Vicious Circle
- August 13, 2019
- Rooster Teeth Games
- 8h median play time
An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.
"Vicious Circle" is an uncooperative multiplayer shooter set in a sci-fi universe, where players can choose to be a mercenary competing for loot or a massive monster trying to kill everything. The game features seasonal battle passes with exclusive rewards and encourages players to backstab each other to collect the most loot and win. Mercenaries cannot directly harm each other, but they can use the environment and gadgets to gain an advantage.
Reviews
- The game has a fun and chaotic gameplay loop that can be enjoyable, especially with friends.
- The art style and character design are appealing, contributing to an engaging atmosphere.
- There is potential for future content and updates, which could enhance the overall experience.
- The player base is extremely low, making it difficult to find matches and enjoy the game.
- The game suffers from severe balance issues, particularly with the monster being overpowered and the mechanics feeling unpolished.
- There is a lack of content and modes, leading to repetitive gameplay that can become boring quickly.
- gameplay88 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Vicious Circle is generally praised for its unique mechanics and fun, fast-paced action, particularly the innovative death mechanic that keeps players engaged even after being eliminated. However, many players express concerns about balance issues, a lack of depth leading to repetitive experiences, and limited character progression, which can detract from long-term enjoyment. Overall, while the game has potential and offers enjoyable moments, it currently suffers from pacing and content limitations that may affect its longevity.
“I've been streaming this game for nearly 3 weeks and it's been a blast. If you get past the imbalance issues and just have fun, it can be some of the most enjoyable gameplay out right now.”
“Vicious Circle does have some negatives, but it offers fun chases, tense gameplay, and is a super fun game to play either by yourself or with friends.”
“The gameplay is fast and trolly as hell, but I can ensure that you will have a blast.”
“The core gameplay doesn't give you enough to want to keep playing, and the game feels so shallow that after about an hour, I felt like I saw most of what it had to offer.”
“There is currently only 1 'killer' being the giant chicken, so the gameplay gets very stale very fast.”
“The map designs are fairly boring since the gameplay doesn't have much substance at the moment.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful art style and unique character designs, reminiscent of titles like Overwatch. Players appreciate the stunning visuals and solid gunplay, although some feel that the maps could use more polish and variety. Overall, the aesthetic is described as fun and cartoony, contributing positively to the gameplay experience.
“The maps are beautiful, and every character has a niche, a beautiful art style, and unique weapon and skill set.”
“A new FPS that goes a long way with stunning visuals and great responsive controls that throws fast-paced co-op action in your face.”
“I love the graphics and design of the game.”
“Seems like a really good game, but I'm going to wait for more updates before I buy. I think the graphics could use some polishing.”
“The visuals are lacking and need significant improvement.”
“The graphics feel outdated and do not meet the expectations for a game released in this era.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as a key element, particularly in social interactions, making it enjoyable both with friends and random players. While it lacks traditional horror elements that might elicit screams, the comedic aspects of gameplay and player interactions provide a fun experience.
“It is so funny just to mess with the other players.”
“A great game that is funny with friends but it is still good fun to play with random strangers.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received criticism for being clunky, with notable stuttering issues affecting performance. Players feel that improved optimization and greater control over video settings, such as v-sync, would enhance their overall experience.
“My biggest issue with the game so far is the stuttering.”
“The game could be optimized a bit better, and having a bit more control over the video settings (v-sync and such) would really be all the game needs to keep me playing all day.”
“It got a little clunky, both in terms of looks and performance.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to repetitive matches with the same teammates and the overwhelming presence of fast, tanky enemies that detract from the experience. The current state of gameplay encourages a frustrating cycle of dying and respawning rather than providing a rewarding challenge.
“Being stuck with the same 5 people for 5 matches gets tedious depending on who you play with.”
“Other players are just farming away, meaning it's better to just die and try to take them over.”
“The small tentacle monsters are too fast and tanky; they are supposed to provide a second wind to give you a chance of actually winning the game, but in their current state, they make the game tedious and annoying.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game generally runs well and has a solid concept, but it suffers from significant stability issues, being described as a "bug fest" that hampers the overall experience. Users have reported difficulties even accessing the bug report system, indicating a lack of polish and support.
“The game is best described as a bug fest; it's so buggy that I couldn't even get the bug report system to open.”
“The game is riddled with bugs, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“Frequent crashes and glitches ruin the experience, leaving me frustrated.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a strong concern regarding the game's monetization strategy, with fears that it will become a pay-to-win model and rely heavily on its user base for sustainability. Players express disappointment in the gameplay and skepticism about the game's future without effective advertising.
“Long time supporter of Rooster Teeth, but this game is terrible. The gameplay is horrible, and with a store coming, I bet it's just going to be a cash grab pay-to-win game soon.”
“The only issue I have is that this game will be very reliant on its user base, and with no direct advertising seen, the game may be dead in a few weeks.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players express concerns about the game's low replayability, suggesting that without constant updates, it may struggle to maintain player interest and engagement over time.
“I hope to see constant updates because my only concern about this game is replayability, and this is going to lead to low player counts.”
“Very low replay value.”
“Very low replay value.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not clearly conveyed in the provided text, which focuses more on gameplay mechanics rather than emotional depth or player connection. There is a lack of insight into how the game's narrative or character interactions evoke feelings or resonate with players.
Critic Reviews
Review: Vicious Circle
An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.
55%Vicious Circle Review
Vicious Circle at its core has a really great concept. In execution though what was delivered was an unbalanced feature-lite multiplayer experience that will likely struggle to keep players returning.
40%