Procedural Disappointment
Sun Oct 13 2019 PatriotUSAWhen you combine the high-difficulty level of the game with procedural maps that border on random placement of monsters and loot, what you get is a game that feels like your ability to progress is more dependent on good luck with the map generation than your ability to problem solve. I’ll continue to give it a go a few more times to see if I’m missing something that would allow my problem-solving skills to play a greater role (and change my review accordingly if so) but right now it feels more like a depressing version of Candyland than the post-apocalyptic XCOM I was hoping for.
Edit: the addition of a map restart has made the game significantly more playable. This allows you to try different strategies to win the map and escape. But after awhile the difficulty just seems overwhelming. I’m giving the developers the benefit of the doubt that there is something about the gameplay that I am missing, but I do hold them accountable for not giving me any clue as to what that is. The other problem is that the game burns through my battery power on my 2018 iPad Pro in minutes. I can start with a nearly full battery and be out of power in just a few maps. Because of this I’m upping my rating to 3 stars and moving on to other games.
All Dogs Go To Heaven
Thu Oct 29 2020 BrulesRulesI see this game’s been out for at least a year, so I’m just coming into it and my experience probably reflects on the progress that’s been made based on feedback. I thought the art style was minimal and fun. My first run, it was difficult and I constantly ran out of gas while trying to keep my 2 person team alive. My second run, with all dogs (which was boss), went way better since I learned a few tricks. You’re safe in while in the car, except for the lightning creature in later levels. Once I learned this, I could strategize around it, I’d keep injured people in the car at all times, drive the car to use as a barrier between monsters and my other homies. Then, I basically committed to finding an SUV and getting the expanded gas tank, I actually fully customized this beast with the lights, bumper and roof rack too. I was never able to fill this gas tank, but it made a huge difference being able to get up to 7/8 and then basically cruising halfway through each map at a time. Wood palettes are key because they act as a passive shield. Fuel is absolutely the most important resource though, always get as much as possible. I didn’t experience any glitches or issues, but I will say I crave more depth and variety. I didn’t fully grasp the story and perhaps you’re not supposed to, but I think it’d make it better. All in all, fun game, worth an afternoon or 2 of your time.
Beautiful and haunting
Wed Nov 10 2021 S. A. MaykullFacts (for players): this game plays like a puzzle game: you have to get your characters through various scenarios without running out of gas or weapons, or smashing your car to pieces. The game controls were almost 100% intuitive, except the character-switcher mechanic (it makes sense, but even in the last chapter I was trying to tap the 'real' version of the character I wanted to select). It has various challenge levels - normal lets you restart levels, which makes play almost relaxing. This is especially useful on a first play through, since the world slowly changes and introduces you to new dangers. The game rewards experimenting, which adds both to the fun and the realism.
Impressions (for the developers): I had somehow gotten the impression that this game was going to have zombies, but thankfully there were no zombies. Just strange, eerie monsters slowing infesting the planet with an alien beauty. As the game went on I grew kind of attached to my motley crew, and more and more curious about the environment. The last few maps had me puzzled and excited; awed and apprehensive. I hadn't expected the story of the game to matter so much, to build like an ache into that final scene ....... thank you finji, this was a well executed production.
Check it out if you like turn-based strategy!
Mon Aug 16 2021 FrigidlegumesI am really enjoying this game! It is difficult but fair; it asks the player to figure out the rules without the info being handed to them. There are several “hidden” mechanics that are satisfying to find (for instance, learning to to turn an empty bottle into a Molotov cocktail!). The art is also really nice in my opinion and doesn’t have that kitschy “mobile game” aesthetic which even many Apple Arcade games can have. In terms of design it is definitely among the best games on the Arcade!
The ONLY reason I am giving 4/5 stars is, as others have said, the UI is a bit difficult to use. I am on an iPhone 7+ so perhaps it is not optimized for “older” machines, but I find that I have to be very slow and deliberate with my button presses for them to register. This along with the relatively small buttons on the UI make navigation of the various systems more cumbersome than I think they ought to be. (It can also be draining on the battery, but at least for me, that is par for the course with mobile games)
Overall it’s a very good game and worth your time if you like turn based strategy games. It’s something that would feel at home on a PC just as well as it (almost) does on mobile!
Problems Everywhere
Fri Oct 04 2019 Jarbe13I’m just gonna summarize what other people are saying, the Games controls are a mess. The buttons you select are way too small for mobile. There is no tutorial, and there a shoulder be one considering how complex this game is. At least introducing the new monsters or looters in later worlds and telling you what they do each time you see one for the first time, even with new items, I want to know what they do instead of having to ‘inspect’ my character while holding the item to find out what it does, explain the perks of having a dog over a human companion, give warnings before you leave an area that you won’t have enough gas to make it somewhere else. The game sets you up to fail from the beginning, hoping you learn how to play the game through dying and starting over multiple times, hoping you don’t quit by the time you have figured out how everything in the game works. This game also appears to run well and is a good looking game, but it causes my iPhone XS to get very hot, which I’m assuming it shouldn’t do. All in all a very fun game, but has too many glaring problems and missing aspects of the game to get a 5 star rating.
EXTREMELY mixed feelings
Sat Jan 27 2024 eldritch-specterI genuinely can’t tell what I think of this game. The gameplay/mechanics are good, but they can get way too difficult. Since every time you kill a monster, two more appear, there’s generally no consistent way to get rid of enemies. You just have to hope that not too many spawn in the first place. Then it just seems like the game is more based off luck than skill. I just think that there should be a more balanced combat system. Make it so they take longer to burrow up, or something like that.
My second complaint is the story. It just doesn’t have any explanations or reasoning. I usually find things like environmental storytelling, and making the players fill n the gaps, but… there’s NO storytelling. All it says is that the creatures are aliens that came from meteors. But then EVERYTHING else is just left completely blank. There’s no explanation for the reef, no explanation for the colossus, nothing. Even the view points, which I thought would reveal the story, did… pretty much nothing. The characters just said things like “That’s incredible.” Or “is that even the same landscape?”
So like I said, I have VERY mixed feelings.
My favorite game - still is, a year later!
Sun Nov 20 2022 NewYorkerAtHeartI originally downloaded this game a year ago and i loved it. Its a perfect mix of adventure, puzzles, ethical dilemmas and strategy, along with an oddly melancholic dystopian mystery that kind of always feels open ended. I have honestly spent a year looking for another game that ticks all my boxes the way this one does and never found it. So i came back to this, its just as enjoyable now as it was then. Its hard enough without being frustrating, but what gets me most is the “survival” mindset it puts you in. Does the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? Will you sacrifice someone to survive? How about your dog? Will you steal? Will you kill? And i love that the choices you make have effects down the line…if you make it that far. Ugh, i love this game so much. The aesthetics and sound design are also just peak excellence. On top of everything the mentions of Mad Cap and Squibb in the credits makes me think the devs live in my hometown, what could be cooler?? Just download this game and dive in, you wont regret it.
Masterpiece
Sat Jun 27 2020 anonymoooooooooooooooosThis game is amazing. By far the best Apple Arcade game so far and definitely the most challenging. Don’t let the bad ratings stop you from playing this game. The challenge is part of the fun, and all the bugs have been fixed. There’s a reason that there’s no tutorial, because if the game told you all that, there would be no surprise when your car gets blown up by a walker (which is what I call the big guys introduced in the basin) even once you reach the end, the puzzle is still there, when you try to make the campfire. The game is meant to be hard, and not to give you a win. I’ve replayed the game 3 times now, and am still amazed by the sheer quality of this game. You can’t describe that feeling you get when you make a Molotov, or learn what a noisy dog should be used for. You have a feeling of wonder, like, “how much else did I not know how to use?” And it gives the game infinite replayability. I don’t want to tell you everything in the game, but trust me, you don’t understand the level of depth this game goes into. Do yourself a favor and play this game.
It’s ALMOST something
Thu Oct 07 2021 ctrcbetThis game has a great concept, the art direction, and sound design are amazing. It just comes up short everywhere else. For one, the controls are a MESS. I have to hit undo 4 times every time I try to search an object because the touch detection is so bad. Why is there no way for me to preview where my character is going to go? The first touch is the final one? There should be a way to preview and then confirm your action to minimize the amount of undoing. New enemies just show up out of the blue and the game does not explain them or ANYTHING for that matter. Another drawback this game has is what are and aren’t free actions. Why is healing not a free action? You can not heal characters on the road or in a car. Which means that if I have a character who needs to be healed who is in a car, I have to use 1 turn to get them out of the car and then wait another turn to actually heal them. And there are even more steps if a different character has the med kit. Putting 10 steps in between healing is not strategic depth. It’s just tedious…I feel like this game could be great but it’s just so unnecessarily convoluted. Disappointed
Great game
Tue Jun 30 2020 urzakarnThis is one of the best games on Apple Arcade. I’ve gone through several play through a and likely will go through several more. The mix of randomly generate maps and strategy required to complete them make the game always challenging and unique without feeling unfair. I would highly recommend you give this game a shot. I had a lot of fun learning what each item did and how to use them effectively. The game has incredible replay value. Other reviews mentioned the game having a lot of bugs, but apart from the occasional crash I haven’t had any problems with the game. Since the game auto saves after every turn, you don’t even lose progress if the game crashes. What I’m trying to say is that Overland is an almost flawless masterpiece which your should definitely check out. I would recommend first playing with “restart level” enabled so that you can get a grasp on the mechanics of the game without the permanent consequences that come with regular gameplay.
