If you were a fan of the game privateer, you enjoyed playing the old star wars rogue squadron or wing commander games, or if a fast-paced arcade space fighter game is what you're looking for - this is the game for you. Ignore the 1* reviews, in 35 hours I encountered 1 bug and I found the original Rebel Galaxy unplayable (couldn't get over a space game that plays like a sea game). As most of the negative reviews are from people crying that it isn't the same as Rebel Galaxy (it's much better), just ignore them and tell em' to get over it. Pros: - very fast paced - fun arcade style combat - great soundtrack with over 20 hours of music (listen to the commercials; they're funny and provide good info) - side games (the pool simulator was a lot of fun) - interesting characters (there are no 'good guys' so make sure you're OK with that) - variety of different ways to play and succeed: kill bad guys, help the police, transport cargo, mine rocks - ship and weapon variety is well-balanced: some weapons and ships are better than others, but nothing is perfect, so you need to figure out what fits best for you and how you want to play Cons: - There is a great selection of missions, but can get a bit grindy. I didn't mind too much as the fighting is a ton of fun, but once I felt this I went back to finishing up the main story (i did play for 35 hours before finishing) - occasionally a mission will get funky in that you can't find what you're looking for (it's there, but space is big) or the enemies aren't all dead (may have to wait around or explore a bit). But it's more fun fast-paced, so move on if a side-mission drags. - The game ends...no fanfare...just ends. It looks like they were planning an expansion but I don't think that's happening This is a REALLY fun game that has been dragged down down fans who are angry that it isn't the game they wanted, which is really unfortunate as this one is far more fun. This is the Privateer game many of us have been waiting for.
I'm 6 runs in now and this game is definitely a ton of fun. They took the general idea of Slay the Spire (rogue-lite deck builder) and added their own twists enough that it feels like it's own unique game despite the StS influence throughout. As I've run out of much left in StS, I can see this game taking over as my 1-2 times per week fun relaxation game. It definitely scratches that same itch. The reason I'm giving only 4* instead of 5 is because it follows the slay the spire outline but falls short in two key areas: 1. Story: StS has an incredible unique world with mystery and intigue both into the first 'victory' and long after. It was never particularly deep but is far more interesting than Monster Train. That being said, this type of game doesn't need a story to be interesting, but it's a step down in that department and clearly didn't have as long of an incubation/planning period as StS (I'm sure they rush to get the next StS clone to market and I can't blame them for that). 2. Challenge: This game clearly has an abundance of challenges to keep players interested well into the future, but so far I don't feel I'm learning as I go in the same way as with StS. This may be a result of my putting in over 100 hours on StS so I'm learning more quickly, but I came into this game with no idea of how it played (aside from 'StS-like deck builder on a train') and I was able to beat it on my second attempt. This doesn't ruin the game due to so many items to unlock, difficulty increases and alternative play-types, but for a rogue-like game to be so easy to beat, I was left a bit dissapointed (I was surprised when the game suddenly ended) If you enjoyed StS then you'll enjoy this game as it's definitely worth your money. But if you haven't played StS, go buy that first (they have a mobile version now) and move over to Monster Train when you get bored.
The game looks great and provides a wonderful atmosphere. Puzzles are interesting but not very challenging. After about 2 hours the game became a chore of maintaining the vehicle. I stopped playing about 30 minutes later. I'd like to go back just to finish but I just can't bring myself to face that level of tedium again. Developers did everything right in making a short artistic and unique game - but forgot that games are meant to be fun.
Battle Planet: Judgement Day, aside from the Rogue-Lite elements, would be a huge arcade hit circa 1985. You jump in, run around like your hair is on fire for 5-30 minutes, and enjoy the chaos on a 3D planet that greatly differentiates the gameplay from side-scrolling shooters and other rogue-likes. There's no complex story, no puzzles to solve and no long cut scenes. It's just straight unadulterated arcade fun for you and a friend (friend highly recommended) in a way you have likely never experienced before.
