Reviews

• gamedeal user

  May 15, 2022

  I really wanted to like this game. I really did. But I cannot in good faith recommend Conan Unconquered to prospective buyers. This will be the first-ever negative review I have left on Steam. I usually try to see the benefits of any given game, even as I would point out its shortcomings. For C:U I'm afraid there are very few redeeming features, as is. For one, you can't turn the camera's angle around during gameplay, save for an aerial view mode to place structures more accurately. A common feature in older RTS games in the previous years, such an aspect absent in modern titles is shocking, to say the least. The campaign was also not what I expected it to be, as it left me unfulfilled with only 10 maps overall to play. I had hoped for a bit more lore in the Conan universe as written by Robert E. Howard during the 1930s and the subsequent works it engendered by others over the decades, but asides from a barely-filled out conflict between Conan and Thugra Khotan, little else can be found. I suppose it was too much to hope for, in that respect. Even more disappointing are the custom game settings. Granted C:U is a wave-defence RTS, but I did somewhat expect that outside the campaign missions, you could at least have the option to pause the waves from advancing if you wanted to. That was not the case, and instead, I had to balance between building and fending off the waves as they came, which really took the shine out of base-building in a custom game for me. I suppose I should note the plus points, to be fair. For one, the graphics are gorgeous. To see your base structures reflected in the water surface was surprising. The troops available to you are also reasonable, allowing you to balance each's strengths and weaknesses. The buildings, especially for resources, offer an interesting challenge in finding the right balance. The veterancy levelling for your heroes, though slow, at least gives them a respectable boost in damage and endurance once they level up. I'm not sure what is the level cap, since I never went past two. Similarly, the enemies thrown against you are a respectable mix of variety, even if they can irritate you at times. However, in parting I must point out the most glaring and obvious problem about C:U; it has reportedly been abandoned. Based on what I've read, the last update it received was in the second half of 2019. This is a fool's mistake on my part. Had I known it was close to three years since the game was updated, I would have not bought it, to begin with. I understand developer Petroglyph has been bought out, and their new owners had them focus on mobile games. So strictly not a take-the-money-and-run-scenario, but unacceptable nonetheless. To top it all off, there is no Workshop or modding aspect (that I am aware of) for C:U. The lifespan & replayability of games these days also depends on these two aspects, and the lack thereof greatly shortens it. So C:U could have been so much more. But instead, we are left with this. Would that I could refund the game, but I passed the two-hour limit just to see how the game works in detail. So dear reader, take this review as a gaming caveat emptor. Better to spend your money on something else than this.
• gamedeal user

  Jul 3, 2022

  tl;dr: Definitely worth the price if you like games similar to They Are Billions but with a few excellent differences: less reliance on enemy spam, challenging economy, roguelite elements, co-op, online customizable maps, and an immersive Conan world (it made me watch the movie). Warning: Though the product description states that it's by the devs behind Command & Conquer, this NOT a C&C or Age of Empires style RTS where you build bases and attack each other. This is more of a They Are Billions but with manageable enemy hordes and events that mix it up such as fog of war sandstorms, diseases from piled-up corpses, and the Feats feature which gives Conan: Unconquered a definite roguelite RTS element which I have never seen before: Get X amount of units to Veteran status across multiple matches and you will unlock a special perk/skill/bonus for that unit type. The game also does have Warcraft 3-like customizable maps that can be uploaded, visible in an in-game interface, and other players can complete against each other on those maps for the publicly displayed highscore. There's also endless modes on the campaign map under the "Unconquered" button, but you need to earn it. To prospective buyers: If you have played They Are Billions or Age of Darkness but do not enjoy getting absolutely swamped by enemies to the point that it's outright unfair and frustratingly annoying, then this game is for you. This game is difficult, but not because of enemy spam, but rather due to the cleverly designed economic scarcity in line with the Conan world, it's a scarcity that you can still overcome but it requires planning and strategy. Oh and you only have one save slot per level, so if you lose, you will have to start that level all over again which, with the feats, makes it quite a roguelite. (Tip: use the delay wave button for more time, score penalty doesn't matter, and focus on building a ton of houses as your main priority with room for a marketplace). If you have not played They Are Billions or Age of Darkness: if you are weird like me and are able to cope by not playing this game with the reasonable expectation that you would be playing a modern post-2015 RTS and can to an extent trick yourself into believing that the game was definitely an RTS made in the mid-to-late 2000s with its Warcraft 3 inspired Hero-minion mini RPG level up adventure system as part of the overall Red Alert-style base building then you won't be disappointed. And the graphic will help you with that background facade, and taken with that in mind, the game is pretty good and I like to think of it as a retro graphics tribute to those basic 3D RTS experiments during that time period like C&C: Generals. So I played it with the surprisingly rewarding fabrication that it really was an old 2005-2010 RTS had game devs back then known about modern day RTS metas. The part that sets this game clearly in the present, however, is the fact that in this game you're playing on defense with a system closely echoing the genre-defining They Are Billions and Age of Darkness. It has the same raw material farm system too. I already like TAB and AoD, and I enjoy defense RTSes a lot, so I gave it a shot. Since most other readers are gone by now, I do want to complain about something, how do you release a game in 2019 and not have a fast-forward option? They definitely used a legit RTS engine from 2005 to create a game in 2019. It's like 8-bit pixel games for that retro effect. That's dedication. And that's how old we're getting. This game has great combat dismemberment too, and fortunately for us, the devs didn't get inspired by the modern Total War series' decision to charge us extra money for a DLC that just enables unit blood and dismemberment in combat. Lots of implied marginal value for your dollar right here, ain't no denying it. To the Devs: - Please for the love of all that is holy, speed up the combat animation because it feels like they're fighting each other like they're stuck in one of those frustrating slow-motion nightmares and it really cripples the arcade-like scoring system that would, if the combat was faster and snappier, definitely be exciting. - Add a traditional save and load feature as an option with the current save system turned into an Ironman Mode - The current time between waves with the delay button fully used should be the default time between waves, additional time beyond that should be through the delay button and penalty. I want to enjoy and focus on building and management and casual players will be scared off the game without ever touching the delay button. - Allow for a customizable HUD/interface size, I like minimal and small HUDs, the current one gets in the way of the gameplay and battlefield view
• gamedeal user

  Jan 30, 2023

  Yikes, this game really feels like a cheap version of They Are Billions or other games like it such as Diplomacy is not an Option. The problem begins when you are unable to recruit any troops from having to constantly build more houses, but the attack waves come like every 3 minutes. Then you need to build walls but then you find out some of the waves have enemies that ignore walls and climb the cliffs or something, but you don't have the troops to deal with them so you having to use the hero alone. By time you finally destroy them and repair the damage, the next wave is already announced to be approaching so you really don't have time to explore the map. Doesn't help that they no longer working on the game as well. If the waves came every 10 minutes or something, this would have been a much better experience for me. I do love the combat though, but just everything else rubs me wrong way so I cannot recommend the game. Even Alien Marauder felt much better.
• gamedeal user

  May 30, 2019

  It's basically They Are Billions with a Conan skin. You try to manage resource gathering while expanding your military to fend off ever more difficult waves of enemies. Whether this game appeals to you is probably largely going to depend on whether you like Conan or not. Combat is very nice and visceral, but feels slow-paced. There are some nice features, like insect enemies being able to bypass walls by going over mountains instead. To be honest, I can't really recommend this over They Are Billions for the following reasons: - Optimization is all over the place. One moment I'm getting 60FPS, the next I'm getting 16FPS. This happens even when I don't move the camera. - Pace feels a lot slower. In They Are Billions your units tend to be fast and you can easily explore the map between rounds. In this one your units move painfully slow and it's a mission to just get them from one side of the base to the other side where the enemies are. As a result I spend more time hunkered in my base in fear that I won't get back in time when the next wave hits. - The zoom level is bad. It feels like I can't zoom out enough to actually see the screen. - It's buggy. Very buggy. Expect weird things like units not attacking back or enemies suddenly teleporting for no reason. - You don't actually see any workers walking around in the game, so your town feels completely dead. Just a bunch of soldiers waiting around for the next wave of enemies to come. That's not to say that it's a bad game, just not better than the other option on the market at the moment. Unless you're very interested in the Conan setting, I recommend rather just getting They Are Billions instead. This game feels like a rough early access game in comparison, which is ironic considering TAB is the EA game and this is the full release.
• gamedeal user

  May 30, 2019

  I am a large RE Howard fan and a large Conan the barbarian fan, I am also a supporter of Funcom, I have an account for Age of Conan and I am one of the original private server owners for Conan Exiles. This game had a lot of hype and looks neat but it crashes worse than a Stygian boat in the waters of the far north. Until the bugs are corrected and they add more depth(more heroes, more camera modes, make citizens build structures instead of them building themselves I mean what is this a cell phone game? Because that's what it looks like!!! Funcom and your partner, hear my prayers, and if you do not listen then the hell with this game. I'm back to Exiles and Ages until they do. For almost 40 bucks by Crom and Ymir's beard I expected more "You spoke like there was more, you dogs!" roared Conan, wrenching his broadsword from his sparking PC monitor. "Mitra grant at least some of you are competent and fix these damn bugs that plague this game." He stalked out, slamming the office door as he left.
• gamedeal user

  May 30, 2019

  fun as hell with coop -day one DLC is disgusting though
• gamedeal user

  May 31, 2019

  Why do walls take twice the gold to repair as they do to tear down and rebuild them? Edit: this has been fixed. Always remember what I can only assume was a wall repair money laundering scheme.
• gamedeal user

  May 31, 2019

  If you like They Are Billions but wish it had Coop then this is the game for you.
• gamedeal user

  May 31, 2019

  Here's the deal, I think this game has potential, a whole lot of it. I am still going to recommend this shit, even though it is far too difficult. You have almost no time between waves to upgrade, or explore. I don't understand how one is supposed to kill giant guardians, when you barely have time to fix destroyed buildings and manage the 500,000 resources this game utilizes. PLUS you need resources to GET resources! Oh your guild building got destroyed, WELL CONAN CANT REMEMBER HOW TO BUILD STONE WALLS WITHOUT IT, even after you already RESEARCHED IT. I honestly HATE this game, I HATE IT, but for some reason I keep coming back to it. Maybe I will do better this time! Maybe the game wont FUCK ME. But it does! It always does! Whats that? You cant get past wave 15? Too fucking bad, here have some BATTERING RAMS to GAPE ME. So all in all 5/5 I hate myself, and I hate the developers.
• gamedeal user

  May 31, 2019

  + Co-op - Day 1 DLC - Overpriced