[b][quote][url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_flip]Warning: GameGuru Asset Flip![/url][/quote][/b]HUNTERS FOR YOUR BRAIN is a what Valve calls a "Fake Game". The "developer" bought the GameGuru first person shooter construction kit (no coding required, it's just a GUI!) and cobbled out a map or two using stock GameGuru assets... nothing in this game can fully be called the creation of the developer, and yet they also failed to credit GameGuru or acknowlegde any of the GameGuru assets. They're trying (badly) to pass someone else's work as their own.
HUNTERS FOR YOUR BRAIN is yet another construction kit template copy+paste from serial shovelware pushers, khukhrovr. These guys do nothing but copy premade game templates and game tutorials, fill out a few things/stamp out basic levels using the construction kit templates, slap on an asset flipped set of sprites/assets, and dump them on Steam and into cheap nasty shovelware game bundles as cash grabs. Trying to get paid for someone else's game templates, assets... at best, this is shovelware, at worst, it's a scam/cash grab.
It's just a bunch of random GameGuru assets dropped around a really lazy, stock textured GameGuru map template. The only difference is this a top down shooter (you can force GameGuru to do that and it's every bit as awful as you could expect).
Let's be clear, GameGuru is a completely godawful construction kit. If you try to take it seriously as a game, you'll find no resolution or graphics tweaks, no controller tweaks... it's horribly optimised and will be sluggish even on high end rigs.
You can make the argument that GameGuru exists to just make demos and little experimental games to pass around with friends, but that's not what's happened here... the developer is seriously trying to scam people into paying money for this construction kit copy+paste asset flip. That's not okay!
khukhrovr/REANIMATO.RUS have shown a repeat pattern of unethically dumping other people's work onto Steam as a cheap, nasty cash grab, through this account or through closely linked/alt accounts. Here's some examples so you can see for yourself:
[list]
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1682600]Rolling Car[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/packs/circle-crash-88702]Circle Crash[/url] developed by SgLib Games
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1832680]Lovely Anna[/url]" = [url=https://marketplace.yoyogames.com/assets/9350/onet-game-engine]Onet Game Engine[/url] developed by Jamie Ford
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1834470]Horny Pixels[/url]" = [url=https://marketplace.yoyogames.com/assets/9350/onet-game-engine]Onet Game Engine[/url] developed by Jamie Ford
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1682610]Tank Zombie Smasher[/url]" = [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwtm_eZLzKo]Unity 3D Tutorial Create An Infinite Runner Game (With Zombies)[/url] developed by AwesomeTuts
[*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1686340]AirFighter[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/air-strike-starter-kit-13421]Air Strike Starter Kit[/url] developed by Hardworker Studio
[/list]
The poor quality of this asset flip is reflected by how many people spent time with it. At the time of this review, SteamDB shows the all-time peak player number was only 4 players. This is a remarkably low number, and now, the only player activity occurs once or twice a month, presumably someone loading it up to see what it is then quickly uninstalling it. Considering there's over 120 million gamers on Steam and well over 100,000 games for gamers to choose from, the overwhelming lack of interest in this low quality game is to be expected.
It's also important to note the "developer" here has connections to a number of shady Russian asset flippers and review manipulators who show an organised pattern to scam and defraud gamers with fake reviews and asset flipping the work of others for profit. While reviews are about the games, gamers should be informed when developers act unethically. Whether these connections are the same developer using multiple accounts, or just working closely with other unethical developers, gamers should be warned about the harm to gamers by this developer and their associates. Buying games from unethical developers puts your money at risk.
So, should you buy this asset flip? Is this one of the best of the 100,000+ games on Steam?
HUNTERS FOR YOUR BRAIN has the far too high price of $10 USD, for which you could easily get any number of older AAA games. Given the defects and quality issues with the game, coupled with the unrealistic price, and the questionable ethical nature of the developer and/or their associates (as outlined above), this is impossible to recommend.
For comparison, the $10 asking price for this game could get you games like "Mirror's Edge", "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter" or "Metro Exodus". Quality, professionally made games like those are frequently on sale cheaper than this.
[quote][b][url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2017/01/18/steam-takes-down-art-of-stealth-after-developer-posts-fake-reviews/?sh=750e13e12354]Warning: Review Manipulation![/url][/b]
This game features a number of fake positive reviews from accounts known to be in the business of review manipulation/paid reviews. They're all written in either Russian or broken English, appear at almost exactly the same time, very shortly after the game launched on Steam, all have a direct Steam purchase of the game, and the accounts are used consistently to write fake reviews for asset flips and other cash grabs/scams. The "Positive" review score on this game should be disregarded due to this blatant, unethical review manipulation. This is done to deceive and scam gamers into paying for a bad product.[/quote]
[quote][b][url=https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/profile]Profile Features Limited![/url][/b]
Valve have marked this game as "Profile Features Limited" at the time of this review. This is usually caused by poor sales figures and low community acceptance for the game (to date). Until this status changes, this game will not give you +1 to your Game Collector badge count, appear in profile achievements or any other Steam meta-accomplishments, nor can it be displayed in some profile showcases. If these factors are important to you, it may be worth holding off before buying this game.[/quote]
