Town of Machine
- March 22, 2021
- BlueEagle Productions
Get on Steam700 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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features solid gunplay and a variety of weapons that feel satisfying to use, enhancing the overall combat experience.
- Exploration is rewarding, with numerous secrets and hidden items that encourage players to thoroughly investigate the environment.
- The New Game Plus mode adds replayability and introduces tougher challenges, making it engaging for players who enjoy a higher difficulty.
- The difficulty spikes significantly towards the end, particularly with the final boss, which can feel frustrating and unfair.
- Companion AI is often ineffective, leading them to run into danger and become liabilities during combat.
- The inventory management system is cumbersome, and the lack of quest markers can result in players getting lost or missing essential items.
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being overshadowed by gameplay, with some players finding it disappointing compared to the developer's previous title, "Unloved." While there are elements of lore and a quest-driven narrative that allows for exploration and item crafting, the dialogue is often described as cringeworthy and detracts from the experience. Additionally, the lack of quest markers can lead to frustration, making it difficult to progress through the story effectively.
“You have some freedom of movement on your journey, some secrets to uncover, and lots of items that you can combine together to create more powerful healing potions or ammo types as you fulfill nonsensical quests with world-class writing on top of it - I recommend a beer or two before you start reading the dialogues.”
“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.”
“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.”
“A lot of what I have problems with could be fixed: things like no quest markers hurt the game, especially when you have to get one item to progress that is really hidden compared to everything else.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the crisp art style, diverse environments, and appealing aesthetic that blends various influences like synthwave and horror elements. However, some players criticize the visuals as inconsistent, with a few describing them as poor or reminiscent of outdated graphics. Overall, while the game showcases decent artwork and utilizes the Unreal Engine effectively, opinions on the visual execution vary significantly.
“The shooting feels good, the art style is crisp and satisfying, and the environments are diverse and interesting.”
“Very nice and appealing aesthetic with a mix of synthwave, Silent Hill, and some adorable character designs.”
“Game visuals are so bad... dragged it straight to the junkyard.”
“It's sort of a mix of Doom, Metroidvania, and Resident Evil, all presented in a top-down three-quarters view, with a PS1-era 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.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced shooter mechanics with an emphasis on combat and exploration, featuring an interconnected map and a new game plus mode that enhances replayability. While the aesthetic and level design are praised, some players feel the mechanics clash, suggesting a preference for a slower-paced survival horror approach. Overall, the game offers engaging combat and resource management, but may not appeal to those seeking a strong narrative focus.
“If you enjoy shooter combat served raw, you will enjoy this; otherwise, beware that this game leans much more on gameplay than story.”
“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 more slower-paced survival horror type of game; it has the mechanics and level design to support that style of play.”
“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, crafting ammunition, upgrading 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, it's a fun isometric shooter with a very appealing aesthetic and some excellent level design, but the game and its mechanics feel completely at odds with themselves. It tries to be a mix of the Alien Breed reboot, Doom, and Resident Evil - on paper that sounds 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 were a slower-paced survival horror type of game; it has the mechanics and level design to support that style of play.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's monetization model is perceived positively, as it lacks intrusive advertising and is seen as a genuine effort rather than a cash grab, making it a worthwhile purchase for fans of its genre.
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the character development for its appealing aesthetic, which combines elements of synthwave and Silent Hill, alongside charming character designs that enhance the overall experience.
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for poor performance, as it consistently utilizes 100% of the GPU even on medium settings, leading to occasional hitches during gameplay.
“Performance is lacking; it uses 100% of my GPU even on medium settings and hitches occasionally.”
“The game is poorly optimized, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite having a high-end system, I experience significant lag and long loading times, which ruin the experience.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is often noted for its immersive quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Players appreciate the sound design, which complements the visuals and narrative effectively. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a tense and oppressive environment, blending retro FPS elements with survival mechanics. Players encounter swarming, demonic enemies and must navigate through a dark, immersive world while managing inventory and crafting ammunition, reminiscent of classic titles like Resident Evil.
“It's a fun and tense top-down action/survival shooter that combines elements of the developer's previous titles, such as Unloved and Dimension Drifter. The game features swarming, demonic enemies, retro FPS-quality guns, and an oppressive atmosphere, along with Resident Evil-style inventory management, ammunition crafting, and finding key items to proceed.”
“The oppressive atmosphere really detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game, making it feel more stressful than fun.”
“While the gameplay mechanics are solid, the atmosphere feels overly dark and claustrophobic, which can be off-putting.”
“The combination of retro graphics and a tense atmosphere creates a feeling of unease, but it often crosses the line into frustration.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers a solid level of replayability, as each playthrough presents new challenges and surprises, keeping players engaged and on their toes. The initial experience focuses on discovery, encouraging exploration and strategy to navigate various traps.
“Each playthrough offers new challenges and surprises, making it feel fresh every time you dive back in.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes ensures that no two runs are ever the same, keeping the experience engaging and exciting.”
“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.”
“After completing the game, I found little incentive to replay it. The story doesn't change much, and the gameplay feels repetitive on subsequent runs.”
“While the initial experience is engaging, the lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel like a chore rather than an adventure.”
