Man this one hurts. I wanted to love this one so badly. I’m going to preface this review with this – yes, I have an hour played, but I only have two hours to see if I like a game and I just don’t want to lose that window. Also, and this is important, the game is very competently made. It works phenomenally, no crashes, no bugs, just a functional game. If the reason I don’t like it sound like fun to you, please buy it. These people deserve the money.

I’ll start by saying that the game is gorgeous. The art, art direction, the theme, everything. It is so good. The setting is great. I genuinely want this game, but I want it without all the entropy mechanics. I understand a game needs entropy mechanics, I do. If it doesn’t have any, then why play? My problem is the amount. This game has five different meters to manage, and you can never improve one without taking a big hit to all the other four. You must manage Health, Food, Moral, Time, and Durability.

None of them individually seem awful except Health and Time, but that’s individually. When you combine them all it just feels boring to me. I can pick to go to ONE location each day because of Time, and traveling WILL eat your health. So, you can lose Time and Health to pick if you want to improve ONE of the other meters. You can go to EITHER the dining room to cook for Food, OR the bathroom to clean up for Moral. Not, and never, both, let alone one and something else. What if you have a quest to go to a location outside of those? Well you’re screwed and taking a debuff.

Also, I should mention that combat is only beneficial for drops, so you can eat and craft. You don’t get experience, you don’t get stronger, you get no tangible progress. You lose health and Durability for items.

Feel like I should also mention that if you die, your run isn’t over, you’re transferred to a new body. A new body that isn’t the same race or class you initially picked. I like the IDEA here, but maybe make one of the option be literally the same character I was because that’s what I wanted to play as. I don’t really hold this one against the game, but it’s still annoying.

I would love THIS game, this world, this art, this everything, but expect expanded upon to be more of a game and a story than just an outrageous amount of entropy mechanics. Expand the time limit each day, change food and moral to be big buffs if managed, but nothing at all if not. Then I could choose to hit the bathroom and canteen at the expense of having less time for other things, or I could risk a day of being weaker to get more other things gone. Then get rid of item durability overall, because it’s nothing but a crutch. It’s not engaging or entertaining to get someplace, and realize the crowbar you can only use four times isn’t enough because you need it five.

To me, a game is more than just managing meters, and that’s all this game is…managing meters. I wanted to love this one but man…I’d just rather have my money back. It’s an excellent game for somebody who loves meter management though. Your Excel players need to buy this.

Key provided by the developer through curator TURN-BASED TACTICS | Click to follow and receive updates for similar reviews

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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3298528451

► Without doubt the GAMEWORLD is among its best features, remindful to a degree of the prison sections in Guardians of the Galaxy. Proficiently rendered 2D environments are home to an adequate amount of prison themed activities. While the x6 main locations are persistent, an interconnected web of nodal areas change every day to instil some dynamicity with random encounters.

► With only x2 GANGS, background prison life is kept uncomplicated, to contribute to some streamlined play. Both have the same type of hierarchy, but different story-arcs to complete to reach the endgame.

► PLAYER CREATION is concise, offering minor differences in playstyle. Of the x3 races to choose, each has a combat perk and unique skill. A choice of up to x8 criminal occupations define more starting perks. All of which feed into possible dialogue choices for some encounters with gang members.

► A DAY/NIGHT CYCLE ensures semi-realistic behaviour. With travelling taking one hour from the day. At night a CURFEW restricts travel outside of the cell-block. This fosters a CHOICES MATTER philosophy that shackles the player into focusing their activities. A limitation that makes unlocking quick-travel vital.

► PROGRESSION is different from the usual RPG format. Cleverly ingrained within gang membership, but dependent on completing quests for individuals. When enough respect is earned they rise through the ranks of the prison gang. Challenging a higher ranked members to replace them. They receive a choice of implant to gain a new skill or increase an existing one. Leadership increases to allow the deployment of a stronger party.

► PARTY MANAGEMENT is deceptively good. Intricate due to many factors. Their numbers are limited only by the resources to convince allies to join the group. Rats can be coaxed out from their hiding places. Humans or alien gang members join when the character has earned enough rewards. Unaffiliated prisoners can be paid to join.

► INVENTORY is low-grade, low tech. Suitably flavoursome it goes hand-in-hand with a comprehensive CRAFTING system that excels. Both play a central role due to a diverse set of crafting materials available to create a host of weapons, armour, keys, drugs, tools and other sophisticated items required to win combat or allow for progression.

► TURN-BASED TACTICAL COMBAT appears primitive at first glance, but eventually demonstrates a range of depth and intricacy that offers an intriguing amount of tactical possibilities. Though much of these are defined by party setup before deployment. Encounters are party-based. Opponents take their turns across a shared initiative-led sequence and their attritional nature promotes a systematic flow of exchanges.

Fights occur on restrictive battlefields that emulate the confines of prison. Sides face off across a moveable frontline that can never be crossed. Jostling enemies into position by pulling or pushing targets.

► COMBAT AI is basic given the uncomplicated make-up of the combat system. Abilities are used in a capable manner. Pulling targets close to strike at them or pushing them onto traps. Those that can attack from range, do so. They can heal and a very few can summon additional allies too. Outside of combat, SECURITY AI patrol set patterns and react to alarms being sounded. Unless the player exits their character swiftly from the location.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3298529948
🔶 ACCESSIBILITY - There is minor complexity in the mechanics. Info screens pop-up with new concepts. A sizeable amount of info is accessible through tool-tips. No ledger that holds the sum of all knowledge is available for reference.
🔶 DIFFICULTY - Standard mode is fairly straightforward and very playable. Some encounters can be challenging. Since dead characters are brought back to life it is quite forgiving.
🔶 BALANCE - Is spot on for the first act with the player having a fairly easy time learning the game. The need to stave off hunger and loss of hope is never impossible due to the never ending regeneration of resources on a daily basis. Fights start off simple but become tougher only when the player's character has access to the needed inventory and allies.
🔶 PACE - It starts slowly but grows at a convenient pace. The tempo of progression is kept in check by the rate of which story quests are attempted. Visiting locations required for current quests can be slowed by Daily Modifiers.
🔶 SCALING - Much of the game is designed to scale with progression. Unlocking cell facilities is fast initially, but remain steady afterwards. Access to harder areas only becomes available as the character progresses through the gang hierarchy.

🟨 REPLAY VALUE - Once standard mode is beaten, the permadeath mode becomes active. While the major story arcs of the two gangs are scripted, the choices of things to do each day, the daily station modifiers and the procedurally generated content of the nodal areas allow for some dynamicity in experience when replaying.
🟨 LONGEVITY - Achievements ensure the game needs at least two playthroughs. As do the x2 game modes. Additional reasons to keep playing are unfinished achievements, playing with each of combinations afforded by character creation.

🟣 QUALITY - Bugs have been reported fairly consistently upon release. The worst are breaks in continuity where the points of interest of completed tasks showed up after a reload. The UI has to be the focus for any quality of life additions. No game-breaking issues experienced so far.
🟣 STABILITY - No crashes experienced.
🟣 STEAM - Mostly story-based achievements. Cloud saving. Overlay screenshot capture. Full controller support.
🟣 OPTIMISATION - Runs at between 50-60 fps. Only a few times the fps dropped to mid-twenties in combat.


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3298521273

Thank you for reading | Click to follow my curator THE IRREGULAR GAMER

There is no exp system its all based on story progression to get stronger, that being said.. you can take as long as you want with the exception of exploring. The further you dive deeper into the story the more shortcuts, items, and other interactions get unlocked.

You can either challenge yourself by taking on the quests and gain reputation and progress the story. Or you can play it safe and do resource gathering and crafting to "somewhat" give you an edge in the next fights to come.

I love the graphics my only harp on it is, I wish you can see the weapon that's equipped instead of using the same combat animation.

I already beat the game it took me roughly 80ish days which took 12hrs straight for me to complete. My wife isn't happy.