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Game Details
Time Spent Playing: 30 mins
Developers: Plutonium Powered
Publisher: Plutonium Powered
Graphics/Art Style: Pixel Art
Camera Perspective: 3rd person
Rating: M
Recommended For: Players who like card games, Roguelike, Pixel Art, 2D, Dark Fantasy, Moaning slimes
Overall Experience
I really like the pixel art style and the overall concept of the game. It's not every day you come across a card game inspired by the classic game of War! It's a refreshing take on the card battler genre. The game also features a cool, retro rock soundtrack that helps set the mood and gets you pumped up and ready to play. I genuinely wanted to play for longer, but... well, whether you watch my gameplay video, read this review, or do both, you'll find out why I had to stop playing.
Controls
I couldn't seem to get my controller to work when hovering over the Display and Sound options. On top of that, my mouse repeatedly disappeared throughout the demo, which happened at least three times. Thankfully, returning to the title screen or finishing dialogue seemed to bring it back. During one of the card battles, I had three cards in front of me (two Queens and a Jack), but I couldn't seem to click on them. This made card selection quite confusing and frustrating, as I ended up choosing cards I may or may not have actually wanted.
Gameplay
The card battle mechanic is pretty interesting! At first, I thought, "Oh, how fun is that? I just need to worry about having a higher-numbered card?" Sounds familiar! Isn't there an old-time card game that focuses on having the higher number? Is it Gin Rummy or something? XD Actually, it's a classic card game called War!
Toward the end of my playthrough, I had to fight some slimes that split when hit, adding another interesting layer to combat. It definitely made me think, "I need to defeat them quickly before things get out of hand!" Along the map, you have the ability to sacrifice your cards. The first time I did this, I was given a choice between two cards, but the second time, only one card showed up. Was that supposed to happen?
Performance
My mouse repeatedly flickered and disappeared throughout gameplay, which became pretty frustrating. I also noticed some UI issues, such as enemy stats suddenly appearing while I was on the victory screen. The text spacing and alignment could also use some polishing, as certain dialogue sections were difficult to read. And then there's the questionable sound effects coming from the slimes... What in the world!?
Furthermore, visiting the blacksmith felt a bit rushed. I went in and then came right back out again, leaving me wondering if there was supposed to be more to that interaction. Overall, I think the game needs some additional tuning and improvements before it's ready for players.
Music
Awesome retro/pixel-style rock music! I really enjoy the soundtrack, especially on the title screen. It gets me pumped up and excited to jump into the game, while also doing a great job of setting the overall mood.
Audio Design
The menu hover sounds clash with the heavy rock background music and feel quite jarring, almost like someone accidentally hit a single piano key. Could you make these sound effects fit the pixel art style of the game or relate more to the rock/pixel soundtrack? Lean into those retro pixel sounds! I actually like the sound effects slightly more on the title screen when the music isn't playing, but they're still a bit jarring. Selecting a character produces another rather unpleasant sound, and honestly, most of the sound effects throughout the game could use some work. Now, let's talk about those slimes... Wait, did that slime just moan at me!? What in the world!? AYOOOOOO, these slimes are moaning!!! Nope, that's it. I'm done.
Difficulty
The enemy-splitting mechanic adds some pressure to battles, as it encourages you to take out enemies quickly before things get out of hand. I didn't run into any particularly challenging difficulty issues during my playthrough, but the confusing card selection did make combat a bit harder to navigate. It would be nice to see that mechanic refined so players can focus more on strategy rather than figuring out which cards they're selecting.
Level Design/Character Design
I really like the pixel art style, and the character portraits are cute! The logo is okay. I'm a bit neutral on it, but I think it fits the overall vibe of the game. The roguelike map is quite a long one, goodness! I did notice that when Sage is talking to Isabella, the dialogue text needs to be lowered a bit. Also, wait a minute... does Sage have two eyes!? If I had a mouse, I would have pointed it out.
AI-Generated Content Disclosure
While there's no mention of AI usage, and the game does include a credit list for the artists who worked on it, I still have my suspicions that AI may have been involved in some aspects of the game. I mean, surely the moaning slimes were a mistake... right? RIGHT!? Furthermore, Sage's left eye appeared to be doubled, which made me question whether some of these visual and audio oddities were simply human errors. I can't say for certain, but a few things definitely left me scratching my head.
Unique Features Discovered
Inspired by the classic card game War
Some enemies can split when hit
Sacrificing your cards
Mitosis system
Pros:
Love the retro pixel art style.
Awesome rock background music that gets you pumped up.
The War mechanic
Cute character portraits.
I like the animation of the character pulling up the menu when returning to the title screen.
Cons:
Mouse repeatedly disappears and flickers.
Controller doesn't seem to work properly.
Several UI issues, including enemy stats appearing on the victory screen.
Card selection is confusing and doesn't always seem to respond to clicks.
Text is difficult to read in several areas.
Many sound effects are jarring and clash with the background music.
Dialogue text spacing and positioning need work.
The map is difficult to navigate.
Some visual elements overlap in ways that make the design feel cluttered.
The slime sound effects are... certainly something. 😂
The demo feels unfinished and needs considerably more polish.
Suggestions for Improvement
1. Improve the typography and readability.
I know when making a pixel-style game, you feel like you NEED to use pixel fonts, but I plea with you to NOT use them! They tend to be harder to read, especially in menus and dialogue. Try using a different, easier-to-read font. If you're going to use pixel text, consider avoiding detailed pixel art backgrounds behind it. The additional visual detail makes the text even harder to read.
The blue text on the character selection screen needs to be brighter or changed to another color so it doesn't blend into the black background.
The ability deck text also needs to be brighter.
Fix the line spacing in dialogue text.
Lower the dialogue text slightly when Sage is speaking to Isabella at the map node.
2. Rework the sound effects.
The menu hover sounds clash with the heavy rock background music. Consider making the sound effects fit the pixel art aesthetic or incorporating sounds that complement the rock soundtrack.
The character selection sound is particularly jarring.
Most sound effects could use another pass to make them feel more cohesive.
3. Fix the mouse and controller issues.
Investigate why the mouse repeatedly disappears and flickers.
Make sure controller support works consistently across menus and gameplay.
4. Improve the UI and card selection.
Make card selection more intuitive so players can clearly see which cards they're choosing.
Fix the enemy stats appearing on the victory screen.
Investigate why only one card appeared after my second sacrifice.
5. Refine the title screen design.
One suggestion: the smoke and cards could trail off behind the logo and into the distance. As a graphic designer, it irks me a little when elements sit in front of text.
Summary:
War Asunder has an interesting concept with its War mechanic. I also really enjoy the pixel art style and the rock background music. Those are definitely some of the highlights for me! Unfortunately, the demo was a pretty frustrating experience. The disappearing mouse, controller issues, confusing card selection, UI bugs, difficult-to-read text, and jarring sound effects made it difficult to enjoy the actual gameplay. I also found myself questioning some of the content and overall presentation. There's potential here, but honestly, this demo needs SO much more work. I'd recommend focusing on fixing the technical issues, improving readability, and refining the audio and UI before moving forward.
And please... do something about those slimes. 😂
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Links:
Check out the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4759630/War_Asunder/
Check out my playthrough here: