Town of Machine

About

Town of Machine is a single player shooter game with horror and science fiction themes. It was developed by BlueEagle Productions and was released on March 22, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

700 years from now, Agent Silverman is a renowned Exorcist on the case of a missing person. His investigation leads him to a small ghost town called "Town of Machine". Uncover unspeakable horrors and fight the grotesque monstrosities that lurk in this forsaken place.

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

monetization1 negative mentions

Solid and satisfying top-down shooter gameplay with impactful weapons and skill-based combat.
Interesting and immersive worldbuilding with diverse, interconnected environments and many secrets to uncover.
Distinctive visual style combining pixel-art characters with 3D environments, supported by strong sound design and atmospheric audio.

Companion AI is unreliable, often running into damage or being ineffective during combat.
Unclear objectives and lack of quest markers lead to frequent backtracking and player confusion.
High difficulty spikes, especially near the end with the final boss, combined with punishing resource management can frustrate players.

story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The story of the game unfolds through environmental storytelling and fragmented lore, creating a mysterious atmosphere tied to a missing person case and its disturbing implications. While some appreciate its connection to the developer's broader universe and enjoy uncovering secrets, others criticize the lack of clear guidance, cringeworthy dialogue, and a weak cliffhanger ending, which can lead to confusion and frustration. Overall, the narrative is considered secondary to gameplay, with mixed opinions on its execution and engagement.
- “The story unfolds gradually as Silverman navigates the abandoned streets, industrial ruins, and warped interiors of the town, searching for clues surrounding a missing person case that quickly spirals into something far more disturbing.”
- “Rather than delivering exposition in large chunks, the game relies heavily on environmental storytelling, fragmented conversations, and visual cues to convey its lore.”
- “Nice story, I like how lore blends with other games.”
- “However, the lack of clear guidance or quest markers can sometimes lead to confusion, especially when progression depends on locating specific items or triggering obscure events.”
- “As a pretty big fan of the developer's previous game Unloved, Town of Machine is honestly a pretty big disappointment for me - even more so knowing it takes place in Unloved's universe with its stronger focus on story, lore and a more handcrafted campaign experience.”
- “The ending to the story is a weak cliffhanger ending, but that is to be expected with side stories like these.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The game's graphics blend a modest budget with a cohesive, distinctive aesthetic combining synthwave, PS1-era sprites, and 3D environments, resulting in visually appealing and diverse settings despite some technical limitations. While the art style and atmosphere receive praise, opinions on the overall visual quality vary, with some finding it charming and others criticizing it as outdated or subpar. The Unreal Engine implementation offers customizable graphics options that enhance the experience for many players.
- “Though the game is clearly made on a modest budget, its cohesive aesthetic helps mask technical limitations and gives it a strong visual personality.”
- “The shooting feels good, the art style is crisp and satisfying, and the environments are diverse and interesting.”
- “The graphics use a mix of 2D sprites such as the characters, in a fully 3D environment.”
- “Game visuals are so bad they dragged it straight to the junkyard.”
- “It's sort of a Doom meets Metroidvania meets Resident Evil, all presented in a top-down three-quarters view, with a PS1-era-ish sprites-on-3D aesthetic, but without the wiggly, jerky PS1 fixed-point polygons.”
- “The graphics use a mix of 2D sprites for the characters in a fully 3D environment.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay in Town of Machine is a fast-paced top-down shooter focused on movement, positioning, and weapon management, featuring intense combat against diverse enemies. While it offers solid mechanics, interconnected level design, and an engaging new game plus mode with added challenges, some players feel the mix of shooter and survival horror elements doesn't fully gel, suggesting the game might have been stronger with a slower, survival-oriented pace. Overall, the gameplay is fun and appealing but may not satisfy those expecting a more cohesive narrative-driven experience.
- “Gameplay centers on fast-paced, top-down shooting with a strong emphasis on movement, positioning, and weapon management.”
- “Combat encounters can escalate quickly, throwing swarms of bizarre enemies at the player, ranging from demonic creatures to twisted mechanical abominations.”
- “The gameplay basically consists of fighting your way through areas, scouring for loot to keep your supply of health, ammo, armor, etc topped up; finding keys or other methods to open up access to areas you couldn't go into before; combining items to make better items, craft ammunition, upgrade your guns, etc; and progressing through a story that has you unraveling the mysteries of the Town of Machine, and mowing down all the monsters, demons, and demon-possessed humans that get in your way.”
- “Just figure out a better mechanic than throwing the kitchen sink at your players.”
- “Don't get me wrong because it's a fun isometric shooter that has a very appealing aesthetic and some excellent level design but the game and its mechanics feel completely at odds with themselves as it tries to be a mix of the Alien Breed reboot, Doom and Resident Evil - on paper that sounds pretty great but it just doesn't gel together as well as I would have hoped.”
- “There are some great things this game does, especially the new game plus mode and the fully interconnected map design, but I feel it would have been much better if it was a slower-paced survival horror type of game; it has the mechanics and level design to support that style of play.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game creates a distinct and eerie atmosphere through its blend of stylized 3D environments and pixel-art characters, enhancing its otherworldly mood. Its worldbuilding and intense, oppressive tone contribute to a tense and immersive experience, emphasizing mood and exploration over polish. Overall, the atmosphere successfully supports the game's mix of combat, survival, and mystery elements.
- “From the outset, the game establishes an eerie tone, positioning itself as both a combat-driven experience and a slow-burn mystery shaped by atmosphere and exploration.”
- “Stylized 3D environments are paired with pixel-art characters and enemies, creating a striking contrast that enhances the game’s otherworldly atmosphere.”
- “Overall, Town of Machine is a bold and atmospheric indie title that succeeds through mood, worldbuilding, and intensity rather than refinement.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music, combined with ambient audio and industrial noises, effectively enhances immersion by underscoring both exploration and combat with an ominous atmosphere.
- “Sound design further strengthens immersion, with ambient audio, industrial noise, and ominous music underscoring both exploration and combat.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features no advertising or intrusive monetization, setting it apart from typical cash-grab titles and offering a genuinely enjoyable experience.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development features a visually appealing blend of synthwave and Silent Hill aesthetics, complemented by charming and adorable character designs. This mix enhances the overall atmosphere and engagement with the characters.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is poor, causing excessive GPU usage even on medium settings and resulting in occasional performance hitches.
- “Performance is lacking, uses 100% of my GPU even on medium settings, and hitches occasionally.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a decent level of replayability, with each playthrough providing new challenges and surprises that keep players engaged and attentive to traps and obstacles.
- “The game has a fair amount of replayability: your first playthrough will be more of a discovery, advancing slowly so you can figure out the traps - you never really know what the game will throw at you, so you are always on your toes.”