Human Extinction Simulator Review (PC)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Human Extinction Simulator
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: No
  • Reviewed on:
Human Extinction Simulator look

Human Extinction Simulator is an unforgiving game that manages to mix so many elements from the science fiction universe and from some strategy series I have spent hundreds of hours with that I managed to get past the relatively dry presentation in order to discover a core set of mechanics that can satisfy a turn-based lover for hours.

The studio which created the title, Machine 22, understands how important is to offer challenge and complexity, and it also delivers a range of scenarios introducing quirks that improve the quality of the experience but also make getting a victory more challenging.

Human Extinction Simulator can become frustrating, but in small doses this is a good turn-based strategy title that could be expanded in a number of interesting ways.

Story

Human Extinction Simulator understands that a good name can often be more important for a video game than a host of cutscenes, voice performances, and carefully crafted narrative twists.

In this case, the developers at Machine 22 have managed to use three words to capture the pressure and the anxiety generated by the fact that the entire game has humanity on the back foot, trying desperately to survive as a powerful alien force, the Navassians, is hunting them down, determined to leave none alive.

The desperate survival of the few has been well exploited by entertainment in the past few years and Human Extinction Simulator evokes the best moments of both Battlestar Galactica and The Banner Saga, even if it is limited when it comes to actually delivering narrative to gamers.

The entire title is sold as a simulation, which makes it easy to understand the limitations of the top down view, and the developers have done a good job of evoking the future using just text that suggests a wider science fiction universe.

Maybe the most effective tool is the loss counter at the top of the screen, which tends to tick up even when a scenario is progressing well, a constant reminder that even victories require the loss of human life.

Human Extinction Simulator is good at creating stories, mainly because of its difficulty level, because the failure to keep humans alive in the face of overwhelming odds manages to create a feeling of pride even when missions are repeatedly lost.

Gameplay

Human Extinction Simulator is a turn-based strategy game played on a hex grid from a top-down perspective, with the player aiming to reach designated objectives while also dealing with the often superior forces of the enemy alien army.

The game’s campaigns are arranged in an increasing level of complexity and scenarios are often connected, which means players need to try and achieve as many of the secondary objectives as possible to have a better chance of success.

Each ship that gamers can control, except for civilian transports, can move, fire and then move again and the game helpfully explains how dangerous each hex on which they stay can be when the enemy gets his own turn.

Major engagement
Major engagement

Their flight models for the ships differ based on size and class and Human Extinction Simulator asks gamers to create short-term tactical plans designed to take out enemy ships without losing sight of the bigger tactical goal they need to accomplish.

The developers throw in various types of weapons and different damage models for shields and hulls, and that enhances the complexity of the experience.

The rigid rules also make the Artificial Intelligence of Human Extinction Simulator very capable during combat, eager to take out the player’s vessels and always ready to go after civilian transports when they are exposed in any way.

There are very few missions that seem achievable at first sight and failure is a constant companion in the game, but the structure encourages experimentation and careful thinking.

The biggest lesson players need to learn quickly about Human Extinction Simulator is that it is more about covering areas with weapon fire to control enemy movement than about attacking a starship where it stands during a given turn.

The game sometimes feels like chess, but with an added layer of complexity, and every time I managed to compete a mission, I was actually happy and even eager to go back to try and reach all the secondary objectives.

An Undo button for the most recent move made is something that I would add to Human Extinction Simulator, because as it stands now the game is a little too punishing and the long-term ramifications of a decision can be enough to force a level restart.

Gamers who want to spend a lot of time with Human Extinction Simulator without getting too frustrated need to play through the first tutorial missions and then switch to the Arena section of the game in order to see exactly how their ships fly and attack.

These details are crucial during combat and even one bad move or one mistimed attack can spell disaster for an entire fleet and lead to a restart.

Human Extinction Simulator would have also been interesting in multiplayer because a human player would certainly make more mistakes than the computer and that in turn would have led to more interesting matches, but unfortunately the game is at the moment only offering single player.

Graphics and audio

Human Extinction Simulator is played from a top down perspective and is using a hex grid, which gives players a fast way of taking a look at the entire field of battle, while also allowing them to focus on just one ship in order to determine what it can achieve during a turn.

The hex-based grid created by the development team is also a great way of showing how the various weapons on the bigger ships will engage enemies and how the smaller ships can use their maneuverability in order to avoid fire and bring their own weapons to bare.

Where are they coming from?
Where are they coming from?

The interface is easy to use and offers plenty of information, although it might take a little time before gamers are able to quickly recognize each of the tools they can use, but the setup of Human Extinction Simulator also means that there’s little in the way of the beauty the title has to offer.

The human ships are functional to the extreme and could be at home in any other non-descript science fiction universe, and the aliens also seem to have limited imagination when it comes to their own vessels.

The sound design of the title uses some classic science fiction building blocks, but Human Extinction Simulator requires so much concentration that I often blocked out the music before turning it off hoping that this would improve my performance.


The Good

  • Turn-based core mechanics
  • Mission design

The Bad

  • Limited presentation
  • Difficulty level can generate frustration

Conclusion

Human Extinction Simulator is a good game from a gameplay standpoint, with great scenarios, carefully crafted units and a lot of replayability.

Its biggest problem is that it is a little too difficult for its own good and there are moments when it seems entirely impossible to win certain fights.

The upside of the hardcore nature is that every victory feels like an achievement, but gamers who associate the turn-based strategy genre with the likes of Civilization need to be prepared to learn some complex ship movement patterns if they want to have any chance of winning in Human Extinction Simulator.

story 7
gameplay 8
concept 9
graphics 7
audio 8
multiplayer 0
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 

Human Extinction Simulator Images (15 Images)

Human Extinction Simulator lookEnemy forcesIt's a trapTry out the ArenaMajor engagement
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