ASTROSWARM

OK let's talk. I know the labor that goes into building a game, and the hit to the mood of a dev when you mention issues... so please take this as nothing but constructive criticism. I don't like the difficulty scaling. The missions need to be broken up into more granular segments. The first mission should be more along the lines of just, harvesting a single metal node, fighting a couple of attackers, and then moving out. The second mission you get some metal and build a turret, and fight a couple of waves of attackers. The third mission you have to build multiple turrets and fight 3-4 waves with a couple of shooters. Etc. I realize this takes more effort, but the first mission cannot be completed without dying and restarting, and then getting new weapon and turret types. The idea that you can't move to the next mission without dying is just ugly, and emulates P2W games on Android. Grind grind grind, die, grind more, die more, and eventually you accumulate enough upgrades to progress to the next level. So in order to win you have to lose, over and over. You could scale the game to make it challenging, and also give the player a chance to actually win, without dying over and over. If the grind mechanic is die, it's been done to death. Pun intended. Other than that, it's fun, and a clever take on a First-Person RTS.

A game that on the surface looks relatively simple, but hidden under that is an addictive gameplay cycle and a surprisingly depth. Between juggling your buildings, looking after the module, choosing the right level ups and not dying to the horrors coming after you there's a lot to do. ASTROSWARM isn't afraid to pull it's punches - you will die along on the way, but you'll still get plat to upgrade yourself even if you do - which just makes me want to choose just the right upgrades to ensure victory the next time, and do it all again. Each level only takes in the region of five to ten minutes as well, meaning you can dip in and out, or settle in and help clear the solar system. Each level will throw new enemies and multiple forces attacking you as well, keeping you on your toes, and with the modifier system there's a lot of replayability here as well - for the money this is a bargain!