Time Survivors
- February 14, 2023
- LunarChili
- 17h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Time Survivors" is an action-packed roguelite bullet hell game developed on Unreal Engine 5 by a team of three indie developers. The game features non-stop bullet hell mayhem and procedurally generated levels, offering a unique experience each playthrough. Wishlist the game on Steam or try the free Prologue demo to get a taste of the intense combat and time-traveling action.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a fun and unique concept with historical characters and humorous match-ups, making it entertaining.
- Gameplay is satisfying and offers a decent amount of content for the price, with many unlocks and character upgrades.
- The graphics and overall aesthetic are appealing, and the game has a charming, quirky vibe that keeps players engaged.
- The game suffers from balance issues, with some characters and weapons being significantly more powerful than others, leading to frustrating gameplay.
- Technical problems, such as freezing on the Steam Deck and unresponsive menus, detract from the overall experience.
- The meta progression system is convoluted and can feel tedious, requiring excessive grinding to unlock upgrades and characters.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally satisfying and introduces some interesting new mechanics to the genre, though it is often hindered by limited weapon selection and convoluted meta progression. Players appreciate the exploration elements reminiscent of "Vampire Survivors," but many find the character movement and upgrades to be slow and minimally impactful. Overall, while the game has its flaws, it remains engaging and addictive once players familiarize themselves with its mechanics.
“While it's not perfect, it does bring plenty of new mechanics and ideas to the genre.”
“I got in for the silly scenes in the trailer but I'm staying for the satisfying gameplay.”
“Addicting when you get to know the mechanics.”
“A vampire survivors-like with gameplay limited to its simplest expression: moving the character while they automatically shoot, and using their special power, that's it - no dash here.”
“Some really annoying mechanics and the meta progression is laid out in the most convoluted way ever.”
“The characters feel bad, slow and the upgrades on them do not impact the gameplay by that much.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the high-resolution pixel art and overall design, while others criticize the inconsistent art direction that blends 2D and 3D elements. Despite the vibrant and chaotic visuals, some feel that the novelty wears off and lacks cohesion compared to more polished titles. Overall, the graphics are noted for their fun and randomness, but opinions vary on their execution and style.
“Super awesome graphics for the game under 1GB!”
“Nice pixel graphics, very good polish and optimization.”
“- the graphics... love the design and the overall randomness of the game!”
“The style is offbeat and unserious beyond those hi-res graphics, and eventually the novelty loses something.”
“It feels the developers didn't know in which direction the art style should go, so they mixed 2D, 3D, and parallax techniques and assets together and just prayed.”
“Just compare the trailer to a polished game like '20 Minutes Till Dawn' for the art style.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and often unrewarding, as it detracts from the enjoyment of using their favorite characters and can lead to boredom in late-game due to limited weapon options. While the introduction of the Chrono Forge helps alleviate some of the grind by allowing players to purchase upgrade materials, many still feel that the overall experience is marred by excessive farming requirements.
“Some interesting new mechanics in the genre, but locked behind lots of unrewarding grinding.”
“Game is also a bit grindy and late run gets boring quickly because of hard limit on the weapons you have.”
“Grinding gold for the character you're playing feels like you're delaying the fun as you'll only experience any upgrades after you die and restart.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story is generally viewed as lacking depth, with reviewers noting it as a lighthearted and silly time-travel narrative that fails to explore its historical figures meaningfully. While the title screen artist receives praise, the overall storyline leaves much to be desired, prompting comparisons to more engaging time-travel tales like "Bill and Ted."
“Just a fun, silly time-traveling story; nothing too deep.”
“I wish there was some actual story to go along with time-traveling historical figures, but you'll need to watch 'Bill and Ted' if you want that.”
“I wish there was some actual story to go along with time traveling historical figures, but you'll need to watch Bill and Ted if you want that.”
“And the title screen artist is fantastic; I hope we get to see more still narratives from this artist, because the storyline is severely lacking.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its catchy and engaging soundtrack, which complements the unique visual style and pixel art. Reviewers note a meticulous attention to detail in both the music and visuals, contributing to the game's standout quality in the side-scrolling genre.
“And Egypt as a side-scroller (amazing soundtrack, by the way) is a gem, a completely different take on the genre.”
“The visual and the music are also very different: I can really see there is a maniacal attention to detail.”
“I love the pixel art and the music is so catchy.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game particularly enjoyable, highlighting the hilarious historical match-ups between characters as a standout feature. Overall, the game is praised for its comedic elements, contributing to a fun gaming experience.
“The historical match-ups with the characters are just hilarious.”
“Good game, funny mode”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised for its polish and appealing pixel graphics, though some players report a laggy experience that may stem more from gameplay mechanics than technical issues.
“Nice pixel graphics, very good polish and optimization.”
“The game feels laggy and not smooth; it's not due to bad optimization, but rather the way the game plays out.”
“The game feels laggy and not smooth; it's not due to bad optimization, but rather the way the game plays out.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's replayability could be significantly enhanced by introducing more evolving weapons and the ability to combine various skills. Additionally, providing unique achievements for each character upon level completion would further encourage players to replay the game.
“More evolving weapons and the ability to combine various skills and weapons would greatly increase the replayability.”
“Each character should achieve something when completing a level; this would also enhance replayability.”
“Each character should achieve something when completing a level; this would also increase replayability.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent freezing during gameplay and occasional crashes that can prevent players from accessing Steam for extended periods. Additionally, some special abilities appear to be inconsistent or buggy, further detracting from the overall experience.
“The game freezes in the middle of a round for a couple of seconds multiple times, and one time Steam closed, and I couldn't open it for 20 minutes.”
“The game freezes in the middle of a round for a couple of seconds multiple times, and one time Steam closed, and I couldn't open it for 20 minutes.”
“The special abilities sometimes don't really make sense or feel 'buggy'.”
