Town of Machine

[h1]The Premise[/h1] [h3]This review contains no spoilers.[/h3] [b]Town Of Machine[/b] (ToM) is a sci-fi top-down shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world, 700 years after a catastrophic conflict known as the "AI Wars", changed Earth forever. Players impersonate Silverman, an experienced exorcist and demon hunter, that gets sent to the remote Town Of Machine in order to investigate paranormal events - that may be linked with occult rituals. [h1]Quick Sum-Up[/h1] [table] [tr] [th]🟩 [b]The Pros[/b][/th] [th]🟥 [b]The Cons[/b][/th] [/tr] [tr] [td] 1. Good overall variety of gear, consumables and weapons. 2. Solid combat system that delivers adequate challenge. 3. Compelling exploration, with many secrets and hidden elements to find. 4. Decent visual style, especially regarding effects. [/td] [td] 1. Companion AI is mediocre most of the time. 2. Some combat system design flaws. 3. Not much enemy archetype variety in the long run. [/td] [/tr] [/table] [table] [tr] [th]🟨 [b]Bugs & Other Issues[/b][/th] [th]🔧 [b]PC Specs[/b][/th] [/tr] [tr] [td] - Enemies in a higher or lower position related to the character, cannot be hit. - Excessive GPU memory usage compared to the provided visual quality. [/td] [td] - Ryzen 3900X - RTX 2080Ti - 32GB RAM - NvME SSD - 1440p Display [/td] [/tr] [/table] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2433051335 [h1]In-Depth Analysis[/h1] [h3]Pros[/h3] [b]1.[/b] ToM surely doesn't fall short in terms of variety. From rocket launchers to pistols, shotguns and everything in-between, there is a constant influx of new guns, each using its own specialized ammo type and having unique fire-modes and powers. Each of them can also be upgraded by spending Karma (XP) at a specific Trader, to get upgrade kits. The variety also extends to unique passive gear found in secret areas, consumables and resources - each new zone may bring something fresh. [b]2.[/b] On higher difficulty levels at least, enemies pack quite a punch, and ammo / resources are not plentiful at all. Being accurate other than nimble in every fight will prove paramount to not run out of everything. There have been some segments where I was really desperate for ammo, and had to make every shot, medkit and armor piece count. [b]3.[/b] The world of ToM has a good number of secrets, ranging from item-specific doors to the classic "secret passage walls". Finding these secrets often awards unique weapons, new companions or secondary quest items - other than achievements in some cases. Looking everywhere is key to have the upper hand when the next big fight comes. [b]4.[/b] The graphics use a mix of 2D sprites such as the characters, in a fully 3D environment. It's an uncommon style choice which gives the game some uniqueness. Effects regarding weapons and lights are actually pretty good, while the rest is only visually average for 2021 standards. [h3]Cons[/h3] [b]1.[/b] Silverman's companions may pack a punch in some cases, however they have the bad habit of running straight into fireball-spitting demons or other Elite enemies, consequently getting obliterated very quickly. Sure, they can revive once the combat is over, but this fact makes them useless half of the time. [b]2.[/b] The fact enemies can be kited around in open or anyway larger areas can lead players to snipe them from beyond their targeting range, which is a bit cheesy. In some instances huge packs of enemies will just kill each other by friendly fire after being funneled around. Shooting is ultimately unreliable, due to the weapon line-of-sight being unclear, so expect to waste some ammo with obstacles and debris that may block shots, even when one thinks they wouldn't. Also, expect to get stuck on small bits and furniture sometimes, which often leads to death, [b]3.[/b] Enemies may be varied in weapons and models, but have the same two archetypes in the end. One is melee, and rushes at the player mindlessly, while the other is ranged and fires from a distance while slowly advancing. That's it, no other unique ones to mention. This makes enemy a bit stale in the long run. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2433051257 [h1]Gameplay Breakdown[/h1] [b]Exploration[/b] Is performed on foot, with the eventual addition of a Dash ability at a certain points, which allows overcoming certain obstacles and reach places a bit faster. The environments consist primarily of fortified bunkers and structures, or more open areas like woods, swamps. Each zone has numerous containers lying around, that change in relation to the area's theme - they contain numerous supplies such as ammunition, crafting items or even special quest-related objects. There also are many secrets and optional areas to discover if one is perceptive enough. Since there is a finite amount of ammo and healing items, finding as many containers as possible is vital. A handy area map is available in most cases, showing doors and structural layouts. Many gates are locked by special means such as keycards or specific companion-related actions, several areas will only be accessible later on. The game can be saved at fixed spots called Monoliths, that always also have a Container to deposit excess loot into. [b]Combat[/b] Plays out in a fast-paced shooter fashion, as expected from this genre. The main focus is dodging enemy shots while taking foes out at the same time, a process made slightly easier once two companions are acquired and also the Dash upgrade becomes available. Enemy variety is solid (although not in behavioral patterns), with foes that range from weak cannon fodder to more elite units that can dish out some serious damage such as monsters, demons and other aberrations. The available weapons are also varied and range from simple pistols to high-tech plasma rifles or railguns - each of them functions in a unique manner and has its own damage, crit chance and other stats. There is only one boss to speak of, near the end of the game. Companions will fight as well, each with unlimited ammo and diverse weapons, though their primitive AI will have them plunge into death quickly. Death means restarting from the last save. [b]Crafting[/b] Is performed by Combining two items together, which most of the time will be raw resources or consumables. Resources can be transformed into ammunition of various types, based on the combination. For instance, two Uranium Cubes will produce a stack of Pistol Ammo. Also other items can be combined, such as Upgrade Kits and weapons to make improved variants, or consumables to improve their effectiveness. Improved weapons will have a unique secondary fire type and generally better damage / ammo capacity. [b]Quests[/b] Are usually given by NPCs around the world, and about recovering specific items. Once completed, these quests often will have the quest giver join the protagonist's party, thus becoming a companion. Some companions have the unique ability to open certain doors, so it's definitely worth doing such assignments, to unlock inaccessible map areas that may hold secrets or loot. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2433912942 [h1]The Judgment: Good[/h1] [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1989090445]Complete Ratings List here[/url] [i]It took me a little more than 6 hours to complete ToM on Brutal difficulty, while taking my time to explore each area thoroughly and finish all the side-missions I could find. Considering the good quality of the game, the price of 12,50€ is fair enough for this amount of content, I have no problem in recommending a full price purchase.[/i] [quote]Follow our Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] for more detailed reviews.[/quote] [quote]Liked this review, and want to see more of the same quality? Check out [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/39323490]Tamaster's Review Archive[/url].[/quote]

Yet another dev who was deceitfully taught that UI is the optional part of software engineering. - No saving. A rare checkpoint/bonfire here and there transform the game into a backtracking simulator. - Quest items cannot be picked because inventory is full. Yay! More backtracking to the previous map, in case there wasn't enough disrespect for players' time already. - Protagonist stuck in the terrain. Guess what that means... That's right, more backtracking from the checkpoint. - Texts displayed one character at a time, with annoying typing sounds, the way the illiterate like it. Sure, it wastes your time while jellifying your brain, but at least it doesn't make you backtrack, for a change.

Town of Machine is a neat little indie 2D isometric shooter: in a few words, it's action packed, with engaging action and great weapons, but it also a game about survival since the amount of resources (health, ammo, armor) are limited in a given playthrough. The game compels you to explore each corner of the map in order to either find secrets or additional heath/armor/ammo to help you progressing. But you do not have to explore everything to be able to finish the game, even on Unearthly (the maximum difficulty): I might have missed about 30% of the containers to open, and I still made it to the boss (though it was a tough fight!). The game has a fair amount of replayability: your first playthrough will be more of a discovery, advancing slowly so you can figure out the traps - you never really know what the game will throw at you, so you are always on your toes. On the second playthrough you can already increase the pace, since you know more or less what awaits you, and you can just focus on the action. The game has NG+ and NG++ modes - I didn't make it yet to NG++, but NG+ is a lot of fun - it makes you rediscover the story but with much tougher groups of foes. It's almost like another blind playthrough. Finally, the game has its own little universe - connected to the previous games of the developer, Dimension Drifter, UNLOVED, Super Panda Adventures and Gungirl, there's a lot of easter eggs if you are familiar with those. Each place is very immersive to explore, you can tell the developer spent a lot of time fleshing out the details of the environment. Town of Machine has exceptional quality for an indie game made by one single developer, it is a hidden gem out there that surely deserves more recognition than it has right now. Hopefully this review helps the game get a bit of visibility! (for those curious how the game looks, I recorded myself playing, the playlist can be found [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN5EqXq0B0o&list=PLX5z5uWcCPxpmnJJjx3dxxRjho4gEVMt3]here[/url])

[b] Target Audience: [/b] Those wanting a solid top down shooter who don't have a problem getting lost [I] [/i] [b] Summary: [/b] It's a weird combination of good and bad in this case, and it's one of those cases where the first several hours of a game make it hard to tell how much the game has to offer going forward. On one hand, the underlying controls and top down shooting is solid. Sure, on the standard difficulty it can feel very easy at first, especially when you have helpers at your side that can take the damage for you, but then the fireball demons can take you out in the blink of an eye. There's some nice options here as the Unreal Engine is used nicely, and the aesthetic that feels like somewhere between the escapists and just an RPG Maker game actually works rather well here. A lot of what I have problems with could be fixed: things like no quest markers hurt the game, especially when you have to get one item to progress that is really hidden compared to everything else. Sure, the difficulty could be adjustable as you play too, as my early going showed a game I needed to ramp up the difficulty for. And while the game is solid, it also doesn't necessarily have a KO punch to make it standout from the rest of the games in the genre. Fundamentally, the game is solid, and needs tweaks here and there over the long haul to push up the ladder of things for you to play. I'm going to go with a thumbs up as I feel the game's heart, despite misstepping with some jokes here and there, is in the right place, and it definitely will be fun for those who like the genre. It's just not something you need to drop what you're doing and get right away. [b]Gameplay Footage: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/959526415 [/b] [u] Lists: [/u] [b]Positives:[/b] [list] [*] Solid controls and gunplay, expected from the genre but still works for straightforward action. [*] Weapons have punch and does reward skill based use. Goes for more shooting rather then less. [*] Takes advantage of unreal engine with various options for graphics, bindable keys, and is a lot more configurable [*] Presentation works in offering a unique look while still being playable. [*] Writing is weird and off the wall, but do appreciate the references. [*] Solid sound design that gives you an indication of actions. [/list] [b]Negatives:[/b] [list] [*] Just a lack of a killer feature that would move the game to the “definite yes” category. [*] No quest markers can lead to getting lost very quickly, and needing a singular item that's hidden in the environment end up really drawing out the frustration. [*] Getting hit by enemies who can see you off screen can get annoying at times. [*] Difficulty options would be really nice to change in the middle of a run as figuring out exactly where you difficulty lies at first can be some trouble. [*] Some awkward jokes that can make you uncomfortable, but in the way of “is this a language barrier or is that what he truly meant” [/list] [b] If you want more reviews/information regarding games I've reviewed, visit my curator. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6861768/]Dragnix Curator [/url][/b]

"Wow, what ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ wrote your dialogue? ...anyway," Sums up agent Silverman's, and the rest of this games dialogues quite well. The game contains some blood, gore, and some graphical explanations so make sure you feel comfortable with those things before getting the game. Combat feels great, challenging, with a bunch of different weapons and upgrades. The bouncing shot on the pistols being my favorite weapon so far. Overall the game starts out easy and ramps up in difficulty, some spots can feel a bit challenging at first if you're not prepared. Companions does not feel useless and actually contributes towards the fights. Even if it might not feel like that at times when they run head first into 500 bullets and dies while you take cover behind them. Overall I've had a lot of fun playing through Town of Machine and while this game may not be for everyone I'd highly recommend you to check it out.

[i] My Experience [/i] This top-down shooter from BlueEagle Productions is a challenging product to review. The shooting feels good, the art style is crisp and satisfying, and the environments are diverse and interesting. I also liked the way that certain enemies feel particularly dangerous, and require you to engage them in different ways and with different weaponry in order to be effective. It often makes sense to save the ammo you acquire for some of your hardest-hitting weapons to be used on specific, nasty enemies that can quickly put you down. Where the game falls apart, in my view, is in the tutorial and level design. When I first started the game I got an empty pistol, but then I was able to rack up something like 70 bullets. However, whenever I tried to load the gun I got the message that I "didn't have enough ammo to reload." After bumbling around a while, I posted on the forums about it. Luckily the developer quickly got back to me, telling me that I needed to switch to the pistol before trying to reload. However, it might be nice to include some tutorial information in the game about the weapon switching - or failing this, a cheeky message like "you can't reload your fists" or "you can't put bullets in a melee weapon." After getting this sorted I picked the game up again, only to get stuck in a certain facility when I couldn't locate a red keycard. I did spend some time scouring, but it can be irritating to search around in this game since the save points can be somewhat few and far between. I again posted on the forums, and had two other players shortly afterward reply to my post who were stuck in the exact same location. In fact, you can find a lot of folks on the Steam forum for this game who are stuck at various locations and are having trouble figuring out how to proceed. I took a four day hiatus from the game while I waited to get a coherent answer on how to proceed, but then was able to continue the shooting and looting. I didn't get jammed up again until I met what I think was the final boss. I was a little exasperated with the game at this point, and only gave the final boss a handful of tries. Fighting it was miserable, and I agree with the points made by user [i]Mankybus[/i] in the game's Steam forums. I decided to cut my losses and just uninstall Town of Machine. There is a lot to like here, but developer BlueEagle Productions may need to complete a few more rounds of playtesting and patching prior to releasing their future titles.

Pretty frustrating game that feels unfair on several levels. - I played on Brutal difficulty (the second hardest) straight out of the gate. This felt challenging at first but got punishingly difficult later on (around the Asylum, for context). Unfortunately there is no way to change the difficulty mid-game so I was left with the choice of either restarting from scratch or trying again and again to proceed with my 5 health. - Most scenery is opaque, and if you go under them you get a little circle of transparency so you can see your character. Unfortunately this does not apply to enemies, so more than likely you will get shot a bunch of times by enemies that you cannot see. - Enemies can shoot you from outside your range of vision entirely. - I'm fine with enemies streaming in from newly opened doors, even with waves and waves of them, but spawning a bunch of high level enemies right behind you in areas you've cleared as soon as you press a button feels unfair. - Companion Ai is straight trash. They will either run forward straight into a room full of enemies, or completely ignore enemies that are headed right towards you. Only get this if you're a masochist. I clearly wasn't enough of one so I cut my losses.

Visuals are good, gunplay is ok, inventory is a mess, but the writing is by far the worse offender. Holy crap! This sounds like it was written by a 13yo who thinks "edgy" and "cursing" are personality traits. If the game was excellent aside from that and the story was just background noise I could forgive it, but when you're obligated to sit through pages of cringeworthy terrible dialogue I just can't recommend it.

Like a few other reviewers, I'm honestly stunned at how good this little game is. At first, I was thrown off by the strange name of the game, because it doesn't seem to make sense grammar-wise so it made me think it was one of the many low-effort cash grab games that Steam is so full of these days, but after playing it for a few hours I'm sorry I ever thought that way. The amount of enemies, weapons, and item combinations in this game makes it surprisingly deep. As you play you'll gain companions to fight alongside you, each with their own weapon of choice, and some with special abilities that help you gain access to more areas and such. You'll also get helpful upgrades that permanently give you new abilities like dashing around to dodge projectiles, and cross narrow gaps. It's sort of a Doom, meets a Metroidvania, meets Resident Evil, all presented in a top-down three quarters view, with a PS1-era-ish-sprites-on-3D aesthetic.. without the wiggly, jerky PS1 fixed-point polygons. Obviously it's a style, not an attempt at realism, and it looks very nice for what it is. The areas are designed well enough that all rooms and areas look different enough from each other. The sounds are fine and get the job done, seems like mostly stock sounds (forgive me if I'm wrong) but good ones. The gameplay basically consists of fighting your way through areas, scouring for loot to keep your supply of health, ammo, armor, etc topped up- finding keys or other methods to open up access to areas you couldn't go into before- combining items to make better items, craft ammunition, upgrade your guns, etc- and progressing through a story that has you unraveling the mysteries of the town of Machine, and mowing down all the monsters, demons, and demon-posessed humans that get in your way. Seems worth full price to me, and for certain more than worth the current sale price. I saw the developer has another game on the way, wishlisting that one now.

I had the joy of playtesting Town of Machine which gives me a bias I recognize. Most monsters are very DooM-like and the game has inspirations from Resident Evil's inventory-management and basic puzzles. Primarily action with lots of secrets littered around, classic shooter fans will be right at home here. If you enjoy shooter combat served raw, you will enjoy this; otherwise beware that this game leans much more on gameplay than story. Some critical encounters and later parts of the game lean on very high monster density, which is very fun if you enjoy the idea of kiting while fighting; these areas can be interpreted as a difficulty-spike, so pacing is a notable issue in this title. If you are a secret-hunter then I dare you to try and find all the hidden followers, some of them are absurdly hidden and will take a good deal of creative thinking to uncover. Take it from me, being the first person to find Fiona had me pulling hairs until it all clicked. The weapons can be upgraded with secondary-fire modes and the character's abilities enhanced. If you want to upgrade everything and play the whole game with the full weapon arsenal (I recall more than 10 weapons) fully buffed, then you can do so in the New Game + modes (multiple New Game +s each with more challenging enemy arenas). This game is underrated (no advertising) and is definitely worth picking up if a combination of DooM, Resident Evil, and top-down shooters sounds appealing to you. It regularly goes on sale for $6.50 and is definitely worth the price for the experience you get. If you enjoy this game, you will also enjoy Action Commandos I & II as well as Unloved, all from Paul Schneider (Blue).