TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,834 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children Game Cover
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EVERYTHING THAT SRPG COULD POSSIBLY BE TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children is the first season of a turn-based strategy SRPG that takes place in the world of Troubleshooter. VALHALLA, THE UNSTABLE NATION Valhalla is a free trading nation erected by three world powers for their own benefits after the world war. In an attempt to control the nation, the three world powers banned the army from Val…

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,834 reviews
story1,474 positive mentions
grinding590 negative mentions
  • Incredible depth and customization options for character builds through the mastery system.
  • Engaging story with well-developed characters and interesting world-building.
  • Frequent updates and active developer support, showing dedication to improving the game.
  • The English translation can be awkward and may hinder understanding of some mechanics.
  • The early game can feel slow and overwhelming due to the sheer number of systems introduced.
  • Some missions can drag on for too long, especially with a high number of enemies.
  • story7,282 mentions

    The story of "Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children" is a complex and character-driven narrative set in a dystopian city, where players manage a troubleshooter company tackling crime and uncovering deeper societal issues. While the plot features engaging character arcs and world-building, it suffers from pacing issues and translation errors that can detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, many players find the story compelling enough to keep them invested, with a mix of humor, drama, and intriguing twists that unfold as the game progresses.

    • “But if you are interested in getting invested in a story and some world building with your tactics game then you will love this.”
    • “The story follows one of these troubleshooter companies in their journey to increase its 'rank', following it in countless missions in their struggle to bring peace to the Wind Wall district of Valhalla, one of the most criminally active areas of the city.”
    • “The story is surprisingly grounded and real, just not gritty or edgy per se.”
    • “The story has a very long, almost boring, startup; it gets way better in its middle section, but ends very abruptly, without untangling many of the secrets and characters that are introduced before. Some characters don't even have their story arc completely closed, leaving the feeling that there's more to them.”
    • “The overall plot is fine but pretty convoluted, and given how much dialogue and exposition there is, it can be hard to follow.”
    • “The translation is a bit choppy but the story and characters come across well enough, and ultimately it's all about the missions and tactics.”
  • gameplay2,530 mentions

    The gameplay of "Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children" is a complex blend of tactical turn-based mechanics reminiscent of the XCOM series, enhanced by deep RPG elements such as a mastery system for character customization, crafting, and unique abilities. Players can expect a rich variety of gameplay options, though the sheer number of mechanics can be overwhelming at first, and some aspects may be poorly explained due to translation issues. Overall, the game offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy strategic gameplay with extensive character development and a compelling narrative.

    • “The gameplay is reminiscent of XCOM, characters take turns depending on their speed stat and move in a grid structure around the maps. If an enemy is in range, you can attack with a variety of active skills that depend on the character you're using.”
    • “The depth of the game's systems doesn't end with masteries; a crafting system for equipment, deployable drones, a taming mechanic for beasts, a friendship system between characters, online features, and a reputation system with vendors will add even more to the already overflowing pot of content this game offers.”
    • “The gameplay is unique and deep, probably the best in the genre.”
    • “Some mechanics and menus are still a mystery to me, and I still feel like it was meant to be a mobile game, then hugely expanded.”
    • “Sadly the interface and some of the mechanics (the research mastery I found very confusing) turned me off.”
    • “The mechanics themselves don't stand out much, but the story and characters are worth the price.”
  • graphics698 mentions

    The graphics of "Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children" receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique anime-inspired art style and detailed artwork, particularly in cutscenes. However, the 3D character models and overall graphical fidelity are often described as dated or lacking, with some players noting that they resemble older games. While the visuals may not be cutting-edge, the charming art direction and engaging animations contribute positively to the overall experience, making it appealing for fans of the genre.

    • “The visuals - just awesome!”
    • “The art style is also excellent in my opinion and makes the immersion even better.”
    • “The graphics are very clean looking and the art is a nice balance between anime and realism.”
    • “The type of game where if you can get over the weak graphics and subpar English translation, it's ridiculously good.”
    • “I'll get the negative parts out of the way first - the game's 3D graphics are very dated and look like they crawled out of a mass-produced Unreal Engine MMO from the early 2000s.”
    • “Troubleshooter isn't exactly the prettiest game on the market; on the lower end of the graphic settings, it looks kind of bad, the textures are horribly stretched and the models look weirdly disformed.”
  • grinding604 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. While some find it necessary for character progression and crafting, others describe it as tedious and repetitive, particularly in the late game where farming for materials and masteries can feel overwhelming. Overall, players who enjoy grinding and character optimization may appreciate the depth it offers, but those who prefer a more streamlined experience might find it frustrating.

    • “You won't see numbers go crazy like in Disgaea, but you will get a similar feeling for the depth of character setup and the desire to grind (but not tediously) it out with a combat system similar, yet deeper, than XCOM.”
    • “Game forces little to no grinding on the player in order to progress the story.”
    • “And when you are done with the great story (no grinding needed to do that), you can choose to go on and grind to find the best legendary items and challenge yourself on a higher difficulty level.”
    • “It was fun at first but gradually it became really tedious.”
    • “The grind can be tedious, the black iron thing threw me off the game a few times too, seems like hardcore grinding is a cultural thing, looking at you lineage...”
    • “This game's fun lies in big challenging missions, and making you do boring ones over and over again for the purpose of grinding materials is beyond stupid.”
  • music574 mentions

    The music in "Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and engaging tracks, particularly the standout themes like "We Are Troubleshooters" and "Reminiscence." However, several players noted that the limited number of tracks leads to repetitiveness, especially during extended gameplay sessions, prompting some to mute the game or switch to their own playlists. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, a desire for greater variety and improved looping during gameplay was a common theme among critiques.

    • “The music is great and so are the anime graphics but most of all I was shocked by how much content this game had to offer without cutting corners.”
    • “The music fits perfectly with the story they are trying to tell, and is a fantastic original soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack is great, but some greater variety, especially during battles would be nice.”
    • “The main reason I rate it 8/10 is just because there aren't that many songs, so expect to hear the same song a lot.”
    • “The music in this game is fine; there are some good tracks in the OST that I thought were bangers, though a lot of the music is reused for every mission, and I started getting annoyed with hearing the same battle music all the time, which led me to just mute the game entirely sometimes and just listen to music on YouTube when I played.”
    • “While the sound of the combat in this game is decent enough, I feel like the music is a bit bland and forgettable.”
  • character development188 mentions

    Character development in "Troubleshooter" is highly praised for its depth and complexity, featuring a mastery system with over 800 options that allows for extensive customization and growth of characters. Players appreciate the compelling narratives and emotional arcs that not only focus on the main cast but also provide insights into auxiliary characters and villains. The character designs are noted for their uniqueness and appeal, contributing to a rich overall experience that blends tactical gameplay with meaningful character interactions.

    • “The other half of the game is your character development, not only through story, but through a mastery system with something over 800 masteries to choose from with various synergies for limited slots on your characters.”
    • “Character development is, I think, one of the places where this game really shines.”
    • “Very lengthy, very deep character development and customization.”
    • “Time, money, you can feel they lack some, and the lore, character development and story did not get the polish they needed, and it's really sad.”
    • “If you are like me and care about story and character development, I would strongly recommend that you watch some 'let's play' video first, or else you, like me, might find out the hard way that you can't really like any of your party members, since the poor translation makes them all appear mentally deficient.”
    • “That brings the drawback the perspective jumps around a lot, and the cast becomes so large individual character development of the protagonists decreases noticeably as the game progresses.”
  • replayability140 mentions

    "Troubleshooters" boasts significant replayability, with players praising its deep character customization, varied builds, and a plethora of replayable missions that encourage experimentation. While some missions have fixed outcomes, the game's design allows for multiple playthroughs with different strategies and difficulty settings, ensuring players can engage with the content for many hours. Overall, the combination of a rich crafting system, optional side missions, and the ability to revisit story missions enhances its longevity and replay value.

    • “This gives the game incredible replay value & longevity.”
    • “If you have a crazy amount of free time, replayability is absolutely a thing with this game as the sheer variety of characters, builds, skills, and difficulty settings makes it highly experimental.”
    • “Let me explain: nothing in this game is missable, everything is replayable and it is designed in a way that makes perfect sense for you to revisit past missions (via case logs - since you are solving cases, it makes sense).”
    • “A lot of people have compared it to XCOM and the freedom/replayability just isn't there to match up to it. They developed a brilliant modular map system for XCOM to keep each location new and fresh, and missions had foes scaled to the alien aggression levels in which you never knew the extent of the situation you were responding to. But on this, while there are a lot of missions, replaying a mission is the exact same outcome.”
    • “The replayable missions are always the same.”
    • “While I did play many side missions, and it has been a while since I played a XCOM-like game, I still think that you will probably take 100+ hours on normal, even if you are used to how it works. And while it does not have the same degree of replay value as XCOM, you have 50-100 side missions that you can play.”
  • optimization86 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting poor performance, slow loading times, and occasional crashes, even on high-end PCs. While some appreciate the depth of character and build optimization available, they express frustration over the sluggishness and frame rate drops during gameplay. Overall, there is hope for future improvements from the developers, but current performance issues detract from the experience.

    • “Very addicting TRPG with an interesting cast of characters and a ton of systems and optimizations you can engage with to make your perfect party for whatever mission you're tackling.”
    • “With over 700+ masteries available, the specific combination of masteries giving extra bonuses makes optimization and theorycrafting one of the reasons why you can’t put down the game.”
    • “They achieved a perfect balance between making every character feel specialized and allowing you to deeply customize performance by layering extremely flexible core customization systems and complex mechanics on top of static character motifs.”
    • “Poorly optimized, slow loading times and the game feels sluggish even with a good PC.”
    • “My only real issue with the game is that the performance isn't great, even on the recommended specs.”
    • “I have two actual gripes with this game: the first is that the code needs to be optimized, as there's no reason these graphics should eat up so much of my computer's resources.”
  • humor80 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it genuinely funny, particularly in the original Korean voice lines and certain character interactions. However, the English translations often fall flat, leading to awkward or convoluted jokes that can detract from the experience. Despite these translation issues, the game still manages to deliver amusing moments and entertaining scenarios, making it a fun experience overall.

    • “They are just so funny that I literally cracked up a few times when I first heard them.”
    • “The story I've found also to be touching at moments, hilarious at others, and well worth the price of admission.”
    • “If you can get past the hilarious translation, you'll find a surprisingly good story and decent characters.”
  • emotional78 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its compelling narrative and character development, which many players found engaging and touching, often leading to moments of genuine emotional investment. While some critiques mention issues with translation and pacing, the overall sentiment reflects a strong connection to the characters and story, with many players expressing that the game has made them cry or feel deeply moved. The combination of a heartfelt soundtrack and well-crafted storylines contributes significantly to the emotional experience, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The game also has a pretty compelling narrative, filled with compelling storylines from different characters, strong character developments, and emotional moments.”
    • “The music is great; the energetic mission tunes really get you fired up, and the more emotional ones can bring you to tears, especially combined with this story that is so engaging and truly makes you care about everything that's going on in it.”
    • “The story is engaging and emotional, the gameplay is incredibly enjoyable and evolves at a perfect rate, and the characters have so much personality and depth.”
    • “This game has slow and uninteresting character progression, messy inventory and character management, fringe dialogue, and a boring story overall.”
  • stability32 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report a nearly bug-free experience after extensive playtime, others highlight persistent minor glitches and a sense of unpolished elements. The game is still in early access, leading to varied opinions on its overall stability, with some users feeling they are troubleshooting rather than enjoying the game. Despite these issues, many find the gameplay enjoyable and worth the investment.

    • “Completely bug free from my experience in 200 hours.”
    • “As of yet still early access, but still a well polished, smooth and 99% bug free experience.”
    • “Although I was a bit blunt about the current ones, I have to still add that at least, while the current character animations are a bit stiff, at least they're not buggy (there is nothing worse than buggy animations when it comes to immersion-breaking, so that's a good yes-yes here).”
    • “The game is great, but still very buggy.”
    • “The game has a number of minor glitches (nothing game-breaking, mostly stuff like dead enemies hanging in the air and falling through solid obstacles) and feels a bit unpolished.”
    • “There are also many graphical choices and glitches that can be hard on your eyes.”
  • atmosphere28 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is described as a blend of poetic and comical elements, with a strong visual and musical support that enhances both its uplifting and somber themes. While some players found the atmosphere engaging and memorable, others felt it lacked depth or coherence, leading to mixed experiences. Overall, the game's artistic style and soundtrack contribute positively to its atmospheric appeal, though opinions vary on its effectiveness.

    • “Something about the atmosphere and tone I found very memorable, and the comical absurdity blends nicely with the tragic stories told around the characters.”
    • “The soundtrack has a nice bombastic, expansive sort of feel to it, setting an atmosphere of almost tense vigilance.”
    • “Chosen colors, how the atmosphere of the story was created using almost like a comic book style and how they are animated during gameplay are great; music is also one of the game's plus sides, well supporting the mood, be it cheerful or gloomy while you play.”
    • “It was overclitched, bland, and I didn't get into the atmosphere of it at all.”
    • “-albus (your character) feels like a generic 'I fight for my friends' protagonist with the depth of a puddle... in summer... during a drought... on the moon (no atmosphere).”
    • “The introduction of the spoonist faction had caught me off guard at first when the atmosphere of the game seemed a bit more serious up until that point, not a bad thing by any means, just unexpected.”
  • monetization28 mentions

    The monetization model of the game is refreshingly straightforward, as it features no microtransactions, in-game stores, or additional paid content, focusing solely on providing a fun experience for players. Reviewers appreciate the absence of typical mobile game monetization tactics, viewing it as a positive departure from the prevalent cash-grab strategies in the industry. Overall, the game is praised for its fair pricing and commitment to player enjoyment without the pressure of additional purchases.

    • “There are no gimmicks, no in-game store, no microtransactions, no content-related DLCs.”
    • “No microtransactions or anything and a great dev team that answers pretty much everything on the forums and takes feedback.”
    • “This game has taken the best aspects of mobile gaming, such as pick up and play, and has left out the microtransactions.”
    • “The only thing surprisingly missing is microtransactions, daily quests, and lootboxes with a premium currency.”
    • “In an age of increasingly cynical cash grabs from AAA devs, Troubleshooters is a welcome breath of fresh air.”
    • “This game uses some MMO gating sensibilities for the grind, but Dandylion never asked for more than the original sale price and isn't bombarding the game with DLC and microtransactions.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
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Play time

98hMedian play time
123hAverage play time
50-170hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 142 analyzed playthroughs

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