Tornado: Research and Rescue
- May 29, 2023
- Sam Kennedy
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Tornado: Research and Rescue" is a nostalgic simulation game that takes you back to the 90s, where you chase and collect data from tornadoes using vintage equipment. Experience fast-paced action and rescue missions, navigating treacherous terrain and warning people in the tornado's path. Sell collected data to upgrade your vehicle and continue your thrilling tornado research.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the thrill of storm chasing with impressive tornado visuals and a nostalgic 90's aesthetic.
- Gameplay is fun and engaging, especially for weather enthusiasts, with the ability to warn towns and collect data.
- The developer is active in updating the game and addressing community feedback, showing potential for future improvements.
- The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, making it frustrating at times, especially with driving mechanics.
- There is a lack of content and depth, leading to repetitive gameplay after a short period.
- A tutorial or clearer instructions are needed, as many players find it difficult to understand the mechanics and objectives.
- graphics60 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a nostalgic 90s aesthetic reminiscent of PS1 visuals, which some find charming while others consider it rudimentary and outdated. There are reports of significant graphical bugs and performance issues, particularly with frame rates and event triggers, indicating that the game may still require optimization. Overall, while the tornado effects are praised, the visuals are seen as a major area for improvement as the game develops.
“The tornado graphics are really cool.”
“The aesthetic style is beautiful and just... wow.”
“The 1990s VHS aesthetic is amazing and makes some of the tornadoes look good.”
“On the minus side, you can tell that this is a very small project: it has that 'mobile game' look to its graphics, and unfortunately a lot of things on it are a bit raw and rudimentary looking, while the game world (aside from the weather) feels rather dead and artificial at the moment.”
“Graphics look like they are from 1980, yet my computer has a hard time with the frame rate.”
“Note: I won't talk about graphics because it's godawful, I'm sure the developers are aware of that but they seem more focused on mechanics than graphics; hopefully the look of the game is next on their list.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as solid yet repetitive, with some fun moments, particularly in scenarios like escaping tornadoes. However, it suffers from numerous bugs, unsatisfying driving mechanics, and a grindy gameplay loop, which detracts from the overall experience. As an early access title, there are hopes for improvements, but many players find the current state lacking and frustrating.
“Pros: visually impressive and aesthetically pleasing, fun core gameplay, epic destruction.”
“Gameplay can be fun, especially when you are attempting to run away from tornadoes.”
“I really want to like this game and am going to continue to try and learn its mechanics.”
“However, those moments quickly get eclipsed by a litany of bugs or lack of basic meteorological mechanics in cloud formation and wind patterns.”
“In all seriousness, it's an early access title, it's a little heavy on hardware and could use some more graphics options, and the gameplay loop is fairly dry and grindy.”
“This makes the gameplay loop feel near impossible to even try and accomplish and not fun in the slightest to try and learn.”
- story24 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative, instead focusing on a gameplay loop inspired by the film "Twister," where players intercept tornadoes to collect data with probes for contracts, earn money, and upgrade equipment. Players express frustration with the mechanics, particularly the requirement to select missions before deploying probes, which can lead to unnecessary deaths and hinder gameplay flow. Overall, the story aspect is minimal, serving primarily as a backdrop for the game's mechanics rather than a driving narrative.
“Your two methods of earning money for upgrades are either completing timed missions to collect specific amounts of windspeed data within a strict time limit, or saving people's lives by manually triggering a town's tornado siren when they're under imminent danger of being directly hit.”
“Watching the video helped, but I think doing a guided mission for the first contract would be super helpful!”
“The game is basically themed on the plot of Twister, where you're trying to intercept the path of a tornado and place your Dorothy/Toto-like probe in its path to collect samples per your contracts, make money, and upgrade your equipment, which badly needs it when you're first starting.”
“The most frustrating part of my first playthrough was getting killed because I was trying to place a probe and had to run back to the truck just to get a mission.”
“I think it would be much less annoying to be able to collect data, then be able to upload the data for the different missions, or collect data, but it won't count towards a mission unless you have selected one.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report excellent performance with stable frame rates, others highlight significant issues, particularly on lower-end systems and with controller support. Many users express a desire for future updates to improve optimization and introduce a performance mode for less powerful hardware.
“Good optimizations, constant 200 fps.”
“The game looks beautiful and acts like a good storm chasing game with a purpose, but I hope future updates introduce a performance mode for lower-end computers.”
“If anything, the game needs to be better optimized.”
“Lack of content, lack of updates, lack of optimization.”
“If anything though, the game needs to be better optimized.”
“I can confirm this game does work on Steam Deck, but you'll have to configure the controls to your liking since the game isn't optimized for controller yet.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often describing it as a major detractor from the overall experience. The gameplay loop is perceived as dry, leading to boredom once players reach a certain point, and many feel that significant grinding is required to achieve upgrades.
“In all seriousness, it's an early access title, it's a little heavy on hardware and could use some more graphics options, and the gameplay loop is fairly dry and grindy.”
“Once you reach that point the game becomes boring, the only challenging part of the upgrades is that it's tedious and you have to grind a lot to get there.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is described as immersive and eerie, effectively capturing the tension of storm chasing with dark, menacing tornadoes and a sense of foreboding. However, players feel that the lack of reliable tools and readings to assess atmospheric conditions can create a disadvantage, detracting from the overall experience. Despite this, many consider it an early gem in the storm chasing genre.
“Early stage gem of a storm chasing game, a bit spooky like others have said with the eas and the grim atmosphere and dark menacing tornadoes.”
“Atmosphere is great.”
“This in itself put the player/chaser at a disadvantage since there are minimal tools, readings and forecasts to rely upon to place you in a general vicinity for direct observation of the atmosphere.”
“This in itself puts the player/chaser at a disadvantage since there are minimal tools, readings, and forecasts to rely upon to place you in a general vicinity for direct observation of the atmosphere.”
“Early stage gem of a storm chasing game, a bit spooky like others have said with the eerie and grim atmosphere and dark menacing tornadoes.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have several bugs and glitches, which is somewhat expected; however, the developer, Sam, is actively working on fixes to improve stability.
“Yes, but it's a bit buggy.”
“There are lots of bugs and glitches, which is to be expected, and Sam is actively fixing them.”
“There are lots of bugs and glitches, which is to be expected, and Sam is actively fixing them.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a sense of awe and excitement regarding the emotional impact of witnessing storms, particularly the dramatic visuals of funnels touching down and trees being whipped by the wind. This experience evokes strong feelings of admiration for nature's power.
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that while the game has some initial control quirks and minor graphical issues, these do not significantly detract from its overall replayability. Players seem to find enough engaging content to warrant multiple playthroughs despite these technical challenges.
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's lack of menu sounds and music, combined with a minimalistic interface featuring only three options, has been noted as off-putting by users. The absence of auditory elements contributes to a less engaging experience overall.
“But having zero menu sounds or music, the VHS effect, and only 'start, reset progress, quit' as the three options before being able to access game settings is a bit off-putting.”
