Against the Storm

Tried the demo and loved it. The Graphics/Ambience: Against the Storm has a Dota/WOW art style but it's still unique with its own flare, looks great but FEELS better, the harsh unrelenting storms, the cold ominous wilds peering in, the warm embrace of the soul preserving hearth *french chef kiss* The Mechanics: Silky smooth, fluid and has a very well designed/orchestrated control scheme, a game of this design could have become difficult to handle as a player real fast if adequate care wasn't put into the control schemes and the way the game is played. The Story: I absolutely love the story and in many ways, it to me, is an analogy of what, at its peak, the USA was trying to be. I can draw parallels between the statue of liberty and the village hearth both are indented to be beacons of open when a world is plunged into chaos. The tired and huddled masses from destroyed villages and beyond seeking refuge from the storm. It makes you feel something man, I can't remember the last time a game made in the last 10 years has made me feel anything other than frustrated or mildly entertained. It's lowkey genuine art, supposedly all media is "art" but I'm not so sure about that. What I'd Like to See: The only thing I'd really like to see added feature wise is some fancy graphical representations of metrics, breakdowns of expenditure, increases in certain materials, increase in threat etc.. over time plotted out on a graph, kind of like transport tycoon or other economic simulator style games. Other than that just more everything, races, building types, events etc but that can also come in the form of DCL's. In closing, Eremite Games has delivered a pretty polished game and even a demo to try before you buy (just about fell of my chair when I saw that, it shows they're not just trying to make a quick buck) and sold at a very reasonable price. Which is certainly more than you can say about most larger game companies now. So SUPPORT THEM! don't buy the game if you really don't like it but I'd certainly recommend giving the demo a go and if you even half like it, buy it, so we get more good quality honest game in the future.

These kinds of games are a rarity. The developers even more so. Unlike other city-builders, you have a clear and defined goal. Fulfill these tasks before the Scorched Queen's patience runs out or the forest becomes too hostile. Every completed task reduces the Queen's impatience. However, the hostility of the forest keeps increasing. One thing to keep in mind is you don't need to worry about the "time-limit", nor worry too much about it. You have plenty of time. Unlike other city-builders, you don't need to worry about your city getting too big to manage. Instead, you manage a settlement. When the settlement starts to feel "big", the settlement either becomes "self-sufficient", and you move on, or it fails. Letting you start fresh with the next one. Your ultimate goal is to reach a certain area on the world map and successfully complete a number of tasks in the following settlement. These tasks will push you and your settlement creatively. Some of my most stressful and successful gaming experiences were succeeding with seconds to spare. The art and music are beautiful. Especially the music. It's an absolute masterpiece and available on Bandcamp (or as DLC). Every aspect contributes to the wonderful atmosphere. The post-release support is incredible and I'm eagerly waiting for the DLC.

Such a complete and polished game created by such a small team is something amazing. It is very addictive, relaxing and makes you think. Climatic and the climate is complemented by beautiful music and wonderful ambient sounds. I bow to everyone involved in this project.

Firstly, I am not a great fan of roguelite games for a few reasons, which mainly is due to the tedium of each run being too similar. Although, there are a few that I very much enjoy, such as FTL & ITTB. The resource management aspect is akin to Anno and the storms / events have similarities to Frostpunk. However, this would do this game a great injustice to say this just borrows elements from either of these equally great games. This game hits the right spot for me. The balance of settling in the wilds for 1-2 hours (Pioneer / Settler difficultly) with differing challenging objectives each time, as you work to explore glades. Then when you have a handle, the area is complete. This then helps progress towards helping on your next run and working towards completing a seal. I have completed around 8 settlements (2 cycles) and only just completed a bronze seal, which this adds a new dynamic. If you enjoy games that include resource resource management, managing a population with the added challenges, this game is well worth ago. If you decide to make the purchase, here is a tip to help. There are many structures that produce the same goods (e.g. Fabric), the more specialist version of the stucture (i.e. Clothier in this case) will use less resources to produce the same goods.

They had some phenomenal ideas, brought to life by a fantastic design team and implemented by some VERY talented developers. I can't think of many games with this level of quality YEARS after release. For a non-combat, single player game, it really keeps you on your toes. Every game is a fresh challenge, trying to figure out how meet your objectives on time with limited resources. Unlike most rogue-like RTS games, it doesn't get old. I'm excited to see what this team will bring us next!