AI Olympius Review Summary

Great gameplay, splendid graphics, and strong value are undermined by an unpolished, janky experience whose early-access bugs still need more development.

Overall great gameplay: Many players simply call the game great, super cool, or amazing, with the gameplay feeling good and smooth.

Splendid graphics: Graphics are repeatedly described as beautiful, nice, excellent, and splendid, with many noting the game does things visually that other games fail at.

Great value for price: The game is considered a gem worth the price and a steal at release price, offering good value and great worth for the money.

Smooth and balanced combat: Combat works fine, is smooth and exciting, and the balance is good; gunplay feels great and guns feel satisfying.

Engaging and well-told story: Players consistently praise the story as engaging, interesting, and well told, with the tutorial story also being called engaging.

Unpolished janky experience: Many players describe the game as unpolished, janky, and lacking visual refinement, which is sometimes tied to its low price. This rough feel affects overall presentation and game feel.

Early access excused bugs: Bugs and imbalances are frequently noted, but some reviewers excuse them because the game is in Early Access. Still, several players mention encountering bugs during play.

Needs more development: Multiple players state that the game needs a lot more work and development to reach its potential. It is seen as an unfinished product with shortcomings typical of an Early Access indie title.

Mediocre shooter gameplay: Several reviewers feel the game does not stand out as a shooter and is a simple shooter with simple everything. Poor gunplay and standard gameplay lacking innovation are also mentioned.

Camera and handling problems: Significant camera and handling issues are reported, including third-person camera problems while building, climbing scaffolding, and welding. The camera does not smoothly follow the player, and movement feels stiff or floaty.

Base Building and Defense: Players can build and upgrade bases on a dedicated island, including defensive equipment and survival/tower defense elements.

Third-Person Shooter RPG: It is a third-person shooter with RPG mechanics, often described as a futuristic sci-fi shooter against robots or AI.

Co-op and Multiplayer Support: The game supports solo play and co-op with local split-screen or online multiplayer for two players, featuring class roles.

Crafting and Building Island: An island mode allows resource gathering, crafting, and building, with enemies occasionally appearing.

Upgrade System: Players can upgrade armor, weapons, and active/passive abilities, as well as customize weapons with upgrades.

Steam Deck smooth performance: The game runs smoothly on Steam Deck hardware without errors or tinkering, as noted by multiple reviewers.

Optimization praised by some: Several reviewers find the game already well optimized, with exceptional performance and no dips even in frantic engagements.

Poor controller configuration: Reviewers report that controller configuration leaves actions unmapped, leading to unresponsive controls.

Good performance on specific hardware: The game runs very well on high-end setups like NVIDIA GeForce 2080 Ti and also on mid-range contemporary hardware.

Occasional frame drops: Some players experience occasional frame drops and suggest additional optimization is needed.

Worth the price: Many reviewers find the game worth its price, even at full price, and consider it a great deal or a steal. Some say it is easily a $40 game and worth more than the price of admission.

Highly recommended: Numerous reviewers give a strong recommendation, with some saying it is a must-play for fans of the genre and that you won't regret it.

Recommended despite flaws: Several reviewers recommend the game despite acknowledging negative aspects, often noting that it is still worth checking out. Some specify it is worth buying if you can look past the unpolished state.

For sci-fi shooter fans: The game is recommended for fans of third-person shooters and sci-fi settings, especially those who enjoy games like Mass Effect, Dead Space 3, Alienation, Destiny 2, and The Ascent.

Favorable comparisons to Cliff Empire: Players who enjoyed Cliff Empire or its aesthetic are likely to enjoy this game as well. It is recommended even for those unfamiliar with the previous game.

Community fair range: $14.99 - $19.99.

Game completion: 35.0h.

Endgame: 180.0h.

Most reports describe AI Olympius as engaging from the tutorial and first mission, with satisfying gunplay and an immediate pull. Some players hit platforming boredom or a soft lock, but the dominant profile is fun from the start.

Friction: platforming sections can feel boring; soft lock past the first couple of missions; grappling hook not explained in the tutorial.

Unlock drivers: platforming improves as players get a feel for it.

Co-op Campaign Companion: Completes the campaign in two-player local split-screen or online co-op. Motivation: Shared campaign play with a partner, friend, or family member. Stance: buy.

Sci-Fi Action Story Seeker: Plays through a narrative third-person shooter campaign. Motivation: Experiencing a third-person sci-fi story that recalls Mass Effect and Borderlands. Stance: buy.

Build-and-Grind Tinkerer: Experiments with loadouts and upgrades, farms materials, and builds bases. Motivation: Mastering progression systems through builds, upgrades, crafting, base building, and grinding. Stance: buy.

Steam Deck: The Steam Deck version is technically stable and runs smoothly, but it is not controller-ready out of the box. Default keyboard assignment and poor controller mappings force manual setup and make gameplay awkward. Overall friction is moderate: the game is playable with tinkering, not seamless.

Early Access development status: The game is currently in Early Access, and the full story and ending have not yet been released. It is still being developed and improved.

Active developer support: The developer actively supports the game with regular updates, patches, and bug fixes. They quickly address issues and add new content.

Full Ukrainian localization: The game offers full Ukrainian text localization and voice acting, with some dialogue partly human and partly machine-generated. Ukrainian is the default language, and it is a Ukrainian indie project.

Sequel to Cliff Empire: It is a direct follow-up to the developer's previous game Cliff Empire, continuing its story and expanding its lore. The setting is shared with Cliff Empire.

Small development team: The game is made by a small team, primarily one person on the technical side, with approximately three people involved. It is developed by the Ukrainian studio Lion's Shade.