White Sands
- February 14, 2024
- Binge Gaming OU
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamIn "White Sands," player's command the Union to aid in Earth's recovery after a catastrophic solar superstorm. Navigate dangerous surfaces, mutants, and gangs to establish human settlements and rebuild using advanced military technology. This single player RTS takes place in a future where life on Earth is on the brink of extinction.
Reviews
- The game has a unique idea and setting, with a promising core concept that shows potential for future enhancements.
- There is extremely good communication with the developers, indicating a commitment to improving the game.
- The game features a large map to explore, a variety of units, and plenty of random events that can enhance gameplay.
- The user interface is poorly designed, making it difficult to select units and understand gameplay mechanics, leading to confusion during battles.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, performance issues, and lag, making it feel unpolished and unfinished.
- The tutorial is inadequate, failing to provide essential information on controls and unit management, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its overwhelming number of missions that can lead to frustration, as players often feel pressured by the constant influx of failed mission notifications due to troop shortages. The mission system, while offering variety, becomes cumbersome and detracts from the overall enjoyment, making it difficult to engage with the narrative effectively. Additionally, quality of life issues, such as the intrusive tutorial window, further complicate the experience.
“Missions are very pick and choose, which is fine, but it becomes an overwhelming task to do 2 of the 20 plus missions popping up. This makes the game entirely unfun when you get a horde of pop-ups saying 'failed mission' because you constantly lack troops.”
“The pause command will not stay paused when I check mission pop-ups that come in too many droves to read at once.”
“As a quality of life problem, it is hard to work around the tutorial window to read mission pop-ups.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics have been criticized for being unclear and poorly defined, making it difficult for players to identify units and interact with the game effectively. Many users report extreme lag and a blurry visual experience, even on high settings, leading to frustration and a lack of immersion. Overall, the graphical presentation is described as a janky mess reminiscent of outdated pixelated styles.
“Early access or not... when you don't know what to do, can't see the units you're supposed to command, clicking on targets does nothing, and graphically you can't really tell what is what... you just switch it off and ask for your money back.”
“It's a jank mess that will be filled with extreme lag the likes of which I've not seen in a game with pixelated PS1 graphics.”
“Even though my graphics are maxed out, everything is blurry, making it difficult to pick out the tiny buttons on the map.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been positively received, with users particularly enjoying its John Carpenter-inspired style, which enhances the overall experience. While some players encounter technical issues, they recommend playing with music in the background to create a more enjoyable atmosphere.
“I really dig the John Carpenter style music.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report that the game's optimization is lacking, as performance issues persist even on systems that exceed the recommended specifications.
“Performance isn't great, and my PC exceeds the listed requirements by quite a bit.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, even on high-end hardware.”
“I experience frequent stuttering and long load times, which really detracts from the overall experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game experiences frequent temporary freezes, particularly when hiring additional units or when units move in and out of bases, indicating significant stability issues.
“It freezes temporarily every single time you hire more units, or units enter or leave one of your bases.”
“The game crashes frequently during key moments, making it frustrating to progress.”
“I've experienced multiple instances of the game becoming unresponsive, especially during battles.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally smooth and enjoyable, with only minor bugs typical of early access titles that do not significantly hinder the overall experience.
“The gameplay is engaging and keeps you on your toes with its dynamic mechanics.”
“The controls are intuitive, making it easy to jump right into the action.”
“The game offers a variety of challenges that enhance the overall gameplay experience.”
