HighFleet

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 24
  3. Negative: 2 out of 24

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  1. Zebsdee
    Aug 1, 2021
    5
    To summarise, it's a series of minigames tied together with unit management and a strategic map to move around. Playing it I wondered what a sub sim would feel like if the conclusion of every hunt was a 2d 80s style arcade shooter. Flashbacks to the old Elite in having to dock manually each and every time, although at least in that game you could eventually purchase some automation andTo summarise, it's a series of minigames tied together with unit management and a strategic map to move around. Playing it I wondered what a sub sim would feel like if the conclusion of every hunt was a 2d 80s style arcade shooter. Flashbacks to the old Elite in having to dock manually each and every time, although at least in that game you could eventually purchase some automation and fast forward the dull routine. The game is made difficult by its single save only system, with obscure systems and some clunky controls presenting the only other real barriers.

    What Highfleet has in spades is atmosphere and a really well done dieselpunk aesthetic. Sadly, that just isn't enough to keep me playing. Does make me wonder whether Xenon 2 with a strategic layer could be something we'll see at some point.    … Expand
  2. Antonio1001
    Jul 31, 2021
    9
    I really like this game, though I would love if there was a option to save.
  3. zarkokuvalja
    Jul 30, 2021
    9
    Highfleet is incredibly fun and thought through - nothing here is fluff yet it's far from minimal as it's beautiful both visually and intellectually (as far as my intellect goes at least).

    I think some of us go to sims because truth is stranger than fiction so the hope is that a sim which tries to simulate truth would provide a deeper kind of fun at the expense of having to work harder    Highfleet is incredibly fun and thought through - nothing here is fluff yet it's far from minimal as it's beautiful both visually and intellectually (as far as my intellect goes at least).

    I think some of us go to sims because truth is stranger than fiction so the hope is that a sim which tries to simulate truth would provide a deeper kind of fun at the expense of having to work harder for it. Koshutin got that, took parts of sims that are fun, threw them in the pot with RTS, arcades, RPGs and a hint of adventure and what we've got is something that's kept me playing until I've noticed it's way past 4 AM.

    Do you know of and like the craziness that is the CWIZ? Would you like to have 6 of them on your flying chunk of metal that you've aptly named the "Dakaktron 2000" and are whipping around the picturesque desert skies, fighting enemies, inertia and gravity? You also get flares, point defence, and jamming just to name a few.

    At the same time, do you enjoy the strategy and fighting for survival against an overwhelming foe such as in Homeworld, Deserts of Kharak or the Batllestar Galactica series? Here you get to (and have to) fight tactically but also strategically and outsmart that foe - and it is fun and engaging, not a slog.

    Do you love the sonary parts of Cold Waters or Dangerous Waters but kind of just wish mechanisms like that would exist in a fantastical different world rather than the Cold War? Koshutin managed to include message decoding, waterfall displays and an early warning radar system straight out of a Sukhoi into the game and again make it fun and engaging.

    Everything in this game has been though through, everything is meaningful and if something at first seems like a gimmick, nothing is, down to almost every beatiful knob in the in game UI that is a piece of art and motion of it's own.

    The story is also great and has just enough RPG in it. I mention the story so late only because the game parts of this game are so good I almost forgot about it.

    The biggest praise I think that Koshutin and the team deserve is not that this game has so much in it but that it is all tied together and balanced so beatifully. This could have easily just been a simple shooter or a "it's got guns now" sequel to Hammerfight but they've delivered something of a much larger scope and depth yet as much if not more fun.

    Downsides:

    (I'm reviewing this a few days after release) - the game doesn't really do resolutions and you're stuck with I think is 1080p upscaled. I don't mind but some people get black bars. This might or migh not get changed, no info so far (there are workarounds in Steam forums).

    Controls are not rebindable - for me they are perfect as it is and again don't mind this at all but if nothing more a valid point is the struggles of lefties who can't enjoy games with a typical WASD layout.

    Minor bugs but nothing gamebreaking in my experience - someone also found an infinite money glitch. These are things I optimistically expect will get ironed out.    … Expand
  4. czurikov2014
    Aug 1, 2021
    9
    Very good game, good physics, good action, good story. Also very immersive.
  5. EvgenS
    Sep 21, 2021
    9
    Офигенная атмосфера и очень залипательные бои и конструирование. -1 балл за отсутствие настройки управления под себя и слабенький туториал.
  6. rezo_21
    Jan 7, 2022
    7
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 71 IIIIIIIIII====================
  7. Oleksandr_
    Sep 1, 2021
    10
    I did not expect it, but I really like this game! It will be nice to have a bigger map and more events :)
  8. ShillBoy
    Aug 19, 2021
    10
    Unique, immersive and complex, easily my game of the year.

    Made by just two people, this isn't a AAA game, it has some quirks and the occasional bug, but generally it is a highly polished and innovative game.

    The tutorial actually does a fairly good job at showing you what the buttons do, but doesn't tell you why or how to use them. For some, that's been an issue, for me it's half the fun.
  9. MDCaesar
    Aug 9, 2023
    8
    finaly managed to finish this game after something like 8th run?!
    a good bittersweet experience, although, superman AI and steep learning curve make the game rather inaccessible for some, i find it quite peculiar and unlike any other game out there.
  10. Kneesalt
    Jun 7, 2022
    8
    Confusing, frustrating, and undeniably satisfying. It’s a masterpiece that keeps me hooked even when I want to punch a hole through my monitor.
  11. gfbulc
    Aug 13, 2023
    9
    A true video game.

    As a toy, highfleet is essentially XCOM. It hast the absorbing feedback loop of strategic and tactical layer interacting with each other. On the strategic level, player deals with ship building, fleet composition, fleet movement, force disposition, intelligence, logistics and resources. The goal is to go from A to B against overwhelming odds, making use of all    A true video game.

    As a toy, highfleet is essentially XCOM. It hast the absorbing feedback loop of strategic and tactical layer interacting with each other. On the strategic level, player deals with ship building, fleet composition, fleet movement, force disposition, intelligence, logistics and resources. The goal is to go from A to B against overwhelming odds, making use of all available options. The tactical level reminded me of Heavy Weapon from Popcap. It is also probably my main problem with the game. The strategic and tactical gameplay targets different audience, almost.

    The strategic layer where the game was most engrossing. It is so well crafted, overwhelming at times. The cryptic UI hides a rather simple and intuitive gameplay. The game is based around naval warfare, with the player controlling a fleet.
    Basic electromagnetic warfare concepts are used as fun gameplay mechanics. ELINT allows the player to detect radar signal direction, but the enemy also has ELINT so your radar signal you sent to detect the enemy also give away your location. Then, you have IRST which uses infrared so while it has much shorter range, it cannot be detected. You can also intercept and decrypt radio message. Jammer is the last option in EW which can help against radar guided missiles but also make your ship detectable on enemy's ELINT for almost the entire map. That's about it for EW, yet by combining with the ability to customise your ships and fleets, as well as controlling multiple fleets at once, the amount of things you can do is nothing short of astounding. You can deploy a few small scouting fleets with radar as scout, use small ships with IRST to maintain a detection parameter. You can split smaller fleet with radar on to serve as sacrifice if the enemy is chasing your fleet but still out of range. The possibility is endless.
    On top of that is ship customisation. Every ships can be custom made by the player, their role is entirely up to you. As you play, you naturally learn aspects of naval operation. Concepts like supply, strike force, escort, recon, wolf packs, fleet in being, force concentration or convoy interdiction come naturally. They forms the basis of how you create ship categories and roles. While the game has their own specification, because you can make whatever ship you want with different fuel capacity, speed, firepower, protection, ammunition, the ability to land and having to balance them, you can quickly come up with broken builds, or sensible ones that adhere to real life and most often, both. Ship design can include highly specialised such as oil tankers, ships with multiple fuel tanks that's likely barely faster than the flagship carrier, to jack-of-all-trades like cruisers with decent firepower that's served as your secondary flagship. Many whacky strategies are detailed online, the bare minimum include small suicide ships, baits ships with EW equipments but much faster to outrun pursuers, rammers with thick armour capable of taking out the toughest of opponents. Sseth done a video pretty much covering the funnier aspects which is worth watching.

    Then, there's the art aspect. The story is fun but the mechanics associated with it could be done better. The music is strangely compelling. Sound design is awesome. Of course, the elephant in the room is the skeuomorphic UI. The above mentioned EW was a large part of why the game was panned by critics who couldn't get over the beautiful UI elements. It's one of the most impressive UI I have seen in a while and brought back good memories of similar Eastern European projects with utterly alien design. Many options are switches and the game even added compass and marker to use to calculate object direction and velocity. It's not something that can be adequately described. There's nothing better than experiencing it yourself.

    I don't think there's an equally satisfying experience simulating naval warfare in a long time that has both fun toy part with the simulation and art part with the unique setting, story, UI design that plays very well with the gameplay. It's such a rare gem in the sea of copy paste.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Nov 30, 2021
    82
    Back in the 90’s, a lot of games were made by small teams or even a single person who did what felt right, creating entirely new genres in the process. It’s hard to imagine something like that happening today. But with Highfleet,it did happen: it’s a truly unique blend of arcade, strategy and fleet management. [Issue#256, p.46]
  2. CD-Action
    Oct 12, 2021
    70
    Brilliant visuals, great music and unusual user interface will score points with people who like games that have a soul despite being very complex. However, to reach a broader audience, the developers would have to significantly improve the transparency of gameplay mechanics and iron out rough edges. [10/2021, p.40]
  3. 4P.de
    Sep 17, 2021
    83
    Equally unique and fascinating military fantasy with varied content. But you have to have the patience to get to grips with all that HighFleet has to offer.
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