Vanguards

About

Vanguards is a single player and multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by BYU Animation - Class of 2016 and was released on October 28, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In this fast-paced 3 vs. 3 MOBA-styled battle, hero knights use elemental powers to gain control over a ghost that can be placed on enemy bases to lower these bases' shields and drain them of their energy.

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75%

Audience ScoreBased on 60 reviews

story1 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

Vanguards offers a simplified and accessible MOBA experience, making it easy for newcomers to pick up and enjoy quick matches.
The game emphasizes teamwork with only three players per team, fostering a more personal and engaging gameplay experience.
Despite being a student project, the game features colorful graphics and a fun art style that enhances the overall enjoyment.

The game suffers from a lack of content, with only three characters and limited gameplay variety, which may lead to repetitive experiences.
There are performance issues, including slow loading times and occasional bugs that can detract from the gameplay experience.
The reliance on teammates can be frustrating, as random players may not cooperate, impacting the overall enjoyment of matches.

gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The gameplay is characterized by lightweight, cooperative battles with simplified mechanics that make it accessible, though it lacks depth and variety due to a limited character roster and absence of a tutorial. While the controls are responsive and skillful play is rewarded, the overall experience is hindered by slow pacing, bland visuals, and a low player base, often resulting in matches against bots. Despite its functional design, the game feels basic and lacks the engaging elements typically found in more developed MOBAs.
- “It's a lightweight experience that focuses on small-scale, cooperative battles with tight gameplay mechanics.”
- “Easy to learn: the simplified mechanics make it approachable, even if you're not into MOBAs.”
- “The mechanics of the game itself ensure short games and make for some interesting decision points, like whether it is better to charge a shrine by yourself in an effort to get the ghost to stop munching on your own shrine, or whether to wait for teammates.”
- “Not only does it run terribly, it looks absolutely bland and has no soul. A MOBA that only gives you 3 different characters could have at least put some actual effort into the design of those 3 or added more details in the gameplay of each.”
- “The gameplay is slow and there is no variety in the game.”
- “Released and still in development, so far it's very basic. The controls, the menus (there is no option menu), and the gameplay are all lacking.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's graphics feature a colorful and cartoony art style that adds a lighthearted feel, making it enjoyable despite its rough edges. However, some players find the overall visual quality mediocre for an Unreal Engine title, citing performance issues and a lack of customization options as drawbacks. While the art style is appreciated, there are calls for better optimization and additional graphical settings.
- “The visuals are colorful and clean, with a cartoony style that doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
- “Fun art style: the visuals are lighthearted and keep the game from feeling too intense.”
- “I thought it was neat for what it is, I liked the art style a lot and while the game is not optimized, it's to be expected from a student project.”
- “Mediocre graphics.”
- “For the Unreal Engine, I was expecting much better graphics.”
- “The game does have rough edges: I hope they'll add a few more menu options and clean up some of the graphics.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game's optimization has received criticism, with players reporting low frame rates and performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware and poor internet connections. Many reviewers suggest that the game requires further optimization patches to enhance its performance, which is somewhat expected given its status as a student project.
- “The only downside to this game, at the point of this day one review, is that it still needs a few optimization patches before it can be called complete.”
- “My only real issue so far is the performance - I have a crappy graphics card, sure, but a game like this really shouldn't run at 15 fps.”
- “The only downside to this game, at the point of this day one review, is that the game still needs a few optimization patches before it can be called complete.”
- “I thought it was neat for what it is; I liked the art style a lot, and while the game is not optimized, it's to be expected from a student project.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's story is noted for its unique approach within the MOBA genre, featuring a mechanic where players must escort a ghost to attack towers, adding an interesting twist to traditional gameplay. However, some users criticize the narrative aspect, highlighting that matches can often feel unbalanced due to persistent objectives leading to inevitable losses.
- “Unique MOBA with a different story where you have to get a ghost to attack towers, which is really cool.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is praised for being ad-free and entirely free to play, especially considering it was developed by two college students. Players appreciate the lack of intrusive advertisements, which enhances the overall experience despite the game's simplicity.
- “Considering the amount of advertisements that Unreal has, where they showcased photo-realistic details.”
- “It's free to play, there doesn't appear to be ads, no reason not to upvote this game even if it's kinda bare bones.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers indicate that while the game offers some replay value, it lacks deep meta elements and does not provide endless replayability.
- “Just don’t expect deep meta or endless replayability.”