REVIEW : shapez.io (PC)
When Henry Ford coined the term Fordism in 1914, he certainly did not imagine that his idea could be, besides being efficient, fun on some level. However, the gaming industry is not surprising when it comes to creativity and innovative mechanics. Following in the footsteps of games like Factorio and Satisfactory, shapez.io is a more accessible version of this highly established and complex style.
Creating production lines has never been so much fun. With an approach more to the genre of the incremental game, shapez.io manages to be challenging and simple at the same time, demonstrating an alternative path to style. Veteran players of the titles mentioned above will be able to apply all their knowledge here and, thus, maximize the efficiency of their lines.
Harder, better, faster, stronger!
The challenge of every production line is its efficiency. It is possible to collect resources manually or using simple processes, however, automation makes all the difference when thinking about the cost-benefit ratio. Starting with simple tasks like simply taking a raw resource from one place to another, as the complexity of the challenges increases, the greater the creativity required to create more efficient production lines.
With several tools in its arsenal, in some phases, it will be necessary to assemble real webs of tracks to fulfil the goals. Luckily for players, shapez.io has a system of improvements within the game, dramatically increasing the speed of resource collection and the overall efficiency of the factory at the cost of producing, in most cases, additional resources to those required by the phase. Balancing the main production to pass the level and the secondary production to unlock improvements is one of the big dilemmas of the game.
Feed the machine!
New players in the genre may get a little lost with the concept, but this game is the best possible introduction to the genre. In similar games, such as Factorio, for example, in addition to collecting a massive amount of resources, the player should focus on defending his factory from external threats, creating different types of defence and changing his production line. The only concern in shapez.io is your line, so there is no need to think about micromanaging resources or protecting your tools.
A great open-source idea
An idea is nothing without the evolution of established concepts. With that in mind, shapez.io is a game that has its open-source, allowing the community to be inspired and improve everything presented here. In the case of a developer’s project, this resource brings the community very close and shapes the game according to their desires.
Even though it is available on Steam, shapez.io has a demo available on the eponymous website. For those who are undecided and have some interest, it is advised to play through the site and try to get used to the game. As it is a demo, some features are not available for the browser version, but it gives a good idea of what to expect here.
REVIEW : Ghost of Tsushima (PS4)
