It Returned To The Desert

It's a welcome sight to see a spiritual successor to a beloved old Amiga game pop up from nowhere, but unfortunately I think this game fails at both capturing the spirit of the original games and at being a good game. The basics are there, but there is absolutely no polish. If this is a prototype or early version to see what works or doesn't work, it's a good start. As a finished game on the other hand... As for the game being non-linear, this is a selling point that adds replay value I don't understand. Yes, there are random factors that make certain events occur earlier or later and there are unrelated events that can be done in any order, but after two attempts at the game I already found myself dully clicking my way through the same tired events without any enthusiasm on the second run. A game like this has the chance to add a lot of atmosphere with characters and interactions and events that would help depict life in a small town and transport you there, but there is basically none except the bare minimum for story development. The writing in general is kind of lazy and uninspired. Once you see through this, there actually isn't much of a story. Fight ants until the awareness/alert-meter reaches the top and recruit townspeople along the way, then enlist the military, then bomb the nest, then.. A lot of time is spent in the tactical turn-based mini-game, which in itself is very simplistic and doesn't offer much in terms of strategic gameplay. The large maps quickly makes playing through it tedious. Most of the graphics are horrendous - it's an obvious case of simplistic 3D graphics that are somehow meant to be "old school" and pixel-art:y just by running it through a downscaling and pixelating shader with a reduced palette and dithering techniques. There's no human attention paid to adapting the actual graphics to work in a low resolution - which is what makes pixel art great - just this lazy approach/attempt at not having to produce graphics. All that said, I still had a fairly good time in my first attempt at a playthrough. After that, not much reason to come back.

I came to Glint Rock for the pixel-art point & Click game play, and stayed for the charming characters and playfully creepy atmosphere. I was hesitant of the turn-based battles, as that's not really my thing, but they play out as isometric puzzles that you can think through and tinker with. I haven't yet made it to the Harvest Festival, but I've got a crew working and patrolling. We will defeat those damned ants, or have a blast trying!

Refunded. Linear (my experience) Map is zoomed in to much & view can´t be changed -> missing overview You have to scroll around that map to find events Pixels are no excuse for some graphics (e.g. hospital escape) Doesn´t capture the feeling of the original ICFTD.

[b] IT RETURNED TO THE DESERT was featured on my youtube channel[/b] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2933825481 and now onto the short review [h1]TL;DR Review[/h1] //intro// Welcome back komrades, and to those of you who are new- I am MF Kraven & this is less than 10 mins reviews, where I take a look at a games technicals then give my opinion about it. Today, I take a look at "It Returned to the Desert". A hybrid of an adventure and turn based tactics that puts you in the shoes of Dr. Hendrik Mill, a geologist researching a weird phenomena in the middle of Texas where he discovers a meteorite has affected Ants & seemingly put the small quaint town of Glint Rock in imminent danger. Will this game have a sequel or be just another niche entry in the scifi horror genre? Let's find out! //Graphics, Sound & Artstyle// It Returned to the Desert exudes an eerie 1950s monster horror scifi film aesthetic. It feels like you're playing a forgotten 90s game, out of of a creepypasta. It has wonderful warm tones that fit the middle of nowhere Arizona feel. In lamest terms, this game delivers what so many attempt and fail at, to be immersed in the world. //Gameplay// As afermentioned, a hybrid of an adventure and turn based tactics, but that is an extreme oversimplification. You see, as Dr. Mill you are investigating a meteor site that has turned a nearby ant colony into behemoths. Well, it's up to you to convince the town of the danger looming. From meeting the mayor & sheriff of Glint Rock to the recluses to angsty teenagers in town. Some will join you in your mission to stop the ants, others will distrust you & take either a round of shots at the bar or finding out who tagged their gas station. Each character in town is charming & brings either money by way of job, they'll try recruiting others by way of recruiting or check nearby ant colonies/anything interesting by way of scouting. Money becomes a factor once you start running low on supplies, that you will use up in combat. The combat aspect is very simple, it's essentially XCOM with ants. Your characters have certain movement, a weapon & two inventory items- that can range from first aid kits, extra ammo, bandages to deodorant (to throw the ants off as they can smell your scent). Permadeath is a thing for your companions but not for yourself, as you'll end up in hospital when knocked out. Each ANT ATTACK!! will conclude when you either kill all ants in the area or they incapacitate you. When a successful battle concludes, the town's alertness will fill up, the more full it is- the more likely you'll have people join you. //Price// I believe it will be 9.99 USD //How many hours estimated// Each playthrough will take about 2-3 hours. I've done two playthroughs and have taken approximately 2 hours on each one. It is highly encouraged to play through the game a few times, as it made me stay up at night thinking what I couldve done differently. //Final Thoughts// IRTTD is a surprisingly refreshing take in the current state of video games. It's fun, it's whimsical, it's silly but most of all it's a good game. The mechanics are easy to pick up, and it's fun to learn new and more effective strategies, like after hitting a bigger ant- backing off a few squares to make them come to you seemingly brings down their accuracy. Or fighting bigger ants, a sound strategy would be to first shoot off their antennae to prevent them from detecting you easier. The money system is also very balanced through trial and error. Dont shoot the smaller ants, and only shoot the medium ants if absolutely necessary because ammunition is scarce and costs about $35 for 5 bullets- there are a few minigames you can play to make more money. Labwork by mixing colors and putting them through, or delivering shipments to town in a road minigame where you wonder what happens to tax dollars as the roads are littered with junk. Speaking of minigames, there are a few, those two plus two chase sequences, one with a cult leader trying to run you off the road the other with ants trying to devour you. A hospital stealth escape game, & a shooting range. and 2 others that I will not reveal due to spoilers. while some are fun to learn like the lab game, others like the hospital escape or the cult chase minigame are more tedious than anything. In my few replays, I experienced the BORING speeding up and slowing down manuevering... however, I can honestly say that, that was my only gripe with the game. Using wit and taking into consideration where you are (Southwest USA), should give you an idea of the type of people you will be trying to convince to join you. It Returned to the Desert is a special game, that I hope gets the recognition it deserves. When they talk about hidden gems, in 2023 they will need to acknowledge IRTTD. [h1]Buy it Now![/h1]

A welcome throwback and spiritual sequel to the cult-classic It Came From The Desert, It Returned To The Desert is an awesome hybrid of old school mechanics and modern sensibilities. The new mini games really add to the old meets new vibe. With updates and improvements on deck, it's definitely a good title for the price. My 'First Hour' gameplay was streamed on Twitch and posted on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vITeoXoSaB8

For those of you that played "It Came from the Desert" back in the day: This game feels and plays very similar! It's not exactly the same story with the same characters or locations, but otherwise very, very familiar! You're investigating a meteorite that impacted near a small desert town, that turns out to have turned small ants into giant creatures! You're tasked with finding evidence, convincing the people in the city, fighting the ants, and more. When you start a game you pick the amount of days you have to defeat the ants. You can travel around in the town and surroundings by car. Each trip takes at least 1 hour off the current day, and the time is also ticking if you don't do anything. You can save anytime however. Combat is round based and you can bring up to three team mates with you. Other than that there's options for your teammates to "recruit" or "patrol", but I didn't get that far. I do regular hour-long first impression vids of new games on YouTube. If you want to see how the first hour of this game plays, look no further: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Ymz9rJizc

Very unique and engaging twist on what I assume is a persona style formula at least in the opening hours. Fun combat and a level of quirkyness you cant get much other places

[b][i]Смесь приключения, квеста, пошаговой стратегии и мини игр. Падение метеорита вызвало мутацию муравьев. Собери отряд из жителей города и дай отпор гигантским насекомым![/i][/b] Геймплей: https://youtu.be/ZZKJGBrz2Ck Развитие сюжета зависит от ваших действий. Вам предстоит колесить по городу, разговаривать с жителями, участвовать в пошаговых сражениях с муравьями, проходить различные мини игры, закупаться оружием и провизией. Половина геймплея проходит в виде квеста с диалогами и скитаниями по локациям, а половина немного напоминает первые части X-COM (разумеется более упрощенные, поскольку игру делал один человек). На карте города обозначены основные локации. По мере прохождения добавляются/разблокируются новые места для посещения. Чтобы набрать отряд вам придется убедить людей пойти с вами. В некоторых случаях придется сыграть в мини игры. + Ретро стиль и атмосфера 90-х. + Интуитивно понятный геймплей. + Простое управление мышью. + Нелинейное развитие сюжета. + Несколько разных наемников. + Несколько видов оружия и расходных материалов. + Мини игры (езда на машине, стелс-аркада, исследования в лаборатории и т.д.). + Сохраниться можно в любой момент. - Неудобный обзор мира и поля боя. Есть возможность приблизить/отдалить камеру, но нельзя уменьшить так, чтобы вся карта помещалась на экране. [u] Вы можете почитать другие отзывы и подписаться на наших кураторов. Добро пожаловать! [/u] [url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/25737869/] 5 minutes of game [/url]

Very nice reimagining of a classic game with great attention to detail. The pixel graphics, coupled with the music and sound effects, create a convincing atmosphere for both the desert environment and the retro game style. The story is engaging, and the minigames and main battle scenes offer enough variety to keep things interesting. Unlike the original, the game's design and controls are modern enough to avoid frustration, providing a nostalgic experience that plays as you remember it, rather than as it actually was. Your decisions throughout the game do influence the outcome, offering replay value for multiple playthroughs. If you enjoy this game, consider exploring the manual as well; it has also received significant attention. I own one of the boxed copies, the Collector's Edition, which includes a physical copy of the manual and a few other goodies, completing the retro experience. I particularly enjoy looking at the box on my shelf, and it fits right in with actual big boxes of retro games. :)

Charming homage to the classic game It Came From the Desert. A relaxing mixture of exploration, adventure and turn-based combat with retro-style graphics and ants (oh so many ants). Not the most complex game in the world but very reasonably priced.