- Addictive core gameplay loop keeps players engaged.
- Excellent soundtrack enhances the gaming experience.
- Mining is fun and exhilarating.
- Excessive grinding detracts from the experience.
- Repetitive gameplay and uninspired upgrades.
- Weak story and uninspired quests.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 64% · Negative 36%. Score: 36 / 100
Positives:
- The core gameplay loop of mining, upgrading, and blasting enemies is initially fun and addictive. Players enjoy the sense of progression as they upgrade their ship and unlock new abilities. The game provides a satisfying experience with simple mechanics, making it easy to pick up and play.
- Many reviewers praised the game's soundtrack, describing it as catchy, amazing, and well-suited to the gameplay. The music enhances the overall experience and creates a driving, fun atmosphere. Some reviewers noted specific tracks, such as "Gunpowder Avenue."
- The mining aspect of the game is enjoyable and satisfying, with players finding it fun to blast rocks, collect gems, and acquire power-ups. The game effectively combines mining with action elements, creating an exhilarating experience. Fuel limitations add a layer of strategic decision-making.
- The game provides a satisfying sense of destruction, with players enjoying blowing up blocks and creating chain reactions. Collecting gems and watching entire layers of rock melt from explosions is particularly rewarding. The game is addictive due to the combination of gold, gems, and explosions.
- The game's pixelated graphics are appealing and give it a charming retro look. Reviewers appreciate the well-done pixel art style and the visually distinct biomes. The graphics contribute to the game's classic arcade feel.
Negatives:
- The core gameplay loop becomes repetitive quickly due to uninspired upgrades, lack of build variety, and samey levels. Many players found themselves grinding through the same content long after upgrades became meaningless, leading to boredom and fatigue. The game's length exacerbates this issue.
- Many reviewers felt the game became a grind, especially when pursuing 100% completion or specific achievements. This was due to the need to collect gems or other resources long after upgrades were maxed out, with little variation in mission objectives or level design. The game felt more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.
- The story and quest system are weak, with simple, repetitive objectives and a lack of clear direction. The narrative often feels tacked on and uninspired, failing to provide a compelling reason to continue playing. Some players also noted the absence of a quest log, making it difficult to track progress.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly with upgrades and perks. Some upgrades feel insignificant or even detrimental, while others are overpowered, leading to a lack of meaningful choices and strategic depth. This imbalance diminishes the overall player experience.
- Several reviewers reported technical issues, including game freezes, lag, and unexpected crashes. Some also encountered glitches that prevented progression, such as indestructible blocks or weapons that stopped working. These issues detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay loop involves piloting a gyrocopter to mine resources, fight enemies, and reach a treasure chest at the bottom of each level. Players then use collected resources for permanent upgrades and temporary power-ups, enhancing their ship's capabilities. Missions often include quests and objectives to add variety.
- Players collect gems and ores to unlock temporary and permanent upgrades, enhancing their mining capabilities and combat effectiveness. These upgrades can lead to powerful builds and are crucial for progressing through the game.
- The game blends twin-stick shooter mechanics with roguelite elements, offering short runs and a focus on progression. This combination creates a unique experience, drawing inspiration from other mining games and arcade shooters.
- The game features diverse biomes with varying terrain and enemies that increase in difficulty as players descend. Random enemy spawns add to the challenge, though they are sometimes more of a nuisance than a significant threat.
- The game features a simple plot about gnomes reclaiming their kingdom, with a narrative focus that includes dialogue and missions during excavations. This provides context and variety to the gameplay.
Performance:
- Several players report performance drops under specific circumstances. These include: action causing many particles, certain mutations, the ice biome, CPU-intensive builds with many projectiles, and overpowered builds in general. The severity of the lag varies, with one user reporting drops to 20fps on a GTX 1080 during intense moments.
Recommendations:
- Many reviewers recommend the game, especially when on sale, citing its fun and addictive core gameplay loop. Some find it worth the full price, praising its entertainment value and replayability. However, some suggest waiting for a sale due to concerns about repetitiveness or lack of depth.
- Several reviewers feel the game needs more content, polish, and balancing, particularly in the late game. Some suggest reducing the number of levels or adding more depth to each one. Addressing these issues could significantly improve the overall experience and replayability.
- Some reviewers mention a tedious end-game grind that may deter completionists. They suggest avoiding excessive early-game farming or recommend playing the game in short bursts to mitigate the repetitiveness. This grind can diminish the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Some reviewers express interest in the developer's future projects and hope for quality-of-life updates to address current issues. They may revisit the game after these updates are released. This indicates a belief in the developer's potential and a desire for the game to improve.
- The game is suitable for short, relaxing sessions, such as a warm-up activity or a wind-down before bed. It can help to clear distracting thoughts and provide a small, enjoyable experience. This makes it a good option for casual players looking for a simple pastime.
Miscellaneous:
- The game features a simple story, but its pacing suffers from a mid-game lull. The developers are actively addressing this with post-launch updates, showing commitment to improving the narrative experience.
- The game became unplayable on April 15th. This is a critical issue that prevents players from accessing and enjoying the game.
- The game does not clearly indicate that players should switch to the newest character when quest progression stalls. This lack of guidance can lead to player frustration and confusion.
- Despite being marketed as a dwarvish game, the NPC designs and gadget focus give it a more gnome-like feel. This may impact player expectations based on the initial marketing.
