Volcanoids

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 8,985 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Volcanoids Game Cover
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Volcanoids is a base-building shooter with a unique steampunk drillship base and open-world survival elements. Alone or with up to 3 players, explore a constantly changing volcanic island, battle hostile robots, and craft, upgrade, and automate your drillship. Despite its pretty visuals, humor, and exceptional gameplay, it suffers from being poorly optimized and requiring lots of grinding. The game features a good story and provides a full co-op and single-player experience.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 8,985 reviews
gameplay402 positive mentions
grinding206 negative mentions
  • Unique concept of a mobile drill base that players can customize and upgrade.
  • Engaging gameplay loop with a mix of crafting, combat, and resource management.
  • Active development with regular updates and a responsive community.
  • Performance issues, especially in late game, leading to significant frame rate drops.
  • Repetitive gameplay with limited enemy variety and a lack of engaging post-game content.
  • Confusing inventory and crafting systems that can overwhelm new players.
  • gameplay1,112 mentions

    The gameplay of "Volcanoids" features a unique blend of mechanics centered around a mobile drillship, resource collection, crafting, and combat against robotic enemies. While the core gameplay loop is engaging and offers innovative elements, such as the volcano eruption mechanic, many players find it repetitive and lacking in depth, especially after the initial hours. The game is still in early access, with potential for improvement through updates, but currently suffers from optimization issues and a need for clearer mechanics and objectives.

    • “This game does a great job of combining my favorite gameplay mechanics: building a mobile base, collecting resources, crafting, automating, tech tree, exploring, fighting - and it found a great balance of all of those elements.”
    • “The mechanics of the drillship are very well put together, and even animating everything in the drillship on descent and ascent is one aspect I absolutely loved.”
    • “The gameplay is very fun, easy to use and the UI is wonderfully laid out, the graphics are amazing on this game, the level of detail is one of the things that made it really enjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay loop gets repetitive quickly, although not boring right away.”
    • “Hopefully some changes are made to improve the gameplay, but overall it's just clunky, cluttered, unorganized, and there's just overall not much content for a game that's been in development for like 5 years now.”
    • “The gameplay loop isn't fun, it just boils down to get x resource go to y drillship and move to the next stage, repeat.”
  • story1,044 mentions

    The story in "Volcanoids" is generally perceived as weak and underdeveloped, with many players noting that it feels more like a series of tutorial quests than a cohesive narrative. While some enjoy the gameplay mechanics and the concept of a mobile drillship, they express a desire for a more engaging and fleshed-out storyline, as the current quests often lack depth and variety. Overall, the game offers a basic plot that serves primarily to guide players through its mechanics, but many hope for future updates to enhance the story and add more content.

    • “Volcanoids combines the best of FPS combat, vehicle/parts builders, survival, and adventure games, all with enough of a story to tie everything together in a nice, neat little bow.”
    • “The story is interesting, the gameplay mechanics have something for everyone, and in my humble opinion, it's extremely well paced.”
    • “I love the story line of the game, the enemies can be as hard as you want them, you can mine ores underground and on land, and you get your very own drill.”
    • “The story is also terrible, there's hardly any writing gone into the game at all.”
    • “Now, the story is not just barebones but completely non-existent.”
    • “The story of the game wasn't really there; it was really just robots on an island -> kill them -> oh, the island is free again.”
  • graphics538 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique steampunk aesthetic and overall visual design, while others criticize the low resolution and performance issues, including significant frame rate drops. Some users note that the graphics feel dated and could benefit from a complete overhaul, especially given the game's early access status. Overall, while the visuals have potential and charm, they are often described as needing improvement to enhance the gaming experience.

    • “Graphics-wise, it is very pretty to look at; the designs of both the environment and objects are nice and appealing.”
    • “The graphics are awesome, and the gameplay is great too.”
    • “I love the creative graphics and how they paid attention to details like the animation of putting armor on yourself; it's amazing that you can put the armor and heals on your teammates as well.”
    • “Old graphics, bad mechanics, overall not fun.”
    • “Graphics are on a very janky and basic Unity engine game level.”
    • “The graphics are woeful, the gameplay is something I'd expect from a PlayStation 2 title, it has the most dry objectives I've ever seen.”
  • grinding240 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Volcanoids" has received mixed feedback from players. While some find the resource gathering and crafting to be engaging and not overly tedious, many others criticize the game for its repetitive and monotonous gameplay, particularly in combat and resource management. Overall, players suggest that the game could benefit from reducing grindiness and enhancing the variety of gameplay elements to maintain interest.

    • “Resource collection isn't tedious.”
    • “Survival/crafting elements seem super forgiving and not grindy. Not sure if that changes late game, but at least early on it seems like you can accumulate your basic crafting resources pretty quickly.”
    • “Volcanoids is a pretty immersive game and has a nice progress system. It's not that grindy compared to other games like Warframe or WoW, but still has a bit of grind.”
    • “The game has a combat system that centers around grinding and new weapons are phased out rapidly as you progress, losing their utility and play style in the process until your kit boils down to using a minigun and explosives.”
    • “The gameplay is bland, grindy, and repetitive.”
    • “It’s fine dying, but when everyone loses everything, with literally no way to recover items and you’re stuck even worse off than starting the game it pretty much ruins any of the fun because the grinding, currently the worst part, is required to even get up and going again with any of the fun content for this game.”
  • optimization169 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance even on high-end systems, frequent stuttering, and an inability to maintain stable frame rates. While some updates have improved performance, the consensus is that the game still requires substantial optimization work to be enjoyable, particularly in late-game scenarios and multiplayer modes. Overall, players recommend waiting for further optimization before fully engaging with the game.

    • “A little bit of optimization and it will be perfect.”
    • “My biggest compliment for the game is the rock solid performance.”
    • “Ran very smoothly and felt more polished/optimized than many early access titles I've played.”
    • “The game is horribly optimized and just overall feels like a product that will never be finished and never be the game it could have been.”
    • “Unfortunately the game is extremely poorly optimized and I have very little faith it'll be fixed.”
    • “Playing through the game was fun enough with friends, but sweet merciful Jesus if you value your sanity wait with getting this game until some serious optimization work has been done, at least in multiplayer.”
  • stability150 mentions

    The game's stability has been a mixed bag, with many players reporting numerous bugs and glitches typical of early access titles, including issues with the quest system, hit detection, and multiplayer saves. However, some users have noted that they experienced minimal bugs during their playthroughs and found the game enjoyable despite its rough edges. Overall, while the game shows potential and the developers are actively working on improvements, players should be prepared for a somewhat unstable experience.

    • “The game is fairly stable and relatively bug free.”
    • “I've had no glitches/bugs and it's very stable (bar falling through the world once... but it popped me right back in the drill ship, so eh).”
    • “Sure it needs more content, but for now it's mostly bug free and I can't wait to play it with friends when co-op gets implemented.”
    • “It's very short and a lot of things feel buggy and unfinished.”
    • “The quest system is buggy and annoying; the quests themselves are kind of generic as well.”
    • “The concept is good, but the game is unbearably buggy.”
  • replayability74 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the fun gameplay and variety in difficulty levels, while others find it lacking after completing the main story. Many reviews highlight a need for additional content and endgame features to enhance replay value, as several players feel they quickly exhaust the available gameplay options. While some appreciate the potential for replayability through multiplayer and mods, the consensus suggests that the game currently falls short in this area.

    • “The game is far from finished, but has enough content and replayability to be worth the price!”
    • “Hours of good fun, and endless replayability, as well as constant updates.”
    • “The quests are varied and plentiful, and multiplayer adds replayability.”
    • “Horrific ending and utterly disappointing with little replay value in its present form.”
    • “I just felt there is very little you can do/build differently the second time, and so replayability isn't too great.”
    • “Pretty boring overall, no feeling of progression, enemies are bullet sponges, no replay value, no endgame content, lots and lots of reused locations.”
  • music53 mentions

    The game's music is largely criticized for its absence during gameplay, with players noting that while the main menu track is enjoyable, the lack of in-game music creates a dull experience. Many users expressed a desire for ambient sounds and more musical accompaniment to enhance immersion, suggesting that the game feels empty without it. Overall, the music aspect is seen as a significant area for improvement, with players often resorting to external soundtracks to fill the void.

    • “The first experiences are really nice: I loved the animated background, the opening music, and the voice-based short story at the beginning (although perhaps that story could be a bit shortened actually).”
    • “Me and my friends have been having a blast playing the Doom Eternal soundtrack in the background when we went on these huge sieges against tier 4 drill ships!”
    • “The only con is the intro music isn't long enough.”
    • “There is a very cool track playing in the main menu, this style suits the game perfectly, but it's a shame that there is no music at all during gameplay.”
    • “Grinding for resources is the same as it is in every other game, not really doing anything different, but the crafting system is a clunky broken mess that only works sometimes and this game suffers massively by having no ambient noises while grinding and no music at all aside from in the menu screen.”
    • “My other main gripes are that there is no in-game music other than in the main menu, which makes the experience feel even emptier than it is.”
  • humor45 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding joy in the absurdity of combat, such as blowing up robots and the amusing sounds made by damaged drills. Many highlight the hilarious moments that arise during gameplay, especially when playing with friends, and appreciate the comedic elements of the game's design and mechanics. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted and entertaining layer to the experience, making it enjoyable for solo and multiplayer sessions alike.

    • “Then watch helplessly (and hilariously) as your FPS drops below visible conception as swarms of cogs rickroll you and your drillship, especially when you land a stray bullet on the side armor of a cog drillship... and the buggers stream out of it!”
    • “The combat system is simplistic, but oddly satisfying, as you blow angry robots into chunks with a variety of weapons (the handheld mortar is hilarious) and loot their smoldering corpses.”
    • “Already have died laughing playing this game solo, and with one other friend.”
  • atmosphere24 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging visuals and steampunk aesthetic, enhancing the overall experience, especially in multiplayer settings. While some players noted a lack of atmospheric sounds and interactivity, the immersive environment and customizable elements of the subterranean world contribute significantly to its appeal. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong selling point for fans of crafting and survival genres.

    • “I love the atmosphere of this game and playing it with friends makes it 10x better.”
    • “Great atmosphere, and a nice mix of base building (the interior of your subterranean ship is completely customizable) and base assault and combat mechanics against the clock.”
    • “Nice visuals and atmosphere, though the world lacks interactable items a bit.”
    • “The volcano eruptions are actually pretty awesome to watch, there's a fallout period after and the atmosphere is really well done.”
    • “It's certainly playable as it is though and if you have any interest in a steampunk, survival/crafting game, the atmosphere really sells it.”
  • emotional18 mentions

    Players express a mix of emotions regarding the game, with some feeling rushed and frustrated by mechanics like timed volcano eruptions, while others find moments of enjoyment in combat reminiscent of titles like Bioshock. However, the overall experience is marred by a sense of monotony and dissatisfaction with the story, leading to feelings of sadness and disconnection, particularly during travel sequences. The game's complexity and lack of clarity in mechanics also contribute to a sense of overwhelm, leaving some players feeling unqualified to engage fully.

    • “Made me feel something again.”
    • “Travelling on a 2D map made me feel sad; I wanted to be detecting ores and routes with a radar or echolocation or something. It just didn't feel like a real element of the game, as a friend said it was like something from an Amiga game used as a placeholder for real travel.”
    • “Made me feel like Mr. Wilson on Snowpiercer.”
  • monetization14 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players labeling it a "blatant cash grab" due to its limited playtime and perceived lack of value. While there are positive comments about the game's advertising and community engagement, concerns about gameplay mechanics and the overall experience suggest that players feel the monetization strategy may not align with the quality of the game.

    • “One of the only games I've refunded; blatant cash grab and has about 20 minutes of good playtime.”
    • “I'm attempting to write a review to counteract all the other advertising, so that people know what they are getting into.”
    • “Sometimes (most of the time) when you aim down sights and shoot, your bullet never connects.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Reviews indicate a strong desire for improved character design, emphasizing that players appreciate the ability to customize and edit their own characters. This suggests that enhancing character development features could significantly enhance player engagement and satisfaction.

    • “Character design needs to be updated because people like to edit their own characters.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

13hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
6-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 95 analyzed playthroughs

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