Voidtrain
- August 12, 2021
- HypeTrain Digital
- 12h median play time
"Voidtrain" is a platformer game that can be played solo or with up to two players in co-op mode. As an engineer, you explore the surreal and mysterious world of the Void, building and upgrading your own train, crafting weapons, and battling enemies. The game features a vast, ever-changing world, adorable creatures called Rofleemo, and a train-building system that allows you to customize and upgrade your train's appearance and functionality. While the game boasts exceptional graphics, outstanding music, and plenty of humor, it does have its share of bugs and may require some grinding.
Reviews
- Unique concept of a train traveling through a void, combining survival and crafting elements.
- Beautiful graphics and immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
- Engaging gameplay loop with the ability to customize and upgrade the train and weapons.
- Repetitive gameplay with similar environments and encounters, leading to a lack of variety.
- Inventory management is tedious due to limited storage space and small stack sizes.
- Combat mechanics feel clunky and unbalanced, with enemies being bullet sponges and lacking AI depth.
- gameplay485 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Voidtrain is a mixed bag, featuring a core loop of resource gathering, crafting, and train customization that some players find engaging, while others criticize it for being repetitive and tedious. Combat mechanics, particularly gunplay, are often described as unsatisfying, and the inventory management can feel cumbersome. Despite its intriguing premise and beautiful visuals, many players feel the game lacks depth and variety, leading to a gameplay experience that can become monotonous over time.
“The core gameplay of Voidtrain involves exploring various planets, collecting resources, creating and upgrading your own train, and fighting hostile creatures.”
“The train mechanics add an interesting twist to the gameplay, allowing you to customize and upgrade your train as you journey through different environments.”
“With its captivating visuals, engaging gameplay, and the sheer joy of building, customizing, and riding magnificent trains, this game stands out as a must-play experience.”
“However, and I do not say this lightly, this game has by far the worst gun gameplay I have ever experienced.”
“The inventory system is painful as all hell; I don't mind inventory management being a game mechanic, but when I need to run for 3 minutes back and forth each time I open a chest to dump all the crap back at the train, it isn't a challenge or even a mechanic - it's just a chore.”
“The gameplay loop is basic, limited survival game mechanics early on.”
- story439 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in Voidtrain is currently a mixed bag, with many players finding it intriguing yet incomplete, as only the first chapter is available. While the unique setting and engaging narrator add charm, the linear progression and repetitive gameplay detract from the overall experience, leaving some players feeling that the story is holding back the game's potential. Overall, there is optimism for future updates, but many reviewers express a desire for a more substantial and varied narrative to enhance the gameplay.
“As our train glided through the black waters of forgotten worlds, the game rekindled the quiet glory of train travel—the steady hum of motion, the rhythm of wheels against the rails—and didn’t just tell a story of survival, but healed something deeper.”
“The world building and storytelling is fantastic.”
“A captivating storyline, unique gameplay, and beautiful graphics make this game one of the most interesting indie games on the market.”
“Once you complete the little story, there's not much more content left.”
“Had a lot of potential to be fun but currently has had little updates, the story is barely 1/3 done and it's just kinda 'meh' overall.”
“The 'first chapter' of this game is an empty shell of a story that seems to promise a lot more than I believe the current developers are capable of making.”
- grinding269 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive. Common complaints include the cumbersome inventory management, the slow pace of resource gathering, and the linear progression that often requires players to collect the same materials multiple times for crafting and research. While some players appreciate the grind as part of the survival experience, others feel it detracts from overall enjoyment, suggesting that improvements in automation and quality of life features are needed to enhance gameplay.
“The game isn't as grindy as some people say, and the devs also fix bugs quickly.”
“There are guns and other items, and the game is not too grindy; it's just right.”
“The game was very repetitive; I kept grinding, thinking that it would get better. Usually in survival games, you get past the tedious stage into a stage where you have crafted things to make life easier.”
“All I do is tediously collect resources, then have to use those resources to constantly repair or replace destroyed workbenches, storage, etc. The damage is not the issue; it is the cost of repair or replacement.”
“The crafting is very grindy and has killed this game for me.”
- graphics222 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals, unique art style, and immersive atmosphere that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the beautiful environments and smooth performance, noting that the aesthetic choices contribute significantly to the game's charm. However, some critiques mention that while the graphics are impressive, they can sometimes overshadow gameplay mechanics, leading to a repetitive experience.
“The graphics are stunning, the world design is beautiful, and sound design is orgasmic.”
“The game's visuals are stunning, creating an atmosphere that draws you in and makes the world feel alive and intriguing.”
“With its stunning visuals and immersive gameplay, Voidtrain offers a unique and memorable adventure.”
“Good game but my PC almost burnt after this graphic settings.”
“Once you leave the intro area, the game delivers the same copy/paste visuals from start to finish.”
“Hit-boxes for cover are infuriating and do not match their visuals, and bullets emerge from your character's torso, not the center of the weapon, so shooting around cover is awful.”
- music94 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in Voidtrain has received widespread acclaim for its excellent quality and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with many players describing it as stunning, immersive, and emotionally impactful. However, some users noted issues with audio mixing, where the music sometimes overpowers dialogue or becomes repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack is generally praised for its cinematic quality and ability to evoke strong emotions during gameplay.
“I felt like I was gonna cry with tears of amazement because of how both the setting of the world and the music score ties really well in the game (I'm not joking. I really did feel like I was gonna shed a tear with joy.)”
“The game has a very atmospheric setting, a very exciting soundtrack that enhances immersion in the environment, and the visual effects are at the highest level, while optimization is also at an exceptional level.”
“The relaxing soundtrack really ties the game together, it's a really good mix of visuals and chill sounds, exactly how I imagine traveling through a void would be.”
“Voidtrain refused to even boot up initially and after getting into the game, the audio mixing was all over the place and I could barely hear dialogue over the blaring music.”
“Instead of trying to make the combat better, or improving the weapon system (which has potential if given some love), they spend their time making the annoying pets/crew play obnoxious musical instruments that overwrite the beautiful background music.”
“The soundtrack is so boring when there are no enemies, almost put me to sleep like bruh.”
- atmosphere74 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and unique art style, creating a captivating and engaging environment that enhances exploration and gameplay. Many players appreciate the blend of mystery and charm, with some comparing it to the vibes of other atmospheric titles like "Dishonored." However, there are suggestions for improvement, particularly in balancing the atmosphere with gameplay mechanics to reduce grind and enhance the overall experience.
“The game's visuals are stunning, creating an atmosphere that draws you in and makes the world feel alive and intriguing.”
“With its captivating visuals, atmospheric world, and engaging gameplay, this experience offers a unique and unforgettable journey for those seeking an extraordinary train adventure.”
“The atmosphere, the visuals, and especially the music are frankly stunning.”
“But the rate at which you burn through resources versus the rate at which you can reasonably gather them causes the atmosphere of the game to get shrouded behind the grind.”
“I have played quite a few hours and I do have to agree with others that the grind can get tiring but it's enjoyable to just sit there and take in the atmosphere of the game.”
“Narrator kills atmosphere”
- humor64 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, particularly for its witty narrator and amusing dialogue, which many players find engaging and entertaining. While some players appreciate the comedic elements and find themselves laughing frequently, others feel that the humor can be hit-or-miss, with some moments being perceived as cringe-worthy or overly forced. Overall, the game's blend of whimsical storytelling and humorous animations contributes significantly to its charm, though opinions on its effectiveness vary among players.
“Underrated game, hilarious narration and great developers always adjusting and altering the game according to the reviews.”
“The developers somehow nailed the dystopian gaslamp fantasy feel and gave us adorable creatures--all while keeping their humor wonderfully intact.”
“The narrator's sense of humor breaks up the craziness in the beginning.”
“But not funny with solo play.”
“The unfunny remarks of the 'oh so witty' narrator grind on you four minutes into the game.”
- stability56 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer modes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences. While some users acknowledge that these issues are expected in early access titles, others express hope for improvements, noting that the core mechanics show potential despite the lack of polish. Overall, while some players have had relatively smooth experiences, the consensus is that the game is currently quite buggy and requires further development to enhance stability.
“The game isn't buggy or unappealing, and it doesn't have any major issues.”
“It's early access, but the core mechanics and the skeleton of the game are solid and relatively bug free.”
“Overall, it's a really cool concept; it seems bug free so far from the small amount of time I have played.”
“I've tried every troubleshooting advice they gave and the game wouldn't open; it would be 'open' according to my Steam, but the game wouldn't launch.”
“This game is horribly buggy and very tedious to follow a linear tech tree.”
“Some of the glitches include getting stuck on the hand crank not even 10 minutes into the tutorial, visual glitches with backpacks and menus, soldier outposts sometimes just not activating and staying in an unloaded state, and worst of all, guns and items clipping into the ground upon death making it impossible to recover.”
- optimization32 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and stunning graphics, particularly on higher-end systems, while others report significant issues such as stuttering, low frame rates, and crashes, especially on lower-end hardware. Many users noted that moving the game to an SSD improved performance, but overall, the experience can vary widely depending on individual setups. Despite these concerns, some players found the game to be well-optimized for early access, with only minor bugs affecting gameplay.
“In the end, it's fun to play, looks really good, is optimized graphically so it'll play smooth, and worth about $20 and 20 hours of your time.”
“The game has a very atmospheric setting, a very exciting soundtrack that enhances immersion in the environment, and the visual effects are at the highest level, while optimization is also at an exceptional level.”
“The performance is fantastic, which really surprised me.”
“Awful progression, awful and super boring gunplay, awfully linear, awful performance (less than 60fps @1440p) even on a powerful PC with everything on low.”
“Game has a horrible stuttering issue that makes it nearly unplayable, even on my pretty nice PC.”
“While the game is an absolute blast both intriguing with its levels, relaxing with its beauty and stressing with the interworld coming after you... the framerate issues and janky combat make for an often frustrating unreliable performance and every session could be a nightmare depending on how your game behaves that day.”
- monetization13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of Voidtrain has been criticized as a cash grab, with players feeling misled by advertisements that do not accurately represent the game's quality and features. Many users express disappointment in the game's incomplete state and poor mechanics, suggesting that the marketing does not align with the actual gameplay experience. Overall, the monetization strategy has left players feeling frustrated and unsatisfied.
“The usage of AI is disappointing at best; as of now, it's just a heartless cash grab.”
“This game is very incomplete and lacks the experience shown in the advertisements.”
“All of the advertisement branding even said Steam or had the Steam logo.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- -29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting the impactful combination of its world-building and music, which evokes feelings of joy and nostalgia. The adorable crewmate character adds to the emotional weight, while some players feel frustrated by the narrative's lack of direction, contrasting with the immersive experience the game offers. Overall, the emotional responses range from joy and attachment to disappointment and disconnection.
“I felt like I was going to cry with tears of amazement because of how both the setting of the world and the music score tie really well in the game. I'm not joking; I really did feel like I was going to shed a tear with joy.”
“Let's not forget that carrying that little crewmate and feeding them a mushroom makes me want to shed a tear because of how cute and adorable they look!”
“Very few games have made me feel as lost in the world or immersed as Voidtrain.”
“The game has you locked into a dull and uninteresting story that ultimately goes nowhere.”
“I felt no emotional connection to the characters; their struggles seemed forced and unrelatable.”
“The attempts at emotional depth fell flat, leaving me feeling indifferent to the outcomes.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, players express mixed feelings about the game's replayability. While some appreciate the potential for varied experiences due to random generation and scripted events, others feel that the current structure limits player agency and exploration, suggesting that a more flexible tech tree system could enhance replay value. There is a desire for additional concepts to further improve replayability and cater to different play styles.
“Can be hard or even challenging for folks unable to multitask, a worthwhile purchase and lots of replay value!”
“I am really hoping they introduce more concepts that can aid in replayability.”
“Replayability... a tough call to say, but it appears that each world is kind of randomly generated, but certain events are scripted... need to test further.”
“This leads to you feeling like you are filling out a shopping list in order to get to the next part of the story rather than other games where the vast array of items means finding new ones unlocks the recipes to make many things, which leads to more player agency and replay value because you can always switch up the build paths each playthrough.”