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 cumbersome, with limited storage space and small stack sizes.
- Combat mechanics feel clunky and unbalanced, with enemies being overly tanky and AI behavior lacking depth.
- gameplay970 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Voidtrain has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its unique train-building mechanics and engaging visuals, but criticizing the repetitive and tedious resource-gathering loop. While some find the crafting and upgrading systems enjoyable, others feel that the combat mechanics are poorly executed and the overall gameplay lacks depth and variety, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant improvements in its core mechanics and pacing to enhance the player experience.
“The core mechanics of crafting, upgrading, and exploring are enjoyable, giving a solid sense of progression as you build and enhance your train.”
“The train mechanics are brilliantly executed, allowing players to customize and upgrade their trains to suit their playstyle.”
“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 gets boring really quick though, and collecting resources gets very tedious.”
- story878 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in Voidtrain is currently a mixed bag, with players noting its intriguing premise and unique setting but also highlighting its incompleteness and repetitiveness. Many reviews express excitement for future chapters, as the game is still in early access and only the first chapter is available, leaving players wanting more depth and variety in the narrative. While some appreciate the humor and charm of the narrator, others feel that the linear storytelling and grinding gameplay detract from the overall experience, making the story feel secondary to the mechanics.
“Of course you can grind weapon parts for a max gold build, but the story added so much more and was genuinely captivating.”
“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.”
“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.”
- grinding538 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive. Common complaints include the cumbersome crafting system, limited inventory space, and the linear progression that requires extensive resource gathering for minimal rewards. 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 necessary to enhance gameplay.
“The game isn't as grindy as some people say, and the devs also fix bugs fast.”
“There are guns and other stuff, and the game is not too grindy; it's just right.”
“The game was very repetitive; I kept 'grinding' thinking that it would be better. Usually in survival games, you get past the tedious stage into the 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 replace.”
“The crafting is tedious and not fun; chests hold way too little and item stacks are too small. The arena has a boss in it whose attacks you can't dodge and are forced to just take the hits.”
- graphics444 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many players praising the stunning visuals, unique art style, and immersive atmosphere that enhance the overall experience. The environments are described as beautiful and well-designed, contributing to a captivating sense of exploration. However, some users noted issues with repetitive asset use and performance on lower-end systems, though overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature of the game.
“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 captivating visuals, engaging gameplay, and the sheer joy of building, customizing, and riding magnificent trains, this game stands out as a must-play experience.”
“Good game but my PC almost burnt after this graphic settings.”
“The train doesn't change direction, you move in a linear line from start to finish with copy and pasted visuals.”
“Once you leave the intro area, the game delivers the same copy/paste visuals from start to finish.”
- music188 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in Voidtrain has received mixed reviews, with many praising its excellent soundtrack and atmospheric qualities that enhance immersion and emotional engagement. However, some players have criticized the audio mixing, noting issues with volume levels and the intrusive nature of in-game music played by pets or crew members. Overall, while the music is often described as beautiful and cinematic, there are concerns about its implementation and consistency 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.”
“Menu music is loud, I turned it to a still loud but okay volume and then the intro cinematic was painfully quiet.”
“Problem is they play like tribal music in the background completely unrelated to the glyphs you are trying to listen for and it's just a sound show.”
- atmosphere148 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game 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 beauty, with elements reminiscent of titles like "Dishonored," while some express a desire for a deeper, less "cute" atmosphere. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal and enjoyment.
“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 in the game is amazing and I can't wait to see how the game improves.”
“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”
- humor128 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 animations, which many players find engaging and entertaining. While some players appreciate the comedic elements and find themselves laughing out loud, 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 humor adds a whimsical touch to the gameplay experience, though opinions on its effectiveness vary.
“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 game itself looks incredible, the sound design is pretty much perfect and the narrator is hilarious.”
“The unfunny remarks of the 'oh so witty' narrator grind on you 4 minutes into the game.”
- stability112 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 disappointment over the frequency and severity of the problems, suggesting that the game feels unpolished and incomplete. However, a few players have noted that their experiences were relatively bug-free, indicating that stability may vary depending on individual circumstances.
“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; seems bug free so far from the small amount of time I have played.”
“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 (not just resources, but grappling hooks and guns. I've already lost 3 guns I was working on to this glitch. Please fix this one first; it is unironically game-ruining).”
“The game is super buggy in multiplayer; items are not constantly saved when putting in containers, so you never know if the item you put in the box is going to save in the box... a completely broken game as of now.”
- optimization64 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, while others report significant issues such as stuttering, low frame rates, and crashes, particularly on lower-end systems. Many users noted that performance improved after adjustments like moving the game to an SSD, but frustrations remain regarding the game's linearity and inventory management. Overall, while some players find the optimization satisfactory, others experience frustrating performance inconsistencies that detract from the gameplay experience.
“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.”
“In the end, it's fun to play, looks really good, is optimized graphically so it'll play smooth, and is worth about $20 and 20 hours of your time.”
“Good optimization is important to me, and this launched with it.”
“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.”
“File coding for this game is not optimized, it took forever to download and later patch.”
- monetization26 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of Voidtrain has been criticized as a "heartless cash grab," with players feeling that the game does not deliver on its advertised features and is incomplete. Many users express disappointment in the game's mechanics and overall experience, suggesting that the marketing misrepresents the product, leading to frustration over the perceived value for money.
“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.”
“This game is absolutely nothing like what its advertisements make it out to be.”
- emotional14 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, often feeling overwhelmed with joy and nostalgia due to its beautiful world and music, as well as the adorableness of the crewmate character. However, some also report frustration with the narrative, describing it as dull and unengaging, which detracts from their overall enjoyment. Despite these mixed feelings, the game's unique concept and immersive experience resonate deeply with many players.
“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 some dumb, boring story that goes nowhere.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Players express mixed feelings about the game's replayability, noting that while there is potential due to random world generation, scripted events can limit player agency. Many hope for the introduction of more diverse mechanics, such as a tech tree system, to enhance replay value and encourage varied playthroughs. Overall, the current structure may feel more linear, resembling a checklist rather than offering the freedom to explore different strategies.
“Can be hard or even challenging for folks unable to multitask, a worthwhile purchase and lots of replay value!”
“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.”
“I feel that making it more of a tech tree than a tech line could do a lot to open it up for replayability.”