Krater

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 211 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 126 out of 211
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 211
  3. Negative: 38 out of 211

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  1. cane
    Jun 19, 2012
    5
    Krater is a game that tries hard to be unique but fails in the important aspect of fun gameplay. From the first minute you enter krater you are doing what you will be doing all the game long, the repetition in this game is so extreme that it's difficult not to question the mindset of the devs. You will collect loot, "level" up your soldiers, learn crafting recipes and complete quests. AllKrater is a game that tries hard to be unique but fails in the important aspect of fun gameplay. From the first minute you enter krater you are doing what you will be doing all the game long, the repetition in this game is so extreme that it's difficult not to question the mindset of the devs. You will collect loot, "level" up your soldiers, learn crafting recipes and complete quests. All this would sound fine if it weren't for the fact that there is no substance to any of it. The level up system is kind of weird as you don't get better by just leveling up as you need to insert implants to raise your stats, your level determins the amount of implants you can use but it quickly becomes very basic as in fill out your soldiers with implants and then slowly replace them with better ones. The crafting is the basic "collect this and that and press a button" although there is a lot of recipes in the game to somewhat save it. The questing is the run of the mill MMO type quests and you will get bored of the same old "go kill" or "go fetch" quests that plague the game. Also important to notice is that all exploration is pretty much useless, yes you will find all these locations on the world map ( which I love btw) but they are all so empty, there is no real need to go into any of these unless you have a quest in there since you can clear them out without finding any special.

    Sadly I could go on about Kraters short comings but right now I have better things to do. I'm not gonna say straight out "don't buy this" but I would spend my money else where and maybe grab it in the future when there is more content.    … Expand
  2. Tooterfish
    Sep 26, 2012
    6
    Up-voting a bad game on the principle that it was poorly created by an indie developer is idiotic. This game has "charm", but shadowed by horrible design flaws. The decision making process of this indie team is not ripe with much experience in the genre, and it shows. Indie or not, the game has deserved the negative overtone. Please understand, for the love of God, worshiping indiesUp-voting a bad game on the principle that it was poorly created by an indie developer is idiotic. This game has "charm", but shadowed by horrible design flaws. The decision making process of this indie team is not ripe with much experience in the genre, and it shows. Indie or not, the game has deserved the negative overtone. Please understand, for the love of God, worshiping indies neither makes you look smart, cool, compassionate or generous; you look like an ass-hat, and you're killing both metacritic and lowering the bar of excellence in game production across the board.… Expand
  3. frast
    Oct 6, 2012
    6
    The Krater is an interesting idea. Maybe not as interesting as some sensational ideas for games, but can play in it. Targeting three warriors (they can call it that ...) is cool because in this game it is often not used. Curiosity gets when fighting a monster. We need to use (and sometimes we can) from each of the three skills. It is cool and rarely used. In Krater impossible to play atThe Krater is an interesting idea. Maybe not as interesting as some sensational ideas for games, but can play in it. Targeting three warriors (they can call it that ...) is cool because in this game it is often not used. Curiosity gets when fighting a monster. We need to use (and sometimes we can) from each of the three skills. It is cool and rarely used. In Krater impossible to play at times in the game really fun. It is a pity that at times it is hard to even comprehend. You can easily get lost because everything is not always marked on the map to the maps are so made ​​that everything seems to be the same. After a while things get too heavy, and the fight against creatures require reboots even after 8 checkpoint's. The downside is also a call for getting the quest. People talking without sense, and most say even too much for what the game wants to sleep (or at least the talks). As for the storyline or not, it is addictive, it really is not all fun and give her too much, even there is not. The game looks good. There is obviously something graphic and could put an eye, but it is good. The game generally played as nice, of course, until it gets hard. But I think that many people will like this game. My rating -6/10… Expand
  4. RoofieColada
    Sep 25, 2012
    5
    My only complaint is the combat......I just felt like it was a little clunky, unintuitive but that wasnt so bad. The reason I gave it a 5 is the simple fact that the combat is just plain repetitive. I like everything else about the game, enough so that I would have given it an 8 or a 9. But the same old grindy feel just killed it for me.
  5. Sugarontop
    Jun 13, 2012
    7
    The skill system could use some workout but it is a polished and enjoyable postapocalyptic actionrpg. There are not so much around, so you must play what you get.
  6. Howbot
    Jun 28, 2012
    6
    Had really no expectations going into this game, it was the first game I decided to purchase on Steam; the controls are very easy to pick up (ability wise, there are only six) if you have ever played any other RPG or MMO for that matter (i.e. Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft). What is not so self explanatory is boosters [character upgrade], implants [also a character upgrade], or mapHad really no expectations going into this game, it was the first game I decided to purchase on Steam; the controls are very easy to pick up (ability wise, there are only six) if you have ever played any other RPG or MMO for that matter (i.e. Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft). What is not so self explanatory is boosters [character upgrade], implants [also a character upgrade], or map progression (of you don't pay attention, you will get lost). Along with implants and boosters not really being explained to you in the beginning, too much focus is put on collecting money ($20k to get the level upgrade for A SINGLE character? Seriously?) and mats to make these said implants or boosters rather than leveling, also the leveling is extremely easy and you will hit the cap very quickly provided you have money to make the upgrade (cap level is fifteen). Character customization does not exist in this game besides the upgrades (lame). On another note, I would of really liked to see more than just six abilities (between 3 characters, 2 each) or at least a co-op.This game does have a good amount of bugs. The game can become VERY monotonous if playing for extended amounts of time due to the nature of the quests, which is basically going to a different city to talk to someone, going in a cave to kill someone, or going in to a cave to retrieve something (literally every quest is one of those 3). After all this being said, the game does look quite well and you must keep in mind it is only a fifteen dollar game [you get what you pay for!] This is an OKAY fifteen dollar game and would of been a great ten dollar game.… Expand
  7. greywolf00
    Jun 3, 2013
    7
    Overall not a bad game. A nice amount of customizing, both via implants & skill addons. Game is pretty challenging but it feels like some of that is due to it being a Real Time squad game without pause. Sometimes you just can't grab aggro off your healer fast enough to keep him alive and the fight is over after that. Even with hotkeys and shortcuts when I lose fights its often because ofOverall not a bad game. A nice amount of customizing, both via implants & skill addons. Game is pretty challenging but it feels like some of that is due to it being a Real Time squad game without pause. Sometimes you just can't grab aggro off your healer fast enough to keep him alive and the fight is over after that. Even with hotkeys and shortcuts when I lose fights its often because of this rather than biting off more than I could chew.… Expand
  8. JacobTypes
    Jun 21, 2012
    5
    It was the best of games, it was the worst of games (but mostly the worst). First the good. Post-apocalyptic motifs are about as fresh as zombies and vampires at this point, but Krater takes a lighter approach. The characters are goofy and the settings are colorful. The world is alive and kicking in a Beyond Thunderdome sort of way. Now to the bad. Mind numbing gameplay. The combat system,It was the best of games, it was the worst of games (but mostly the worst). First the good. Post-apocalyptic motifs are about as fresh as zombies and vampires at this point, but Krater takes a lighter approach. The characters are goofy and the settings are colorful. The world is alive and kicking in a Beyond Thunderdome sort of way. Now to the bad. Mind numbing gameplay. The combat system, upgrade system, and questing, are all so straight forward and simple that it quickly becomes an exercise in brainless repetition.… Expand
  9. Anwest
    Jun 28, 2012
    7
    Updated review (had 3 of 10 before): After the v1.04 patch I find the game much more stable and after the remove of the level cap on the characters I enjoy it more. Still some flaws though, but not any big ones. I wish it was a bit less repetitive maybe. The developers said in a press2play.tv interview that they took a lot of inspiration from the Diablo series when creating Krater,Updated review (had 3 of 10 before): After the v1.04 patch I find the game much more stable and after the remove of the level cap on the characters I enjoy it more. Still some flaws though, but not any big ones. I wish it was a bit less repetitive maybe. The developers said in a press2play.tv interview that they took a lot of inspiration from the Diablo series when creating Krater, therefore it's natural that Krater will be compared to Diablo III (which I haven't played). Of course it's not the same game, but Krater and Diablo certainly have a lot in common.… Expand
  10. rabab
    Jun 14, 2012
    5
    The game is a farrago of innovative, rote, and poorly executed elements, leading to a fun yet frustrating, and ultimately average, experience. There's a max level cap of 15 for each character in your squad, and leveling (or increasing rank) only opens up implant slots for a character and its abilities; there's no distributing stats or upgrading abilities outside of implant mods.The game is a farrago of innovative, rote, and poorly executed elements, leading to a fun yet frustrating, and ultimately average, experience. There's a max level cap of 15 for each character in your squad, and leveling (or increasing rank) only opens up implant slots for a character and its abilities; there's no distributing stats or upgrading abilities outside of implant mods. Essentially, the character development is based entirely around random loot drops. This is somewhat annoying considering that characters must be recruited (coming with max ranks of 5/10/15), each having different base stats, coupled with the fact that character/ability mods can't be removed from them. Itemization is particularly disappointing, no armor at all, just weapons, character/ability mods (implants), crafting materials/blueprints, (re)usable items, and "valuables," the last of which only exists for selling. They should have been merged with crafting materials, so that you face a strategic choice in whether you keep or sell them, they're pointless otherwise and don't even add "flavor" to the world. Crafting is pretty much standard, which although is OK, it could have been better if you could experiment with different items to find recipes, influence item bonuses by using different materials, etc. It just feels like a missed opportunity.

    Skill system is innovative yet disappointing at the same time as well. Race and class determine the skill itself, and other variation is only added through mods to it, somewhat like Path of Exile. Unfortunately, the mods are items and are fairly generic (bonuses to damage, healing, etc.), though what is interesting is that you can combine a healing bonus mod to a non-healing skill to make it heal. There's no way to qualitatively change the abilities though, e.g., change the base ability itself, give a melee skill a ranged component or make a skill do elemental damage (the concept of which does not even exist in this game). Combat is engaging and enjoyable, though the hectic pace of fighting and lack of basic skill variety mean that you'll likely end up mindlessly mashing hot keys most of the time. The game sorely needs pausing functionality or slower combat to maximize its strategic potential. Having access to all 3 characters' abilities at once though is a brilliant idea, but it could have been capitalized on so much more. Pathfinding isn't the best, but it works well enough. Enemies are all essentially the same, though, and usually don't require much strategy beyond standard procedure. Nothing except different damage, health, name, and visual representation distinguishes them. Overworld map is cool, again another great idea. You travel between different locations with random encounters in between, and it's pretty much entirely open from the start, though there's no level scaling (another plus) so you can't travel too far. Story and dialogue are unengaging and uninspired, and the voice acting is abysmal, both of which are really unfortunate given how fresh and different the setting is. Character development is lacking entirely, since player characters are randomly generated and replaced throughout the game (there's permadeath too, though it's a bit hard to have that occur). It's a big world, but there's just not enough incentive to explore it given that the characters don't have anything permanent for the player to develop and the gameplay becomes too boring after a while to maintain continued interest. tl;dr Try it if you like new things, don't expect anything amazing, and the game feels too unpolished.    … Expand
  11. gruia
    Jun 13, 2012
    5
    Boring.
    THe setting is not bad, and the gameplay gets a pass, but the lack of RPG elements, NPCs are all the same, and the writing is nothing special.

    The AI is really rudimentary, you will have more fun playing Diablo 1, by far . Also a real time party based, doesn't really leave room for much. Probably the speed will cover mose AI problems
  12. Orctownorc
    Aug 24, 2013
    6
    Krater seems to me like a game design college project that got funded by a sugar daddy or a government scholarship, and never would have made it with 'real funding' from real publishers. It's not that it really fails at anything, but EVERYTHING is just amateurish and weak. Characters all hidden behind masks? WEAK! A party set at three members (not 1 not 6 not open) WEAK! A map withKrater seems to me like a game design college project that got funded by a sugar daddy or a government scholarship, and never would have made it with 'real funding' from real publishers. It's not that it really fails at anything, but EVERYTHING is just amateurish and weak. Characters all hidden behind masks? WEAK! A party set at three members (not 1 not 6 not open) WEAK! A map with insufficient zoom and no rotation, WEAK! A lack of tactical combat controls! WEAK! Swedish voice overs that are often no more than mumbling (even in Swedish) WEAK! Feels to me like a kind of Torchlight 1 meets Fallout game, but more like Torchlight and less like Fallout. So a kind of post-apocalyptic torchlight 1 if that's what you like, definitely get it. Personally I would go for a more serious RPG where the artists can draw faces like...like any other game made by PROFESSIONALS.

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake of accountability: you can reply if needed: Orctowngrot: Tim Rawlins: timtimjp@yahoo.com    … Expand
  13. Heldrin
    Jun 7, 2013
    7
    As others have noted here, Krater has a lot of charm. The post apocalyptic theme and the humor kinda reminds me a little of Borderlands, except a bit less ultra violent. Your weapons are going to be made from whatever materials they have available after the apocalypse in Sweden, so expect guns made from soda cans and a 2 hand weapon made out of a mailbox.

    In Krater you'll level up    As others have noted here, Krater has a lot of charm. The post apocalyptic theme and the humor kinda reminds me a little of Borderlands, except a bit less ultra violent. Your weapons are going to be made from whatever materials they have available after the apocalypse in Sweden, so expect guns made from soda cans and a 2 hand weapon made out of a mailbox.

    In Krater you'll level up soldiers of various archetypes, who generally fall into the category of tank, healer, damage dealer, or crowd controller. You mix and match soldier combinations to form teams of 3, and then go do quests, level up, get weapon and ability upgrades, etc.,-- typical ARPG stuff. The combat is in real time, and you're going to be controlling the three different characters all at once, including their targeting, abilities, and positioning, (each character only has 2 abilities and a cool-down item so it's not that bad). The controls can take a little getting used to though, judging from some of the other reviews this was a hurdle that was too steep for some.

    Last time I played there were two fairly lengthy, (maybe 40 level?), dungeons which constituted the "end-game". The enemies get repetitive as there are only a limited type, (you're going to be fighting a lot of bears and moose). The monsters basically come in packs of 3-5 which your team would fight in a similar fashion to a multiplayer role playing game, with one soldier tanking, one doing damage, another healing. Or, you can have two damage dealers+one healer, or, three crowd controllers, or, any other team set-up you find viable for the encounter. Towards the later levels of the dungeons, some strategizing is necessary for certain mob groups, and a bad pull will wipe your team quickly. Then you have to start over at your last checkpoint, which could be many floors back. It can get a bit frustrating at times.

    For the $15 I spent on the game though I feel I got my money's worth from Krater, I got about 90 hours of game play out of it. For the price point I give the game a 7.49, the story is worth playing through once.    … Expand
  14. urbanrot
    Aug 7, 2013
    6
    The game has a lot of heart but it's lacking the extra polish that might make give it a higher rating which reduces it to monotony without payout.

    Pros: Enjoyable soundtrack that I'd listen to on its own, nice visuals and smooth throughout on decent hardware, more strategizing than Diablo with additional characters and abilities, and a low price tag. Cons: A poor interface that will    The game has a lot of heart but it's lacking the extra polish that might make give it a higher rating which reduces it to monotony without payout.

    Pros: Enjoyable soundtrack that I'd listen to on its own, nice visuals and smooth throughout on decent hardware, more strategizing than Diablo with additional characters and abilities, and a low price tag.

    Cons: A poor interface that will cause you to squint as it doesn't scale for higher resolutions, and monotonous clicking for much of the game as there isn't enough variance in enemies or loot.

    Again, the visuals are nice and can be a treat in the cities but the dungeons are basically a boring grind with a lack of variety so you're basically clicking through them, devoid of fun. It's definitely worth $5 or less if you catch it on a Steam sale.    … Expand
  15. JakeDuffie
    Feb 28, 2014
    6
    When I look for words to describe this game, I keep coming back to "charming." The aesthetics pull you into the experience, and sometimes the humor, while not feeling forced, will actually make you crack a smile. (I am sure we have all played one too many games where the humor is more embarrassing than engaging). This has enough great elements to nearly be a classic, but two aspects willWhen I look for words to describe this game, I keep coming back to "charming." The aesthetics pull you into the experience, and sometimes the humor, while not feeling forced, will actually make you crack a smile. (I am sure we have all played one too many games where the humor is more embarrassing than engaging). This has enough great elements to nearly be a classic, but two aspects will cripple any chance this game has at breaking out into a massive success. The first, is the control. It isn't quite "bad," but sometimes you deselect a character by accident, or have to fiddle with the camera in ways you shouldn't have to, and it just rips you out of the experience. The second, is scope. Imagine playing World of Warcraft for the very first time, and then learning that the max level is 20. That is what it feels like, when you find out that every character caps out at 15. I find it very difficult to feel attached to my team, when there is a very finite amount of work that will ever go into them. Due to the above issues, this really ends up being a popcorn game. You see it on sale on steam, pick it up for dirt cheap, binge on it's charm for a few hours, the put it down.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 36
  3. Negative: 9 out of 36
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 13, 2012
    65
    Krater has a lot of good things going for it: an original setting (post-apocalyptic Sweden!), a fresh take on ARPG leveling mechanics, a moody soundtrack… Sadly, the monotonous and boring combat makes playing it a chore. Kudos for Fatshark for actively patching their game, but only time will tell whether the potential will ever be fulfilled. [Aug 2012]
  2. Absolute Games
    Sep 25, 2012
    48
    This game will bring you only pain and humiliation. It will drive you insane, filling your nightmares with many-colored bears.
    Read full review
  3. PC Master (Greece)
    Aug 31, 2012
    76
    Mixed emotions… Krater tries to be a squad-based action RPG, but ultimately it does not fully deliver, neither as squad-based, nor as action-hack/slash, nor even as an RPG- and that is truly a shame, for there was something really brilliant here. Still, it remains a fun way to pass many game-hours. [August 2012]
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