Now, let me preface these first impressions of this next Tiny Teams game by saying I suck at strategy. So is a base-building survival RTS really the best game for me to be trying out? Maybe not, but dinosaurs. I just can’t resist ‘em. So Repterra, by developer Chute Apps, was obvious going to be one I tried. And though I might not be good at strategy, I can tell what makes a good one.
The demo shows a lot of what will be in the full game, such as a campaign and all the options in survival mode. There’s also a quick start option, which is what I chose. Putting me straight into the isometric field of battle. With a small base pre-built, it was now time for me to be expanding it, ready for when the dinosaurs attacked. Which, along with the set waves that are telegraphed, will happen at any time.
The Command Centre is vital to this operation, being where the building options for facilities reside. Walls to delay the dinos. Houses to generate population and money. Electricity generators to expand the build area. Unit production facilities to bring soldiers and my own dinos into battle. Everything expected of a survival RTS is here, feeding into the resource management side of the battle.
I’ve got my own dinosaurs that can be brought into battle, with the starting dino being a hero that will respawn upon being defeated. Dinosaurs can bring different attacks to the battle than just the regular guns of soldiers or towers. And there’s flying ones for an air assault, too. Units can be commanded separately or as a group, with a patrol route able to be set up so they can respond to anything in a larger area. Or let them have full autonomy with the auto seek command.
The map utilises fog of war, keeping the areas not in range of my own facilities dark. Such hides the threats that await as I expand. When it is time for a wave to start, there’s a warning two minutes beforehand showing the route the dinosaurs will be taking to the command centre, allowing a bit of time to prepare a response to that threat. Once a wave has been wiped out, perks are able to be chose.
Perks themselves won’t turn the tide of battle, but are good to make that battle somewhat easier. There are two on offer, with one general perk and one upgrade for the hero. General perks can improve unit health, or spawn a bunch of one particular type. For the hero, they can gain abilities such as healer, or buffs such as improved speed. I’m always going for the health-based ones when I can, as such do seem to help quite a bit.
The final wave will see every dinosaur that remains on the map march upon the command centre. Meaning simply staying close to the confines of it just isn’t an option. Some powerful dinos also exist on the map, with these being marked on the full map. It is wise to take them out, along with any dinosaur encountered, to make the final wave easier.
Maps also contain facilities not owned by the player faction, which can be captured by engineers for a boost to money. Or soldiers can be housed in buildings to provide defence from a high vantage point. The dinosaurs also have facilities such as caves, which allow them to spawn in new units of their own. There really is a lot to plan out to win a battle. Which I have not done yet. In fact, I’ve only seen the final wave once.
At the end of each battle, I’m scored on my success. Along with given DNA points. These are used in the shop for permanent perks, such as improved attack and range for troops, improved resource generation, and healing a unit per kill they make. DNA points can also be used to buy new maps for survival mode, and new factions that change unit bonuses and heroes, though all are locked for the demo.
I’ve enjoyed my time with Repterra. Even if I might be terrible at strategy games, I’m still putting up a decent fight with the wealth of options available. For fans of RTS base-builders, this is a strong one to consider. It is definitely one to get invested in, as I have across numerous battles. I might even get the full game when it releases, just to continue the fight against the dinosaurs and explore more of what it offers. Including that campaign that is hidden from the demo.
Images Taken From:
Repterra | PC
