Ratten Reich Review Summary

A promising tactical game with strong lore and visuals but marred by frequent crashes and developer abandonment.

Lore and setting strong: The lore, setting, and worldbuilding are highly praised, particularly the unique dieselpunk anthropomorphic animal alternate history, detailed maps, and immersive atmosphere.

Graphics and visuals praised: Multiple players praised the graphics, visuals, and art direction, noting they are beautiful, run smoothly on modern hardware, and enhance the dieselpunk/anthropomorphic WWI setting.

Great concept and potential: The game is seen as having great potential, an exciting premise, and a creative concept of alternate WWI with anthropomorphic animals, leading to high expectations.

Fun and tactical gameplay: Players find the gameplay fun, with intuitive controls, tactical depth from destructible environments, and comparisons to Company of Heroes or Men of War, making it appealing for RTS fans.

Good value for price: Players consider the game worth the price, especially at a discounted rate or early access price, offering good value for the content provided.

Game abandoned by devs: Players report the game has been abandoned by its developers with no updates or communication for over a year. This has led to a lack of trust and disappointment.

Game is dead: The game has been abandoned with no updates for a long time, making it dead. This is a major reason for negative reviews.

Frequent crashes: The game crashes frequently, often within 20 minutes of play, and is described as unstable. These crashes make the game unplayable for many users.

Broken pathfinding: Units get stuck on terrain and obstacles due to poor pathfinding, and the AI is also broken. This makes gameplay frustrating and often broken.

Not worth buying: The game is unplayable in its current state and not worth the price, even at a discount. Players cannot recommend it.

Men of War style tactics: The game is repeatedly compared to Men of War for its real-time tactics gameplay, including a unique twist involving rats, mice, and crustaceans. This comparison defines the core gameplay style.

World War I setting: The game is set in World War I, with Unreal Engine graphics and a planned Russian cockroach faction. This theme sets the historical and visual context.

Real-time strategy genre: Several reviews identify the game as a real-time strategy (RTS) title. This classification is important for setting player expectations.

Diverse faction design: Players appreciate the diversity of factions and the overall unit and faction design, which adds variety to the game. This is a positive aspect.

High micro-management needed: Players note that the game requires intense micro-management, specifically ordering each soldier to aim and shoot. This can be a barrier for casual RTS fans.

Poor optimization: Users report poor optimization leading to uneven performance and instability, even on high-end systems running at over 500 FPS.

Smooth performance for some: A minority of users report that the game runs smoothly without any errors or crashes, indicating the issue is not universal.

Occasional technical issues: Some users mention occasional technical issues that are not severe but affect the overall experience.

Strong 'do not buy' consensus: Numerous clusters explicitly say 'Do not buy' or 'Cannot recommend,' indicating overwhelming negative sentiment toward purchasing the game.

Game considered a scam: Players across multiple clusters call the game a scam, bait-and-switch, cash grab, or broken abandonware, reflecting strong distrust and accusations of deceptive practices.

Waste of money and regret: Players express that spending money on this game is a waste, with some even applying for refunds, showing financial regret.

Game is unfinished or broken: Players describe the game as unfinished, broken, or abandoned, suggesting development issues or lack of updates.

Poor value for the price: Players feel the game is overpriced, with some suggesting only buying at deep discounts (80% off) or not at all, indicating poor value for money.

Community fair range: $0.00 - $5.00.

Story completion: 1.5h.

The game is extremely light on content, buggy, and becomes boring immediately with no unlock point where fun begins.

Friction: Very limited content (3-6 missions, no multiplayer); Bugs and crashes during tutorial; Poor AI and pathfinding; Repetitive gameplay; No skirmish or campaign mode; Tedious micromanagement to unstuck units.

Disillusioned Backer: Enjoys tactical RTS similar to Men of War. Motivation: Hope the game eventually matches its promised vision. Stance: no buy.

RTS Purist: Tactical, strategic, appreciates unit management and realistic combat. Motivation: Seeking a polished, feature-complete tactical RTS. Stance: no buy.

Scammed Buyer: Not applicable; focus on refund and avoidance. Motivation: Warning others about developer abandonment. Stance: no buy.