Voidspire Tactics
- October 29, 2015
- Rad Codex
- 30h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Voidspire Tactics is an indie turn-based tactics RPG with a focus on exploration and character progression. Create your own customizable party and engage in tactical combat with destructible terrain and elemental interactions. The game features a nonlinear world, multiple races, classes, and abilities, all set in an atypical fantasy setting."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging tactical combat system that allows for diverse strategies and character builds.
- Rich exploration mechanics with numerous secrets and interactive environments that reward curiosity.
- Flexible class system that enables players to mix and match abilities, enhancing customization and replayability.
- Inventory management can be cumbersome and tedious, with a complex system of bags within bags.
- The story is minimal and lacks depth, which may disappoint players looking for a strong narrative.
- Some spells and abilities could use clearer descriptions and explanations to improve usability.
- story200 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally described as minimalistic and often takes a backseat to gameplay, with many players noting that it is simple and light on content. While some appreciate the world-building and find the narrative engaging enough to support exploration, others feel it lacks depth and character development. Overall, the consensus is that the game is more focused on combat and exploration, making the story feel secondary, though it is still considered serviceable and occasionally compelling.
“The combat is very engaging with lots of skills that allow for neat combos, the story is simple but compelling thanks to an interesting setting with strong world-building and the game world is very cohesive.”
“The story is decent enough, and the journey as a whole is well worth experiencing if you're at all into these kinds of games.”
“And the story is slight but very well told, perfectly framing the non-linear exploration through alien biomes.”
“The main thing is the lack of story though.”
“There’s few chattable NPCs or notes to get any kind of meaningful information out of, and the plot only really develops a few hours before the end.”
“The story is very light but it's competently written and clear, and given the game is more about exploring and fighting, I think this is the right fit.”
- gameplay150 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its depth and engaging mechanics, featuring a robust class system, tactical combat, and clever exploration elements that encourage creativity. Players appreciate the rewarding progression and customization options, although some mechanics may lack clarity due to minimal tutorialization. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience that prioritizes gameplay over narrative, making it a standout choice for fans of tactical RPGs.
“Customizing your party via its class system (which is like jobs in FFTA) is a heck of a lot of fun, and creates an immensely satisfying gameplay loop.”
“Not only is this a fantastic (and very fun) tactics game, it's got a ton of neat crafting and exploring mechanics you don't expect.”
“Given the cheap cost of the game, high replayability, great gameplay, originality of the world, and excellent support, this is a solid buy for any fan of tactical turn-based games.”
“Controls are a bit hard to get used to, and there's a few bugs here and there, but overall it all worked fine, and once the gameplay 'clicks' it's very hard to put down.”
“The game seemed to be a little bit hard to learn at first, for instance it doesn't really explain what exactly buffs do (though most of them are pretty easy to intuit), but overall it didn't get in the way of the gameplay.”
“I was debating putting this into the cons section as there really isn't a whole lot of story to discuss but since this genre is more about the gameplay, it's only a meh in my opinion.”
- music92 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its fitting atmosphere and catchy tracks that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some players note issues with repetitiveness and occasional static pops, leading to a few tracks being forgettable. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received and adds to the game's charm, there are moments where it falls short, particularly in quieter areas.
“The soundtrack rocks and adds to the atmosphere that you are really exploring an alien and mysterious world.”
“Amazing, good gameplay with new things to upgrade after every battle, good exploration and a great soundtrack, 9/10 easily.”
“Coupled with the music choices, many places have uniquely identifiable atmospheres that are memorable and fun to explore.”
“My biggest complaints are some difficulty spikes in the early and/or late game, some of the music really does the opposite of slap, and the visual style is a little... bare.”
“Performance is fine, but sometimes the music has static pops which is unfortunate because the soundtrack seems decent.”
“So far my only real problem with it has been the music, which is atrocious, to say the least.”
- graphics80 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are predominantly low-fidelity pixel art, which some players find off-putting or dated compared to modern standards. However, many reviewers note that while the visuals may not be impressive, they do not detract from the overall gameplay experience, and some even find them charming after acclimatization. Overall, the graphics are described as an acquired taste, with a cohesive retro style that complements the game's mechanics and atmosphere.
“If you can get over the very retro graphics, this game has it all for a strategic RPG: an interesting setting, great variety and atmosphere in the various environments, a soundtrack you can groove to, good equipment variety, a good range of skills and spells, and tough but fair tactical combat against tricky foes and scary monsters.”
“The graphics and audio presentation may be extremely simple, but they are more than serviceable, especially considering it is all the work of a single person.”
“The graphics are relatively simple pixel work, but it's tightly controlled and well done; it's cohesive.”
“Despite terrible pixel graphics and dialogue being thin to say the least, I had a blast playing this thing.”
“The graphics are also low fidelity pixel art, which may be a problem for some people.”
“Graphically lackluster - still manages to be effective in delivering the gameplay mechanics but nothing to write home about.”
- grinding34 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
Overall, players appreciate that grinding is not a necessary aspect of the game, allowing for a more streamlined experience without the need for repetitive battles. While some find the backtracking and inventory management tedious, the combat remains engaging and tactical, contributing to a generally enjoyable gameplay experience. The game is praised for its flexibility and accessibility, making it suitable for both newcomers and veterans of tactical RPGs.
“Combat manages to be tactical while not being tedious or slow.”
“Walking around (and backtracking as needed) the 2D landscape on foot was tedious and I decided that I had enough.”
“I'm a bit of a hoarder, and as the game went on it became exceedingly tedious to manage the bags-within-bags of my party.”
“Throughout the game you will find containers that you can add to your inventory that essentially count as more storage (a bag that takes up one slot of your inventory but grants you 12 more slots inside the bag) but eventually you will have bags inside of bags inside of boxes and searching through each of them can become quite tedious.”
- replayability20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, with players able to experience different races, classes, and difficulties, especially after unlocking additional content post-completion. While the initial playthrough lasts around 15-20 hours, the potential for varied party combinations and the introduction of new modes enhance its longevity. However, some players noted a desire for more playable races and a deeper story to further enrich the replay experience.
“It's got plenty of replayability, as I've since beaten it another two times with different parties and difficulties (some of my playtime is from being AFK).”
“Normally when I beat a game I'm done with it for a very long time, not the case with this game; great value and high replayability for me.”
“The last couple of nitpicks I'll make is the story is a little lacking and I wish there were more playable races other than the four at the start.”
“Replay value is likely determined by how much time you spent exploring the first time around.”
“While this is not a super-long game (~15-20 hours for a first playthrough), it has a lot of potential for replayability.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its intriguing settings and diverse environments, which are enhanced by a captivating soundtrack that immerses players in an alien and mysterious world. Despite the retro graphics, the unique areas and memorable music contribute to a rich exploration experience, making the atmosphere both engaging and enjoyable. Overall, the combination of interesting locales and effective sound design creates a compelling backdrop for the strategic RPG gameplay.
“Lots of interesting and unique areas to explore, just oozing with atmosphere.”
“Coupled with the music choices, many places have uniquely identifiable atmospheres that are memorable and fun to explore.”
“The soundtrack rocks and adds to the atmosphere that you are really exploring an alien and mysterious world.”
“Story/atmosphere – the story is relatively simple, but interesting.”
- character development10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while it offers high versatility and customization inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics, some players feel the story lacks depth and fails to provide meaningful character growth. Progression is primarily achieved through earning experience points in specific classes and unlocking new ones, but the overall narrative content is considered light.
“Cool character development, tough fights, and a real wtf plot.”
“Character development allows for high team versatility and customization.”
“The story is light on content and no attempt is made at character development.”
“Character development is through earning XP in a specific class and unlocking new classes.”
“The battle and character development mechanics are inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by believable characters and concise dialogue that balances seriousness with wit. Players appreciate the engaging story and quirky humor, which enhances the sense of immersion and inclusion in the game world.
“Characters are believable, dialogue is concise; serious when it needs to be, funny when it can be.”
“The story is interesting and engaging, with quirky humor and dialogue choices that give you at least the illusion of inclusion into this world.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally satisfactory, with performance being stable; however, players have reported occasional static pops in the music, detracting from an otherwise decent soundtrack.
“Performance is fine, but sometimes the music has static pops, which is unfortunate because the soundtrack seems decent.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences occasional glitches, with a notable issue preventing players from loading the game from the title screen without quitting and reopening it. Overall, stability appears to be a concern for some users.
“There are also a couple of glitches here and there. The one that I noticed the most was an issue where I couldn't load the game from the title screen until I quit and reopened the game.”
“There are also a couple of glitches here and there. The one that I noticed the most was an issue where I couldn't load the game from the title screen until I quit and reopened the game.”
