Raw Fury’s Atomicrops immediately piqued my interest right from get go. The 2D top-down art style is reminiscent of a lot of old games from the 16-bit era. Take Total Carnage as an example and look for the visual differences. These types of games feature relentlessly hostile waves, but also provide players with character perks to keep them going.
It seems as if Atomicrops drew inspiration from these kinds of games from the past. Especially when you look at how the developers have handled the overall firefights and visual presentation. But Atomicrops stands out in terms of depth. Something that you as a player have to deal with at an earlier stage of the game. However, is the game really worth your time? Here is my Atomicrops review on PC (Epic Games Store).
CUTE, BUT APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE
On the surface, Raw Fury’s Atomicrops is a top-down shooter where you have to protect your crops from enemies that storm your farm in waves. You can compare the game to the popular RPG Stardew Valley (in Stardew Valley you also farm a lot). Every day you travel to the farm in an attempt to produce the best possible crops. At the beginning of the day, a clock starts ticking, counting down the seconds until dark.
Then the attack rabbits appear with cannons, moles that fire, and fly swarms that try to destroy all the hard work you have done. When the sun rises, all enemies disappear and peace returns to the farm. You then have some time to harvest your crops. After every working day, you return to the village where your delivered crops are exchanged for cashew nuts.
No, you don’t eat that, you pay with that. I noticed while doing my Atomicrops review on PC (Epic Games Store), that the game looks cute at first, but after fifteen minutes you find out that the gameplay is not. A feeling of frustration will soon plague gamers with a sense of competition. In the village you will have the opportunity to purchase tools that make country life a lot more bearable.
This gives you the opportunity to purchase weapons, but you can also spend the hard-earned nuts on seeds with which you can plant fresh crops. The overall goal in the game is to build a piece of land that you can grow and fertilize. You then have to take the mega-sized corn cobs, potatoes or peas to the mayor in exchange for new tools.
The better you harvest, the more cashews and items you get at the end of a season. When you step outside the farm, you will also discover additional benefits, seeds, and skills. As enemies become more brutal and complex, so does gameplay. This depth continues to expand alongside your growing skills.
SURVIVE AND SURVIVE
During the early stages of Raw Fury’s Atomicrops, it is quite easy to get entangled without making actual progress when trying to defend your farm. You try to survive every day so you don’t really bother exploring the open areas of the map. As a result, you do not discover new seeds, with the direct consequence that you cannot plant fresh crops and this results in stagnation of your overall progress.
I noticed while doing my Atomicrops review on PC (Epic Games Store), that it is better to get out there and not be afraid to leave your crops alone, because it will prove to be a significant investment. It is important that you plan well for yourself when you plant and harvest the crops, and when you explore the wide fields. After all, there is enough to find on the left and right side of the farm.
It doesn’t get any easier the moment you start the game. And the starting level is already quite difficult and chaotic. As the days go on, new and more difficult enemies appear. Even bosses make their appearance at some point in the game. In general, it is essential for the game’s progression to move forward.
Seeds, roses, and more are up for grabs or hidden in chests. These chests are often located in the middle of camps guarded by groups of enemies. Atomicrops even includes a relationship system, which reminds you of Stardew Valley. The roses you earn can be donated to NPCs in the village. They then reward you with bonuses on both defensive and offensive skills.
As levels get harder, the cost of roses paid to pay for the bonuses also increases. For example, a heartbeet quickly costs two or three roses. As the season progresses, the heartbeets also get more expensive. The thing is, when all your heartbeets are lost, you have to start all over again. The game is just rock hard in that way.
ATOMICROPS CONTINUES TO SURPRISE
The first playable character in Raw Fury’s Atomicrops is Lavender. She is a defensive character who immediately gets help from two bees. The bees grow crops up to twenty percent faster. The strength of this character is therefore mainly in growing crops. Lavender is standardly equipped with the “Pea shooter”. A relatively weak weapon, but good enough to safely protect crops from early stage monsters.
Over time, an upgrade is necessary to keep the conditions playable. New weapons are available in the village from 35 cashew nuts. There is also the option to upgrade an existing weapon. One of the things I noticed during my Atomicrops play sessions is that no days are the same. Every virtual day you watch the game with a new set of eyes.
You fine-tune your goals and automatically work more efficiently with the time you have. I noticed while doing my Atomicrops review for PC (Epic Games Store), that as the game progresses, the importance of storming enemy camps increases. The game will continue to reward and even surprise you for this. The more I went out, the more new enemies, items, and upgrades came my way.
CONCLUSION
Raw Fury’s Atomicrops feels like Stardew Valley on steroids, looks great for a 16-bit concept, and probably reminds you of similar games from that 16-bit era. Despite the fact that you have to start over about ten times in this game before it finally plays away pleasantly, the game does feel satisfying.
The game never plays the same; extreme concentration and good finger coordination are essential to bring the seasons to an economically profitable end. From the first moment the game is a chaotic battle, while you do not even understand the basics of the game. But once you understand how the game works, it promises to be an amusing interpretation of your time.
Do you want to try Raw Fury’s Atomicrops? What do you think of my Atomicrops review on PC (Epic Games Store)? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Are you interested in more recently released games? Check out our reviews for World War Z: Game of the Year Edition, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, and Sakura Wars.
