Planetary Annihilation

 PC
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 418 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 188 out of 418
  2. Mixed: 64 out of 418
  3. Negative: 166 out of 418
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  1. heskey30
    Jul 2, 2014
    7
    Well there's been something of an opinion war here, and many of the negative reviews are too negative because of a non-game issue that I won't go into. There are some overly positive reviews as well to counter this, so I will try to write a useful review. First, it must be said: this game is a blast - engaging, intense, and surprisingly well balanced. Fast paced tactics and strategy on aWell there's been something of an opinion war here, and many of the negative reviews are too negative because of a non-game issue that I won't go into. There are some overly positive reviews as well to counter this, so I will try to write a useful review. First, it must be said: this game is a blast - engaging, intense, and surprisingly well balanced. Fast paced tactics and strategy on a huge scale. But it's received a lot of legit positive criticism, so here's why I didn't rate it 10/10:

    First of all, and most detrimental to the game: it has performance issues. Lategame tank armies can slow the game to a crawl. Annihilating a planet can freeze the game for a long time and sometimes even crash it. The client occasionally crashes for no discernible reason (though you can reconnect), and there are other bugs, some of which are at least temporarily game breaking. Internet access is required to play, even singleplayer, though I've heard this will change in the 1.0 release. The game is in early access, so these problems are understandable, but they are still there.

    Secondly, there are balance problems. While most units have their uses and should be used to play optimally, things like tier two bombers are blatantly overpowered in the hands of a skilled micro player (they deliberately out-range all anti-air) and artillery units are a little strong as well. Bots, which are an entire tree of units, are considered very weak because they cannot defeat any of the other trees on their own. Balance is currently in progress, but there have been some worrying balance decisions by the team at Uber. This is the time to experiment with that, though, if there ever is one.

    Lategame can get rather standoffish. This can make for some slow games, especially in large free-for-alls, very especially coupled with the poor lategame performance, which is not only visual but also server-side. (So it slows down the game's actual mechanics.) There also is not much variety in interplanetary combat. It is also very easy early on in the game to get into a situation where winning is nearly impossible, but the game will still drag on for a long time - possibly without the player even knowing that winning is nearly impossible. This really punishes new players.

    Finally, system creator is rather limited. While you can set the general idea, you cannot sculpt your own terrain. This is not really a requirement, as that would be asking a lot, but just don't expect that and be disappointed.

    All that said, this game has already been a worthwhile purchase. Hopefully my rating will improve as the game becomes more finished.    … Expand
  2. Thoth
    Oct 11, 2014
    6
    With offline mode now this game is very good! Nice job! Coudnt you do this at launch Uber? Planetary Annihilation is simply an awesome, "epic scale" Real Time Strategy Game. Notice I said "epic scale," not "large scale." After all, multi planet gameplay, planet smashing, thousands of units, and 40 player matches can be described as nothing less than "epic scale."
  3. zwedizhfizh
    Oct 16, 2014
    6
    I paid way too much for this game, but I did have some fun. The overall experience is flawed with crappy UI and AI, but the multiplayer is expansive and worth trying. I loved the original Total Annihilation game and this wasn't like that, it was something different entirely. I just wanted to smash stuff together, and in this game I get to do that albeit very slowly.
  4. TheGaffer
    Oct 11, 2014
    5
    Distinctly average, unfortunately.

    I feel disappointed that I ended up buying this game on the pretence it would be somewhere near as good as Total Annihilation or Supreme Commander. When there is an existing formula that works for an incredible RTS. Add to it, don't re-design it! The main points that bother me are the lack of interesting units, it really is a rock paper scissor    Distinctly average, unfortunately.

    I feel disappointed that I ended up buying this game on the pretence it would be somewhere near as good as Total Annihilation or Supreme Commander. When there is an existing formula that works for an incredible RTS. Add to it, don't re-design it!

    The main points that bother me are the lack of interesting units, it really is a rock paper scissor scenario which in theory seems good for competitive play but ends up falling short in terms of keeping combat unique and varied. Tech 3 wars on TA were incredible fun to watch, let alone be part of.

    To be fair the game looks lovely and even though it seems to be more intense on the GPU than it should be it's by no means ugly. The planet crashing is a fun idea but it really doesn't lend a huge amount to gameplay. It's a very playable game but it wasn't the game I was hoping for. No chance I'll be helping to crowd fund their next venture. They were already charging silly amounts for an early access to this game...

    I think I'll go back to Spring RTS    … Expand
  5. Khalysto
    Sep 12, 2014
    5
    I created an account here *just* to write this review because people need to understand what they're getting into.

    1- Server-side only: If you purchase this title on steam (and you've done no other research), you need to know every match is server-side. You have to have a solid internet connection just to play the single player campaign. There are talks about implementing an offline    I created an account here *just* to write this review because people need to understand what they're getting into.

    1- Server-side only: If you purchase this title on steam (and you've done no other research), you need to know every match is server-side. You have to have a solid internet connection just to play the single player campaign. There are talks about implementing an offline mode but that has NOT happened yet (so talking about it is irrelevant). If your connection is lost mid-skirmish, the battle ends and you have to start it again. Kind of a pain when you're 20 minutes and 1000 units deep.

    2- Graphical Optimisation: I'm not sure why there's such a huge difference between UBER shadows and HIGH shadows, but when set to UBER (and you have multiple planets) everything chops to terribly. Now before you fault my machine, all other graphic settings are at their highest, I'm running a 6-core AMD processor w/ 16 gigs of ram and a 560Ti OC. Yes it's an older card but I can run *every* game at highest graphics with > 40 fps.

    3- Tutorial: I feel the need to call this out specifically. PA is not a simple game, in fact the fast pace can make the initial learning curve steep if you've never played a *Annihilation Style* game before. Never have I seen a dev firm use a Youtube video in lieu of an in-game tutorial that walks you through features and functions. I had to watch a let's play to find out about other aspects of the game I consider basic.

    4- Lack of Strategy: This game is all about how quickly you can spam units in a rock-paper-scissors style. Placement, levering specific unit type abilities, managing resources, none of that exists here. If my opponent is getting the upper hand, build more factories and spam more tanks = GG.

    5- Overall: I really want to like this game. I'm a big fan of Supreme commander and SUPCOM 2 so I was definitely anticipating something worthy to that legacy in PA. This game falls short. Yes it's a platform for modding, but mods should *enhance* the game, not fix its problems or polish it. With that said, I cannot recommend this title at the 29.99 asking price especially when it feels so light on content. If they offered it for 19.99 that'd be a different story.

    6- What do I like: Multi-planet warfare is a very cool concept, just poorly implemented in this title. Though the UI is a tad cumbersome to use I got used to it after the first skirmish. Graphically the game is very attractive with effects that get you immersed in the action.

    7- Final conclusion: This bun left the oven too early... much too early. Considering how much they killed their kickstart goal I would have expected a much more polished and verbose title. All in all I give it a 5/10.    … Expand
  6. sabasNL
    Sep 16, 2014
    6
    Have been an early backer, backed it within 24 hours of hitting Kickstarter. And I regret it.

    Despite these devs apparently having quite the repertoire, their failure to listen to the community, them breaking their promises and making weird design and marketing decisions have let this great concept fall into mediocrity. Although the price is very reasonable (much lower than it was    Have been an early backer, backed it within 24 hours of hitting Kickstarter. And I regret it.

    Despite these devs apparently having quite the repertoire, their failure to listen to the community, them breaking their promises and making weird design and marketing decisions have let this great concept fall into mediocrity.

    Although the price is very reasonable (much lower than it was for backers; An outright backstab to your most loyal fans), the game has been released too early. It's still filled with bugs/glitches/compatability and connection problems, the content is far from what was promised to be in the full package and the game simply doesn't feel right.

    I see no reason to recommend it. I suggest you wait a year or don't buy it at all.    … Expand
  7. dreadnought
    Sep 9, 2014
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is Unfinished

    +Planetary Smashing and 'Annihilaser' are fun
    +fresh take on RTS maps by using planets
    +Multiple planets/dynamic planets
    +Strong community
    +Modding
    +no unit cap.

    +-procedurally generated planets (has 4 styles of planets, but actual terrain and play feel similar, not unique)
    +-graphics (Lighting and and viewing distant planets and actually seeing units and buildings on them in background is impressive yet up close, tearing, uninteresting land features and rather *plastic* feel)
    +-(very my opinion) Development team (seems quite devoted yet makes unsound decisions such as releasing game in unfinished state, seems to disregard community, does not seem to understand faults in game besides performance)
    +-Balance (navy is completely useless as much cheaper and stronger 'bots' known as dox and slammers can enter water, with little risk of return fire, Some units feel completely useless like T2 bots, solar arrays, transports. However strong and good transition from basic to advanced technologies and vehicles are (in opinion) complete
    +-Music Score (while very rich and varied on its own, most tracks do not support game-play and does not add to theme of planetary annihilation, with notable selections, (tracks do not support each-other))

    -Gas giants (uninteresting, no features, no strategic points yet "space jiggs" are very strong economically and easily defendable)
    -Unit Design (Basic, generic, not memorable)
    -not optimized
    -no in-game save features
    -Easily exploitable strategies (pausing and un-pausing continually to crash games intentionally, adjusting economy rates unfairly when game is in starting process, Taking a commander in an orbital transport and continually transporting in-between planets continually to unnecessarily extend game, because its nearly impossible to shoot down the orbital transport)

    --No offline mode. (Promised continually and consistently for release, yet seemingly ignored in favor of other design decisions by Dev-Team, no news whatsoever of when offline-mode will be released other then "SOON" which is very unhelpful)    … Expand
  8. poppen
    Sep 15, 2014
    5
    Game's (barely) playable, but I'd like to poke the devs a bit.

    The forums feel like a totalitarian reign. You post something too negative about Uber and you get your posts locked or removed from the forums. You post negative things too much, and the mods will shut down your account. It's ridiculous, the regular forumgoers are in their own little utopia where Uber is always painted in a    Game's (barely) playable, but I'd like to poke the devs a bit.

    The forums feel like a totalitarian reign. You post something too negative about Uber and you get your posts locked or removed from the forums. You post negative things too much, and the mods will shut down your account. It's ridiculous, the regular forumgoers are in their own little utopia where Uber is always painted in a positive light. Other gaming forums I go to are much more open about PA. I'll give you a hint, everyone thought it was "meh." Y'know, this actually reminds me a lot about the fun community at WarZ.    … Expand
  9. resula
    Sep 16, 2014
    6
    Planetary Annihilation is a well below average game. I've picked it up for a few hours at a time for the past year of its development, only to close the game out of sheer boredom. There's simply no point playing the game in a world where Supreme Commander, Total Annihilation, and Spring exist.

    Performance is poor enough that the epic battles of yore are chug fests. The planets are too    Planetary Annihilation is a well below average game. I've picked it up for a few hours at a time for the past year of its development, only to close the game out of sheer boredom. There's simply no point playing the game in a world where Supreme Commander, Total Annihilation, and Spring exist.

    Performance is poor enough that the epic battles of yore are chug fests. The planets are too small for any interesting strategy. A very poor (and boring) array of units. It just feels like the development team focused on the wrong things and ran out of interest or money when it came to, well, units.

    I will give the caveat that if you are the kind of player that really enjoyed playing the smallest maps on TA or SupCom to slug it out in a quick 20 minute match, PA is a game you'll probably enjoy. If, however, you liked to dig into 1-2+ hour matches on the big maps, just go play your epic strategy game of choice & skip PA.    … Expand
  10. UndeadRobot
    Sep 10, 2014
    6
    Planetary Annihilation is a really innovating game on many levels but it also falls short in a lot of areas in it's released state. Uber has always had intentions to continue development but this is what we've been left with at the moment.

    Spherical Planets are certainly a very unique gameplay element, and playing on a map with no "edges" is a nice refreshing prospect in the RTS genre,    Planetary Annihilation is a really innovating game on many levels but it also falls short in a lot of areas in it's released state. Uber has always had intentions to continue development but this is what we've been left with at the moment.

    Spherical Planets are certainly a very unique gameplay element, and playing on a map with no "edges" is a nice refreshing prospect in the RTS genre, unfortunately this is marred by the various different Biomes and planet types feeling like mostly like a cosmetic thing and there isn't much biome/planet-type related variety in regards to the gameplay. This is in part aided by the somewhat shallow unit roster filled with very plain unit roles while at the same time missing a few that seem obvious like Anti-Air for Bots and proper Amphibious units.

    Performance, while it has only gotten better since the Alpha, still isn't up to what I'd consider appropriate for release and there are still lots of crashing, slowdown and connection issues for many players.

    Some of these issues could have been addressed with the ability to locally host a server instead of relying on Uber's servers but that wasn't ready for release with no clear communication on what or when we can expect anything along these lines. If you don't have a solid internet connection definitely wait to purchase until Offline is included and fully functional.

    Another missing features is the ability to Save, or more accurate, ability to start a game from a selected point from a Chrono-cam replay. From a Technical standpoint the game already "saves" the games, as you can view the replays after the fact, but it doesn't let you "load" from the "saves" yet. This would have been not only a great tool for players on a limited time frame to still enjoy games at larger scales but also as a training/learning tool. You could go back and experiment with making different decisions under the exact same circumstances.

    Last of the key features that are missing is the lack of matchmaking of any kind, which can make the online experience rather hit and miss. This is all the more of an issue with the lack of any kind of in-game "Global Chat" like we had with SupCom which means you're limited to trying to join lobbies almost at random and hoping for a good even match.

    These things, while not Absolutely fundamental to the CORE GAMEPLAY of PA, are still very important to ensure more types of players can enjoy that core gameplay. Instead of working on stuff like this, Uber focused on delivering the first pass on Gas Giants and the Metal Planet Superweapon. These were only delivered to the Gamma players literally a week before release and they are thus far very shallow in regards to what they actually bring to the gameplay. Gas Giants are limited to only Orbital units, of which there are only 3 that are of use, the Jig, which produces Metal and Energy on top of having build in storage(resulting in the possibility to a crazy exponential Economy build up) and The Avenger(Basically a Fighter Jet in SPAAAAAACE) and the Anchor(An Immobile Turret in SPAAAAAACE) which natueally, doesn't leave much room for variety or depth. The Metal Planet SuperWeapon is almost more of an issue because they've balanced it in such a way that most of the time, as soon as a player gains control of it they win the game because they can proceed to blow up every other planet in the system, it doesn't have any cool down between shots nor any cost aside from the investment required to activate it. This Basically makes any system that has a Metal Planet with a Super Weapon into a completely different game mode, it's not really an Assassination game mode any more, now it's a King of the Hill Game mode.

    I think PA would have been a much more solid game if They had spent more time on the core game, instead of rushing to get it "released" and spreading themselves onto things that are really nothing more than extras like Gas Giants or the Metal Planet Superweapon.

    PA has lots of potential, never has that been any doubt of mine, but fulfilling that potential is completely different from simply having it be a possibility. Hopefully everything works out where Uber can pay themselves to work towards fulfilling that potential.    … Expand
  11. Dozmo
    Oct 14, 2014
    5
    Essentially, it is a Total Annihilation / Supreme Commander clone, but more expensive, higher system requirements, and a few gimmicky things involving interplanetary movement. Worth trying for a hardcore RTS fan, just for the novelty of strapping engines to an asteroid and ramming your foe's planet with it. Don't expect it to hold your attention for long, though. You're probably better offEssentially, it is a Total Annihilation / Supreme Commander clone, but more expensive, higher system requirements, and a few gimmicky things involving interplanetary movement. Worth trying for a hardcore RTS fan, just for the novelty of strapping engines to an asteroid and ramming your foe's planet with it. Don't expect it to hold your attention for long, though. You're probably better off buying TA or SupCom I / Forged Alliance instead. Just don't get SupCom II - that game isn't even deserving of the middling score this gets.… Expand
  12. Masterhummel
    Sep 5, 2014
    6
    Is Planetary Annihilation a good game? Yes. Did it meet my expectations? No. The game improved a lot from Alpha to EA to Beta to final product. It has its outstanding features - like the planets or amount of active units - but then it also lacks such basics features like re-bindable camera controls or units firing the earth because they can't handle the planits curvature. The transitionIs Planetary Annihilation a good game? Yes. Did it meet my expectations? No. The game improved a lot from Alpha to EA to Beta to final product. It has its outstanding features - like the planets or amount of active units - but then it also lacks such basics features like re-bindable camera controls or units firing the earth because they can't handle the planits curvature. The transition between planets is very meh and you never get the feel like you're doing a 'invasion' It's a very tideous process. In the end, it's very very hard to competete against Supreme Commander FA Forever which is balaned and maintained by the community for more then six years and it would be unfair to measure PA against it. But i.. just expected something more then average. And it hink, in its current state, PA isnt more then average if you sum up all the pros and cons.… Expand
  13. Buccelus
    Sep 18, 2014
    5
    I purchased PA in Early Access for 60€ because it looked like a great game with massive potential. The trailers promised me everything I as a RTS-fan could ever dream of. But once I started the game things appeared differently. You don't have different races, you don`t have a matchmaking-system, which could match you to equally skilled players. By that you enter a lobby and are shred byI purchased PA in Early Access for 60€ because it looked like a great game with massive potential. The trailers promised me everything I as a RTS-fan could ever dream of. But once I started the game things appeared differently. You don't have different races, you don`t have a matchmaking-system, which could match you to equally skilled players. By that you enter a lobby and are shred by more experienced players. Also this game does not really provide an option to play defensively or passively and insists on going at each other like crazy. I don't want to play a game with only one tactical options.… Expand
  14. CassiusDean
    Sep 24, 2014
    5
    I have been a Planetary Annihilation backer since Alpha. In this state the game does not come close to rivalling Supreme Commander and Total Annihilation, two games which it draws inspiration from. The game is plagued by bugs and connectivity issues and there is little in interesting unit diversity.

    The one hope for Planetary Annihilation is that these various issues are rectified in    I have been a Planetary Annihilation backer since Alpha. In this state the game does not come close to rivalling Supreme Commander and Total Annihilation, two games which it draws inspiration from. The game is plagued by bugs and connectivity issues and there is little in interesting unit diversity.

    The one hope for Planetary Annihilation is that these various issues are rectified in upcoming versions of the game. Unfortunately significant updates are taking painfully long to be released and the game's developers do not seem to have their priorities in the right place in terms of what features to work on, leaving me to wonder if the game will ever come close to achieving it's original vision and satisfying us hopeful backers.

    Pros:
    -Interesting concept
    -Not a bad game when it works.

    Cons:
    -Lack of strategic depth.
    -Huge problems with connectivity.
    -No single player.
    -No saved games.
    -Difficult to have a good time with so many bugs and unpolished features.    … Expand
  15. eroticburrito
    Jul 5, 2014
    6
    'Planetary Annihilation' is the self-proclaimed 'spiritual successor' to the genre-defining RTS 'Total Annihilation'. It is being developed by veterans of the industry (UBER) whose employees have worked on "Total Annihilation", "Supreme Commander" and "Demigod" in the past.

    On most accounts, it delivers on its aim to be a better spiritual successor to TA than SupCom, and introduces new    'Planetary Annihilation' is the self-proclaimed 'spiritual successor' to the genre-defining RTS 'Total Annihilation'. It is being developed by veterans of the industry (UBER) whose employees have worked on "Total Annihilation", "Supreme Commander" and "Demigod" in the past.

    On most accounts, it delivers on its aim to be a better spiritual successor to TA than SupCom, and introduces new (awesome) features to the genre, such as spherical maps (planets which orbit in solar systems) planet-smashing and Orbital Units.
    There is no unit cap - this is a 'macro' streaming-economy RTS on a scale which promises to live on for many years to come as hardware advances.

    The game is beautiful to look at, with a 'blocky' art-style'.

    Modding is already a big part of the game, and the developers are generally pro-active within the community. Therefore the game has a community and will continue to improve after release (both through UBER's efforts, and those of modders).

    The game is currently in its "Gamma" Phase (following Alpha and Beta). More polish comes with every patch. However there are still some lag issues - which is distressing because the game looks great, and in-game balance is coming along nicely.

    As an old player of the genre there are also one or two things which I feel "Planetary Annihilation" as 'Spiritual Successor' to "Total Annihilation" is missing. Namely these are:
    A more diverse Energy Generation System (Wind-Solar-Tidal-Geothermal).
    A few environmental effects (such as units moving slower on ice), and spider-bots going over mountains.
    Greater terrain variation - that is, sheer cliffs, steep valleys and mesas.

    For that reason I give the game 6/10, as it still has a way to go, and misses some of the important and idiosyncratic parts of Total Annihilation's spirit (such as putting your artillery on a hill, or that moment when your Solar Power Pyramids fold shut whilst under fire).

    That said, these missing features will hopefully either be modded in eventually by the community, or Uber may add them as the unit roster and Planet Biomes expand - so my rating and feelings may change :)

    All in all, "Planetary Annihilation" is shaping up to be a great game and is definitely worth buying if you enjoy huge online armies of robots blowing each other up!    … Expand
  16. PeggleFrank
    Jul 2, 2014
    5
    Planetary Annihilation extracts the essence of what makes a good RTS and multiplies it to the extreme. Battles can range from small-scale skirmishes to wars waging across entire galaxies, with interplanetary combat and super weapons that are designed to annihilate anything, whether it be a single unit, a base, or an entire planet.

    Graphically, units are easy to distinguish and the game    Planetary Annihilation extracts the essence of what makes a good RTS and multiplies it to the extreme. Battles can range from small-scale skirmishes to wars waging across entire galaxies, with interplanetary combat and super weapons that are designed to annihilate anything, whether it be a single unit, a base, or an entire planet.

    Graphically, units are easy to distinguish and the game has a blocky art style, despite the focus on spherical maps. Buildings are absolutely massive compared to units, which definitely gives a defining sense of scale to the game. The server takes in nearly all the data and processes it, lowering the stress on the user's end, which makes the game more available to those with older or outdated computers.

    In terms of balance, there are five main unit types. Bots are quick and can be made en masse, vehicles are slower, deal more damage, and have more health, aircraft are very fast but have low health and often times have trouble targeting other types of units, ships are slow, have massive health/DPS, and are restricted to water, and orbital units are slow, capable of travelling to other planets, and have trouble targeting ground units.

    The game, while still technically in "beta," feels incomplete. The roster of confirmed features provides very little to actual gameplay, except for a few superweapons that will be added post-launch. Games usually end up being generic fights between two types of units, with little diversity in army composition. Many units are very weak with a light specialization; if they're massed (as intended), their strength will be much more reasonable and their specialization more apparent. However, even though there may be hundreds of units on the field at a time, it still feels like only a handful of units. It's very difficult to evenly split up an army, due to how units randomly align themselves against other units, so an army will usually be composed entirely of one unit or a mishmash of completely random units that cannot be divided.

    Every superweapon in this game feels unique. SXX laser satellites can be used to annihilate your opponents from orbit, Halley ion engines can be used to crash planets into each other, and Holkins artillery can be used to bombard your enemy with powerful explosive shells, capable of dealing massive damage to small groups of units. They're all very expensive, and very much depend on the type of battle you're fighting; there is no superweapon that will work in every scenario. For example, Holkins have difficulty firing on small planets, where the gravity will make their shots miss more often than if they were on a flatter surface.

    Interactions between unit types feels dead. Orbital units can only interact with orbital units, with exception to the Anchor, which is capable of firing towards the surface. Naval units can't go on land, and bots/vehicles can't go in water, which usually discourages engagement as there's no point in fighting a land army if it's incapable of doing anything to a base located in the middle of an ocean. Air units interact with both naval and land units, but are usually either obliterated before they can do anything or overpower the anti-air and win regardless, making battles between air units and ground forces very much a boolean of whether or not you have enough to kill the enemy.

    In its current state, the game has enough content to be fun, but it leaves much to be desired once its core mechanics are analyzed. It may still be in development, but the confirmed features list is barren of gameplay-affecting features. The game also has absolutely ludicrous marketing, which is odd, given that there isn't much more to be implemented besides bugfixes, a few units, and performance improvements.

    All in all, the game feels like a proof of concept more than anything else. It's certainly fun, and the interplanetary interactions are interesting, but it feels as if there just isn't enough there. The scale of things is mostly due to dividing numbers, as most units feel as if they're weakened versions of other, stronger units that will never be seen or heard of.

    Planetary Annihilation may not be Game of the Year 2014, but it's certainly an interesting spin on the RTS genre. It lacks what many other games of the RTS genre have, yet has a few unique features of its own that will most likely be incorporated into many new RTS games going forward.    … Expand
  17. Bradaz85
    Jul 2, 2014
    5
    The development for this game so far has been good, the game is starting to look like a finished product, although some features are still missing, and others still need tweaking and finished. A lot of the balance still needs sorting out and the unit roster could do with fleshing out, there's still a whole lot of fun to be had with PA!
    The game has been said to be more of a platform to    The development for this game so far has been good, the game is starting to look like a finished product, although some features are still missing, and others still need tweaking and finished. A lot of the balance still needs sorting out and the unit roster could do with fleshing out, there's still a whole lot of fun to be had with PA!
    The game has been said to be more of a platform to make mods for and play your own way so the game ultimately is going to be quite light on content and is going to be expected to have many mods such as full balance conversions and new units and hopefully Shields! I can see this RTS being very popular when finished, it does help that PA is pretty much the only current RTS at the moment, it is the only game of its kind with huge scale.

    Time will tell how well this game will do, and just what is actually finished at 1.0 release. And for that reason, this review is subject to change.    … Expand
  18. NikolayG
    Sep 7, 2014
    6
    This will be a great game once the single player save feature is implemented or, if it exists, if it's made clear to the user just how to use it. The games last for hours. No game can be saved to your hard drive, but it might be possible to continue playing after quitting by accessing the 'replay' feature, scrolling to the end of the replay, and continuing to play. I'm not sure and theThis will be a great game once the single player save feature is implemented or, if it exists, if it's made clear to the user just how to use it. The games last for hours. No game can be saved to your hard drive, but it might be possible to continue playing after quitting by accessing the 'replay' feature, scrolling to the end of the replay, and continuing to play. I'm not sure and the developers seem unaware that this is a critical feature if single player is to be playable for anyone without 12 straight hours of free time on a regular basis. Do not buy unless/until you find unequivocal clear statements from the developers that single-player saving is possible (not that it will be one day, but that it IS now). Until they can say that, stay away if single-player is your thing.… Expand
  19. tehtrekd
    Jul 2, 2014
    7
    DISCLAIMER: As has been mentioned before, keep in mind that this game is in development, everything and anything is subject to change. As such, I am not reviewing this game on what it will be, rather I will be reviewing and scoring the game based on how it currently is, in build version 67523.

    With that out of the way... Planetary Annihilation is a pretty damn good game. It's come a    DISCLAIMER: As has been mentioned before, keep in mind that this game is in development, everything and anything is subject to change. As such, I am not reviewing this game on what it will be, rather I will be reviewing and scoring the game based on how it currently is, in build version 67523.

    With that out of the way...

    Planetary Annihilation is a pretty damn good game. It's come a very long way from when it was just in its alpha state and I've definitely been loving it.

    Its presentation is downright awesome. The cartoonish art style adds a lot of life to the game, and unlike in other games where all the units blend into a big gray mess, in this game you can actually see every single individual unit, assuming you aren't in the icon view. I'd say it almost looks like a slightly less realistic Borderlands. With considerably less brown.
    The game's soundtrack is absolutely amazing, composed by Howard Mostrom it really captures the game's feel of blowing up everything in sight.

    The game plays pretty much like your average everyday RTS, build a bunch of units, blow up a bunch of stuff, pretty normal stuff, but with one tiny, insignificant addition.
    PLANETS IN SPACE.
    Yes indeed, you are not only playing the game on a spherical planet, but on MULTIPLE planets! You can send your units to other planets either by using a drop pod, capable of sending single units to other planets, or a teleporter akin to stargate, which can transport hundreds of units in mere seconds.
    The addition of space of course adds in the orbital layer to gameplay and unfortunately this part of the game is somewhat lacking. It's pretty much just a second, much higher air layer, with slower moving units. Overall it does what it needs to but it'd be nice if it had a little bit more.

    The unit balance is also not very good, unfortunately. Some units are too weak, others are too strong and air units are downright overpowered all across the board.

    Now, as this is a PC game, it's worth talking about the performance. The game actually runs quite well, my PC is pretty crappy and I'm able to get a pretty good and stable framerate, although on the server side of things the game can get VERY laggy late-game, which is a problem due to the fact that the game is currently always-online until initial release.

    Overall PA is an awesome game that is downright fun to play. Doing things like pulling off a successful invasion or taking over a planet, just to flood immense amounts of units through a teleporter just feels damn great, there's simply nothing else like it. It does have its faults (like the aforementioned balance issues) but the pros do outweigh the cons, the game never feels truly unplayable and is just a great piece of entertainment.
    If you're an RTS fan, I HIGHLY recommend picking it up. You won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  20. hierax
    Sep 18, 2014
    5
    Its not the supreme commander killer it used to be. The Units are boring, everything looks like 8bit tanks and planes. There arent any units feeling epic like the giant units from supreme commander. I knew from the beginning how the normal units will look, and that they will look "unspectacular" because i bought it during the alpha, but i thought there will be superunits or somethingIts not the supreme commander killer it used to be. The Units are boring, everything looks like 8bit tanks and planes. There arent any units feeling epic like the giant units from supreme commander. I knew from the beginning how the normal units will look, and that they will look "unspectacular" because i bought it during the alpha, but i thought there will be superunits or something making it unique. There are no differences between the armies. Everybody got the same units, it doesnt have any effect what commander you take etc... Just build up as many units as possible and overrun the others. We had that before in C&C 1 and 2. 15 years ago. The campaign is boring. No story or something. I think this game is ok if you play with or against friends, alone its just meh...… Expand
  21. leemanfor
    Sep 9, 2014
    6
    I have been following this game for a very long time, since the original Kickstarter campaign. I was very close to donating because the concept was a cool idea. However, the game has fallen short of my expectations and I am glad I did not spend the 90$ that it was originally.

    The game is basically a Supreme Commander clone. You simply build factories to churn out uninspiring units, to    I have been following this game for a very long time, since the original Kickstarter campaign. I was very close to donating because the concept was a cool idea. However, the game has fallen short of my expectations and I am glad I did not spend the 90$ that it was originally.

    The game is basically a Supreme Commander clone. You simply build factories to churn out uninspiring units, to then mob your enemy. The AI is pretty pitiful at defending their base. I sent 30 Tanks over to the enemy base, and all he had built was Power plants. The AI was standing in the middle of the base doing nothing.

    To say I am disappointed is an understatement. However, the game is pretty smooth. My computer would be considered a medium to high end gaming machine and this does not falter at maximum graphics.

    All in all, for the 30$ I got a few hours of entertainment out of it. I would recommend waiting until its 20$ or less unless you are a Supreme Commander junky.    … Expand
  22. Dethstar
    Oct 24, 2014
    7
    Really like many things about this game. It IS the true successor of many RTS games. However, it has one fundamental problems and this manifests in pretty much a one strategy solution in most starter situations which detracts from the whole experience. Xerg Xerg Xerg. If your on a planet with one or two others at the start. Build bot factores and xerg. If the opposition do not, theReally like many things about this game. It IS the true successor of many RTS games. However, it has one fundamental problems and this manifests in pretty much a one strategy solution in most starter situations which detracts from the whole experience. Xerg Xerg Xerg. If your on a planet with one or two others at the start. Build bot factores and xerg. If the opposition do not, the fastest xerg wins. This is disappointing for me as I hoped for a broader tool kit. The problem is that defence is pretty mute at the moment until later in the tech development so early on. You can simply xerg to win which often makes you think your literally playing the same game you already played before, but with some new sprites.

    The multi planet element is great, the range of weapons is nice yet, all of this is not balanced well. Offensive and defensive has not been balanced at all for the early game and the whole Xerg thing should have been avoided to make it a lot more fun to play, particularly in multiplayer as I don't like following the same formula for a win. I would prefer a bit more variety. There are exceptions depending on the setup but the basic issues with defence being nominal is a problem even now (October 2014)    … Expand
  23. games4breakfast
    Oct 28, 2014
    6
    Total Annihilation is my favorite RTS of all time. I spent countless amount of time playing this game, so you can guess how thrilled I was about Planetary Annihilation.

    Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. While the concept of playing on planets (being small spheres) sounds cool, it just didn't work for me.

Awards & Rankings

42
#42 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 18
  3. Negative: 2 out of 18
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Nov 1, 2014
    50
    A frustrating experience. [Nov 2014, p.60]
  2. GameSpot
    Oct 31, 2014
    70
    True, its best qualities can be obscured in the early going by its unforgiving difficulty and the absence of good tutorials, but even when you're overwhelmed, speedy combat and smart AI reel you in. Give it time, and the fast and furious combat smooth out the rough edges into a compelling and challenging strategy game.
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  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 25, 2014
    70
    Planetary Annihilation looks and feels underwhelming. Interplanetary combat might seem fun on paper, but gameplay-wise it's an absolute chore. And that's just it, Planetary Annihilation is missing all the FUN which was present on Supreme Commander - a much better successor to Total Annihilation. [Oct 2014]
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