Recent reviews by NutritiousCookie

Utter garbage. Better mods exist for free.

You do not need this for mods. Some modpacks require it because they include updates or bugfixes to the CC mods, but it is not difficult to rip those out. USSEP (which will hopefully be replaced by someone more sane) does require some CC content, but only what comes in the base game.

Some positives: Many concepts like the loyalty system, governors, and revamped Religion and Great Person systems seem well thought out and an improvement from previous games. Districts and Governors give you greater control over the map and customization/specialization for your cities, and playing wide is much less punishing than Civ V, so filling up the map or grabbing resources with a settler don't tank your game.

That said, here is why this review is negative.
The game has had consistent "support" in the form of DLCs (some of which are free, to be fair) since release, but:

a) Core functionality I expected, that prompted me to buy the game in the first place, is still missing.

I bought this game so I could relax and play it on the couch, with a controller. It was a headache to get it working on controller + TV for various reasons (no controller support, UI scaling is locked at 1080p, etc) despite fact that there are actual ports for all major consoles. There's no crossplay, so even if I had a console version I could not play with people on PC. This game was heavily advertised alongside the Steam Controller, which I own, but does not have real controller support. I eventually just gave up trying to use it as a couch game. It's honestly infuriating that console ports exist but basic controller UI is totally unavailable in the PC version.

b) The game is unstable when run with all content enabled, because it attempts to load everything in the game rather than just what is actively being used.

The game engine has a limit to the number of assets that can be loaded. It doesn't matter if those assets are actually used, if too many packages are enabled it will crash as soon as you launch a new game. I like to play with mods, and even just a few UI mods will now reliably crash the game because they have pumped so many DLCs into it without bothering to fix the core engine - meaning the game itself is near its own asset limit now. Of course you can disable DLCs, but I really shouldn't have to disabled paid content just to add a few units or change a few textures.

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Probably my favorite game ever made. Very snappy controls, great top-down action/adventure Zelda-like. Absolutely beautiful pixel art. Some very esoteric setting lore that builds an incredible atmosphere of ruin and decay.

There's a deceptively high skill ceiling once you start mixing sword/gun weapon combos. Beginning will be very live/die/repeat. The first boss will destroy you, but after you complete the game and go back to NG+ or boss rush, you'll breeze through it. There's a hidden arena mode at the end of the game, after you beat that, the original regional bosses hardly feel like speed bumps.

The skill curve feels very natural, it always feels challenging but isn't as brutal as some other games.

I came for the pixel art, and stayed for the pixel art, but never regretted pouring hours into it because the gameplay was so smooth and enjoyable.

As a fan of RTS games but someone who dislikes heavy micro or APM intensive metas, TnT is perfect for me. The story is interesting and gives a good intro to the game, and the multiplayer, while not terribly active, almost always has someone on.

There is also a fairly active Discord, with weekly tournaments and faction mini-games, as well as many experienced players willing to give tips to other players. The community is super friendly and welcoming, and with a little coordination you should be able to play just about any gamemode you want.

Easily the most fun game I've ever bought. Worth it, even at full price.

A fun little gimmick, definitely worth downloading. Plenty of humor, although a little short. How much can you complain for a free game though?

Hope it comes back some time.