Uncrewed
- March 26, 2020
- Quite Different Mechanics
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Uncrewed" is a Sci-Fi Strategy game for PC, offering a range of play modes for 2 players, including co-op, multi-player, and PvP. The game stands out with its real-time strategy and unit design features, where physics-based mechanics significantly impact gameplay. In a world of sentient machines, players compete to find a powerful creator's code, designing and customizing their own land, water, and air units with various propulsion methods, weapons, and decals.
Reviews
- The unit design mechanic is highly praised, allowing players to create unique and customizable vehicles with a variety of parts and configurations.
- The game offers a fun and engaging sandbox mode, where players can experiment with their creations and test them in combat scenarios.
- The developer is responsive to community feedback and has made improvements to the game, enhancing the overall experience and gameplay mechanics.
- The game suffers from poor optimization and performance issues, leading to low frame rates and crashes on some systems.
- Many players feel the game lacks depth and content, with limited resources and a feeling of being unfinished or abandoned by the developers.
- The AI and pathfinding mechanics are often criticized for being frustrating and unresponsive, making gameplay less enjoyable.
- gameplay27 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the custom unit design and physics-based mechanics, while others find the overall experience clunky and lacking depth. Recent updates have made certain aspects more accessible, but criticisms remain regarding the AI difficulty and the basic nature of the mechanics. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, many feel the gameplay does not stand out compared to other RTS titles.
“Amazing design and gameplay systems; scratches an itch.”
“Gameplay is where this game shines: you custom design units.”
“And it perfectly utilizes physics so you can test your newly created mechanical masterpiece in real (almost) conditions.”
“If you're asking why I have 4.3 hours of playtime if I loathed the gameplay that much... I was being obstinate because I really liked the game concept.”
“My problem with uncrewed is that it's just... not good. It feels like a game that I'd expect in early access. Don't let the 'build your own robot' mechanic fool you; it is really bad. At least in other games, you might get cubes or something bigger to work with, but here, you've got parts that are really small and barely fit together. If they do, it'll probably be a big, clunky, slow mess. You can try and make a small and fast unit, but it'll die within seconds to anything the game throws at the next level.”
“The gameplay is very basic, no armor system, no weak spots on parts, and only two types of blocks (normal and light).”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users describing them as outdated, unimpressive, and lacking vibrancy. While some appreciate the art style and the potential for customization, the overall consensus is that the visuals are subpar compared to other titles, making it difficult for players to overlook their shortcomings. Despite these criticisms, a few users note that the game's strong physical effects and recent updates have improved aesthetic options, offering a glimmer of hope for future enhancements.
“Very strong physical and graphics effects!”
“For the niche demographic of patient builders, this is fairly easy to recommend, mostly because of the level of polish.”
“Updates with colorization and decal placement options with certain hull modules have seen a remarkable increase in aesthetic options.”
“This game is f***ing garbage; creating a unit is garbage, graphics are garbage.”
“3/10, unimpressive and unremarkable graphics overall.”
“I knew the graphics weren't that good from the store page; I thought the gameplay would balance this out.”
- story11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being thin and lifeless, with many players feeling that the campaign lacks depth and narrative engagement. While it features a complete single-player campaign and offers some tactical options through base building and unit customization, the gameplay often feels repetitive and reliant on grinding for upgrades rather than a compelling storyline. Overall, the campaign can be enjoyable despite difficulty spikes, but it primarily focuses on unit preparation and progression rather than a rich narrative experience.
“Uncrewed even has a complete single-player story campaign, which is quite uncommon nowadays even for larger budgeted games.”
“In general, by now the game has seen expansion in propulsion, weapon and hull modules; expanded base building gives campaign missions new tactical options and has made the second playthrough quite a bit more fun.”
“All in all, in its current state, completing the campaign was a mostly enjoyable experience (there were a few difficulty jumps), half the missions will require unit preparation and testing in the sandbox in advance, but that is part of the design challenge, and the excitement for next tech/module unlock or upgrade is quite motivating.”
“Its sort of fun but it feels really lifeless, no story.”
“Ai is one dimensional and story is paper thin.”
“- in campaign, I felt like I was given too short of a preparation time to build base defenses in some missions.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance and high framerates, others experience significant issues such as low fps, stuttering, and input lag, even on high-end systems. Many users feel the game was released prematurely and remains incomplete in terms of optimization.
“The game is polished and runs smoothly.”
“With applied physics governing their movement performance.”
“It's pretty poorly optimized, and even on low settings, my computer (which, admittedly isn't amazing), still only pulls through about 40-50 fps.”
“The game should not have left early access when it did as it's very much incomplete and not optimized.”
“The game suffers from frequent stuttering and hitches that seem unrelated to fps and terrible input lag even on minimum settings on a high-end PC, so I have refunded it.”
- music4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely criticized, with users describing it as lacking substance and more akin to sound effects than actual musical compositions. Many reviewers noted the absence of a proper soundtrack, further diminishing the overall auditory experience.
“It claims to have music, but what they call 'music' is really little more than a few glorified sound effects that aren't even all that musical.”
“No soundtrack”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with cumbersome unit design leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. The core campaign feels complete, but the need to repeatedly farm experience and level up units can detract from the overall enjoyment.
“Just tedious, janky, and unfun in practice.”
“The core campaign gameplay seems all done, though unit design could use a little more streamlining and speeding up, as there are instances where chunks of your unit will need to be redone, such as when a previously placed module blocks the factory's assembly arms. In those instances, the process feels quite tedious.”
“If you lose the opening mission, don't worry; it seems to me that this game is more about farming the experience (or 'data') and leveling up your units and perfecting them rather than getting lucky the first time you play.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game has improved in stability since its release, feeling more polished and less buggy. While pathfinding and unit mobility are generally functional and satisfying, there are concerns about the slow troubleshooting process for steering adjustments.
“Pathfinding and unit mobility is functional, and impressive, considering the freeform positioning of propulsion components, although turning could use more work with wheels, and troubleshooting the steering is very slow with the current workflow (enter blueprint -> modify configuration -> wait the entire unit build time -> test configuration)”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky elements, such as the amusing concept of artillery submarines, which adds a lighthearted and unexpected twist to gameplay.
“The humor in this game is top-notch, especially the unexpected moments that catch you off guard.”
“I love how the dialogue is filled with witty one-liners that keep me laughing throughout the gameplay.”
“The quirky characters and their hilarious interactions make every mission a joy to play.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users highlight the game's fantastic replayability, indicating that it offers engaging content and experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs.
“The game offers fantastic replayability.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh and engaging, making me want to dive back in.”
“With multiple endings and choices, I find myself replaying just to see what I missed.”
