Tlatoani: Aztec Cities
- October 31, 2024
- Bellwood Studios
Get on Steam"Tlatoani: Aztec Cities" is a simulation game that allows players to shape the history of the Aztec civilization by building and managing city-states. The game features individual simulation of citizens, resource management, and a focus on symmetrical city design. Players must balance the needs of their citizens, economy, and religion to create a successful and prosperous city-state.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic city builders like Caesar III, with unique mechanics such as symmetry and a focus on Mesoamerican culture.
- It has a vibrant art style and a well-developed community, with responsive developers who actively address feedback and bugs.
- The gameplay is engaging and allows for deep city management and strategic planning, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- The user interface can be confusing and cluttered, making it difficult to navigate and understand certain mechanics, especially for new players.
- There are several bugs and performance issues that need to be addressed, including crashes and problems with resource management.
- The military system feels underdeveloped and can lead to an unchallenging gameplay experience once certain thresholds are met.
- graphics9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as aesthetically nostalgic, featuring a charming art style that complements its city-building mechanics. While not the most advanced, the visuals include multiple presets and a day-night cycle, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique artistic elements tied to Mesoamerican history, despite acknowledging that the graphics may not be top-tier.
“Graphics-wise, it is nice that there are multiple presets available, and a day-night cycle is also pleasant to see.”
“I like the art style and UI.”
“It's fun, the artwork is great, and it has its own quirks and charm.”
“The graphics really aren't the best, but that's okay.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this city builder is praised for its exceptional artwork and innovative mechanics, such as symmetry, which encourages thoughtful city layout and planning. While the military aspect adds an engaging layer of strategy, players note that the resource management and transportation systems can be complex, making the game slower and more challenging to learn compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the gameplay is solid, with a promising foundation for future development.
“I have put several hours into this game and for a city builder, this is pretty exceptional. The artwork and interesting mechanics like symmetry make you consider how you layout your city. I also enjoy the military aspect, which adds a fun element to planning defense in a city during this time period. Overall, I'm looking forward to this game's development and recommend it to anyone interested in Mesoamerican history or city builders in general.”
“It's quite beautiful, and there are some cool mechanics like the symmetry.”
“This makes the gameplay overall slower and more thoughtful than previous city builders.”
“It's a bit tricky to learn even in the tutorial; you can get your city caught in some hard-to-solve situations, as the resource management and transportation mechanics are fairly complicated.”
“Some work is needed on game mechanics (to be expected with early access releases), but there are a lot that I'm looking forward to getting more familiar with.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story is hindered by pacing issues, particularly in the early levels, where players feel constrained by the time it takes for workers to complete tasks while facing strict mission time limits. This often leads to a trial-and-error approach, as players must fail to understand the demands of each mission.
“However, I feel that the pacing of the missions can be a bit brutal, especially on early levels.”
“You are constrained by the workers taking time to accomplish their tasks, but at the same time, the missions do have a relatively unforgiving time limit.”
“It sometimes feels as though you need to play the missions and fail first in order to know exactly what tribute will be demanded and when.”
- music3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music effectively complements the Mesoamerican theme, featuring well-crafted, chill compositions that evoke an Aztec vibe. However, some users noted that a particular high-pitched flute in one song can be piercing.
“Music is fitting with instruments matching the Mesoamerican theme, though one of the songs in particular has a high-pitched flute that seems to be quite piercing.”
“The music is fitting with instruments matching the Mesoamerican theme, though one of the songs in particular has a high-pitched flute that seems to be quite piercing.”
“The music is well done, chill, and has that Aztec vibe.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is lacking, leading to persistent resource shortages and requiring players to construct numerous identical buildings to compensate.
“Production isn't optimized, meaning there's a constant lack of resources and the player has to build countless identical buildings.”
“The game's performance is severely hindered by poor optimization, leading to frustrating lag and stuttering during gameplay.”
“I often find myself waiting for resources to generate because the optimization is so lacking, making progress feel painfully slow.”
