere leaves a lasting impression.
- “The graphics, in terms of lighting effects, detail in the characters and environment, as well as the general atmosphere the game creates, are excellent and not just for a title in this genre.”
- “Visually, the world is beautiful and extremely atmospheric.”
- “All that is a huge shame, because Thunder Tier One just oozes atmosphere, from the drone view at the beginning of each game to the excellent sound design.”
- “It's got the atmosphere of those games and better, but it's still a 'top down' game.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding enjoyment in its comedic elements, such as absurd gameplay moments and funny glitches. While some appreciate the lightheartedness and fun mechanics, others express frustration over the game's limitations and the community's reactions, which can be both amusing and disheartening. Overall, the humor adds a layer of enjoyment, despite some players feeling let down by the game's content updates.
- “Breaching is hilarious, wallbanging stuff is hilarious, flashing enemies then kicking them in the nuts is hilarious - basically the whole game is just good fun.”
- “Their pathfinding is hilariously bad (just watch them walking around the map with the UAV), and some of them just flat out ignore you in point-blank range.”
- “Was pretty funny, so it's cool I guess.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is often praised for its engaging and immersive quality, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the diverse soundtrack, which complements various game environments and moods effectively. However, some users feel that certain tracks could be more memorable or varied.
- “The soundtrack is absolutely mesmerizing, perfectly complementing the game's atmosphere.”
- “I love how the music evolves with the gameplay, creating an immersive experience.”
- “The variety of tracks keeps each level feeling fresh and exciting, making me want to replay them.”