Veterum Review Summary

Engaging tactical combat and a deep, unique system improve on earlier titles, but poor balance, weak writing, and lingering technical issues hold it back.

Game is fun and engaging: Players consistently report that the game is enjoyable, addictive, and well-made, with a fun engine that keeps them engaged. This is the most frequently mentioned positive aspect.

Tactical combat is deep: The tactical turn-based combat is praised for being interesting, challenging, and deep, with a unique system that players find satisfying. This is a core strength of the game.

Improved over predecessors: The game is seen as a significant improvement over previous titles like Battle Brothers and Warbanners, with more detail, better visuals, and enhanced mechanics. Players appreciate the evolution of the series.

Combat system is unique: The combat system is described as well-developed, unique, and almost addictive, with simple yet interesting mechanics that stand out. This contributes to the game's appeal.

Rich content and substance: The game is noted for having a decent amount of substance and good bones, with richer and more thoughtful content compared to previous titles. This adds depth and longevity.

Poor game balance: Multiple reviewers criticize the game's balance in both tactics and strategy, making it unenjoyable and hard to recommend. Specific issues include overpowered units, weak healers, and difficulty spikes.

Lack of content: The game is described as having sparse content, playable in just a few evenings, with limited story, quests, and world size. Many reviewers finished it in under 20 hours.

Weak story and writing: The storyline is uninteresting and poorly written, with clunky, text-heavy narrative and a lack of compelling moments. Some translations are also poor, making the story hard to follow.

Bugs and technical issues: The game suffers from various bugs, including getting stuck, crashes, and quest-breaking issues. These technical problems detract from the overall experience and require fixes.

Needs more polish: Reviewers feel the game is unfinished and requires further updates and polishing. Issues like poor UI, missing quality-of-life features, and unoptimized performance are cited.

Turn-based tactical combat core: The game is consistently described as a turn-based tactical RPG with grid-based combat, often featuring hex grids and large-scale battles. This is the most frequently mentioned aspect, indicating it is the primary genre and gameplay foundation.

Customizable difficulty settings: Players highlight extensive difficulty customization, including base options, fine-tuning, and sandbox-style adjustments that can be changed mid-game. This flexibility is seen as a major positive, allowing players to tailor the challenge to their preference.

Open world map exploration: The game features an open map with point-to-point travel, supporting a narrative-driven campaign with side quests. This open-world structure is a key element that distinguishes it from linear tactical games.

Mercenary management and tactics: The game combines tactical battles with mercenary management, including troop management and class-based mercenaries. This hybrid approach is a core gameplay loop that players find engaging.

Multiple playable races: The game offers several playable races, with some having animosity between them, and allows recruiting different races. This racial diversity adds strategic depth and narrative flavor.

Steam Deck performance good: The game runs well on Steam Deck after some adjustments, though it is not configured for console gaming. Users find it playable and enjoyable on the handheld device.

Steam Deck controls need customization: Players must customize controls with a few hotkeys on Steam Deck, and there is no one-stop shop for checking hotkeys. This adds friction to the setup process on the device.

Recommended for turn-based tactics fans: Multiple reviewers recommend the game to fans of turn-based tactical and strategy games, including SRPG enthusiasts. The game appeals to players who enjoy tactical turn-based combat and grinders.

Strongly recommended overall: Several reviewers strongly recommend the game without specific caveats, indicating broad positive reception. This includes general recommendations and calls to support the developers.

Recommended for Battle Brothers fans: The game is recommended for players who like Battle Brothers, especially those who want a similar explore, quest, and mercenary experience. Some reviewers note it offers a less random alternative.

Wait for full release: Several reviewers advise waiting for the full release before playing, indicating the game is currently in early access or incomplete. This suggests potential for improvement but current limitations.

Not recommended in current state: Some reviewers do not recommend the game in its current state, with one suggesting a refund and another saying it's not worth buying even on sale. This indicates significant issues or unfinished content.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 40.0h.

Story completion: 20.0h.

The game has a rough start with tutorial and management friction, but becomes enjoyable after a few hours once the combat loop and unit progression open up.

Reported time to anchor: 3h.

Friction: Heavy tutorial popups and tooltips; Many clicks and menu handling for basic actions; Early enemy compositions with unavoidable AoE spam; Huge battles too early in the game; Tedious manual management (tavern assignments, potions); Repetitive tutorial mission on new runs.

Unlock drivers: Skipping the massive tutorial tips; Time spent playing (after a few hours); Reading through tutorial popups and tooltips.

Battle Brothers Veterans: Strategic and methodical, focusing on army building, class management, and tactical positioning on the world map. Motivation: To experience deep turn-based tactical combat and complex mercenary management systems. Stance: buy.

Customization and Accessibility Seekers: Flexible, adjusting settings to suit available time and desired challenge, often using options like 'Full Dad Mode' or toggling permadeath. Motivation: To enjoy the game at their own pace and preferred difficulty without being locked into a single experience. Stance: buy.

Early Access Tolerant Enthusiasts: They play the game in its current state, often revisiting after updates, and are comfortable with early access limitations. Motivation: To play the game early and support its development while enjoying the core gameplay that is already present. Stance: buy.

Frequent Battle Brothers comparisons: Many reviewers compare the game to Battle Brothers, noting similarities in mechanics, style, and mercenary management. Some say it is more casual and forgiving, while others appreciate its unique magic and trinket systems.

Improvement over Warbanners: Reviewers consistently note that this game is an evolution of the developer's previous title, Warbanners, with improved graphics, richer content, and more thoughtful systems. It is seen as a worthy sequel that builds on the original's foundation.

Compared to other tactical games: The game is compared to a variety of other titles, including Divinity: Original Sin II, WarTales, Mount & Blade, Rimworld, and Heroes of Might and Magic, highlighting its blend of tactical combat and party management.

Hope for future expansions: Reviewers express hope for expansions, DLC, and updates to increase replayability and content. They look forward to seeing the game grow and improve over time.

Positive developer responsiveness: The development team is frequently praised for being responsive and communicative, addressing questions on forums, Discord, and Steam. They also implement requested features and fix bugs quickly, which builds goodwill among players.