Hope Steam Charts & Stats

A review after a short time with this game: The easiest way to sum up this game is that it has a developer with great instincts and great promise ! However they will need to focus on developing their skills even further if they wish to make their vision for this game come true. I hope the Dev reads this and If you do read it please read the whole thing ! I have some criticisms but it's all constructive and there was a lot about the game I actually liked ! Lets break it down in depth and I'll use the games marketing information to help with talking points: "Hope is a war simulation game that immerses you in the brutality and intensity of large-scale battles. In this game, you must navigate massive AI battles, adapt to ever-changing strategies, and survive the horrors of combat." The game does have large battles and you can spawn a fair few AI without too much stuttering or any observable crashes that I could see. The AI seem reasonably intelligent and will make their way to the enemy without issue and start fighting. However I wouldn't say the game is particularly immersive nor did I gain a sense of the brutality or intensity of war from the experience. Key Features: "Large-Scale AI Battles: Engage in massive battles with hundreds of soldiers fighting for survival. Strategy is key to gaining the upper hand." Again yes you can spawn a fair few AI , I think the most I spawned was 100 and the game seemed to work fine with limited noticeable degradation. But strategy is certainly not involved in any way, shape or form. The AI run at each other and shoot until one side kills the other. I'm not saying that it isn't super fun to fire the RPG into a group of the AI and watch the limbs fly ! I'm just saying that there really isn't any tactics element to the game. The Dev should alter this point to be more representative of the game. "Limb Dismemberment & Blood System: Experience the harshness of war with realistic limb dismemberment and blood effects that heighten the intensity of battle." On this point I must say that there is a lot of catharsis to be had with the gore system. In it's current state it is rather crude and not realistic but still fun to watch. The shotguns blast people apart, RPG's decimate groups, the mines in the trench map were a great idea ! Overall the gore system is the thing to watch in this game but I'll talk more about this in the conclusion. "Physics-Driven Bullets: Bullets follow realistic trajectories, providing a challenging and immersive combat experience." I feel like the bullets could use more impact if I'm honest, I didn't really notice any realistic movement of bullets but for an indie game I think the way the guns fire and the bullets move is fine. I even find the low poly look of the guns appealing in a stylistic way. and overall I feel that when a bullet lands you should really see and feel the blunt force on the Doll. That being said I didn't see any issues with the guns , there's a nice variety and some cool gadgets too ! "Diverse Weaponry: Equip yourself with a wide array of weapons, each suited for different tactics and combat scenarios." There is a fair variety of guns and gadgets , I loved the wire guide that lets you shoot a wire and fling across the air, I liked the drone. The AW doesnt have a proper cross-hair on the scope and whenever I aim down the sights a small white dot appears even if the gun has iron sights. I think the dot should only appear when not aiming down the sights to be honest. Also if you fire a gun and then swap to another gun it changes the ammo count on the gun you swapped to, E.G swaping to the M4A1 after firing the RPG means you will have no ammo in the M4A1 and you;ll have to reload. The AA-12 and pump action shotgun with very, very fun to use and the factory level is my favourite just because you can cause carnage in a small space. I think the developer really put the effort in with a lot of the weapons aside from a few bugs I was happy with them. CONCLUSION: This game strikes me as more of a test of concept or even just an early project for an aspiring developer. I bought this game because it was 90 cents and I had been meaning to try it. Honestly speaking the developer has great instincts , The choice of weapons in the game shows that they understand the importance of novelty and variety in a game. Each weapon fills a niche and provides the player a different way to experience the gore system. A small pistol for messing with enemies and seeing what glancing wounds do, a big desert eagle for maximum damage, an RPG to enjoy explosions etc etc. The choice of maps shows that the developer understands how the size of a space and the content of a space can drastically change the feel of a game and again that players need novelty to stay interested. Placing the mines in the trench map was also a sign that the Developer gets it. They understand that small interesting novelties will keep the player interested. I did honestly enjoy watching the mines explode and my leg go flying away. This game has a strange charm to it and for what it's worth it is definitely not a bad game at 90 cents I have no regrets but what's clear is that the developer likely needs to spend more time gaining experience and learning before this game can really get better. My advice would be to firstly go back through the marketing documentation and make it more representative of the game as a whole. Secondly focus on the gore mechanic and you'll have something really great. Don't try to do a bunch of stuff in an average way. Do one thing well and you'll find success. This game could be a fun gore based shooter when you can just chill and shoot ragdolls and when you've taken the time and built up your skills you can come back and make the military shooter you wanted to make. Wishing you the best yogurt , I'll come back every now and then to check on the game :)