The starting options with different sponsors seemed very promising in regards to replayability. However if the hard one's were mastered in a couple of hours. The chance to pick a location seemed very promising. But then it turns out that the maps are all pre-created and there are a limited number. The research tree is different every playthrough. But then it turns out that most of the tree is just small optimizations until you don't have to do anything anymore. It's not like the things that are promised aren't there, they are. It has some fun ideas, it's nice to build on a beautiful red planet. The game is sleek. Good sound and music. It has some initial difficulty as you learn to manage resources and civilians. Not something you will remember in 2 years, but fun to play for a bit.
When Reus starts it shows a hand-drawn animation of a growing world that's shaped by the giants. Until things start going wrong and the humans become aggressive. The giants decide to sleep underground and when they come back up the world has eroded and civilization dissappeared. This is a very poetic representation of the game. You create a world that will soon be forgotten in all but your memories. You know you are dealing with a time limit. Combine that with dynamically growing cities that develop differently every time, a quite complex and intriguing world development abilities system and the challenge of developing your giants differently each time with different mixes of human ambassadors that unlock new abilities and you get a game that is very enjoyable if you're the sort that likes getting lost in a wonderfully aesthetically pleasing, if slightly simple world. Reus is charismatic and carries a slightly different game inside than what you might expect. It's not a competitive game and it's storytelling is emergent, not pre-set. If you love to explore, you will keep coming back for more.
