RATTEN REICH: WHEN WORLD WAR II MEETS ANIMAL FARM ON ACID
Ratten Reich stumbles onto the RTS scene like a drunken rat in a minefield, promising a bizarre alternate history where anthropomorphic animals duke it out in World War II-style combat. It's as if George Orwell and Saving Private Ryan had a love child, then dropped it on its head. Repeatedly.
GAMEPLAY: MORE HOLES THAN SWISS CHEESE
Ratten Reich's gameplay is about as smooth as sandpaper underwear. The concept is solid - command your furry (or scaly) troops in tactical combat reminiscent of Company of Heroes. However, the execution is shakier than a chihuahua in a snowstorm.
Pathfinding is so bad, your units get lost more often than a tourist in Venice. Sending troops from point A to point B is like herding cats through a dog park - theoretically possible, but in practice, a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Cover mechanics? More like "stand in the open and pray" mechanics. Half your squad will take cover while the rest stand around like they're waiting for the bus, apparently oblivious to the hail of bullets.
Combat itself is a chaotic mess of fur and gunfire. Units react to enemy fire with all the urgency of a sloth on Valium. You'll watch in horror as your soldiers get shot in the back, seemingly too polite to turn around and return fire without a formal invitation.
GRAPHICS: BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEERHOLDER
Visually, Ratten Reich is like a supermodel with a bad hangover - gorgeous in theory, but looking rough around the edges. The environments are detailed and atmospheric, capturing the gritty feel of a war-torn world. But then you notice the characters, and it's like someone forgot to finish animating them. Rats, mice, and lizards all move with the grace of a marionette controlled by a drunk puppeteer.
And let's talk about those missing tails. We were promised tails, dammit! How am I supposed to tell a rat from a mouse when they both look like they've had an unfortunate run-in with a lawnmower?
AUDIO: A CACOPHONY OF CONFUSION
The sound design in Ratten Reich is a mixed bag of nuts. Weapon sounds are decent enough, making your ears believe you're in the midst of battle. But then the units open their mouths, and it's like listening to a high school drama club's first read-through. The voice acting is flatter than week-old soda, with all the emotional range of a cardboard box.
And don't get me started on the music. One looping track that's shorter than a goldfish's attention span? It's like they hired a composer, but could only afford to pay for 15 seconds of work.
CONTENT: THINNER THAN A RAT'S WHISKER
For an Early Access title, Ratten Reich is lighter on content than a vegan cookbook. Three missions masquerading as "campaigns" is not a campaign, it's an extended tutorial. The lack of a skirmish mode in an RTS is like selling a car without wheels - sure, it looks nice, but good luck getting anywhere.
BUGS: FEATURES IN DISGUISE?
Bugs in Ratten Reich aren't just present; they're practically the main characters. From units falling through the map to AI that seems to be powered by a potato, it's a veritable safari of glitches. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm playing a war game or an elaborate pest control simulator.
FINAL THOUGHTS: TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY?
Ratten Reich is like that weird, experimental dish at a fancy restaurant - intriguing in concept, but in practice, it leaves a strange taste in your mouth. It's an ambitious project that's bitten off more than it can chew, at least in its current state.
Is it worth buying now? About as much as investing in a cheese factory run by cats. The potential is there, buried under a mountain of bugs and half-baked features. But for now, it's more "rotten" than "Ratten."
Final Score: 4 out of 10
Ratten Reich is a prime example of why "Early Access" is sometimes just code for "We released this way too soon." It's got more potential than a rat in a cheese factory, but right now, it's about as polished as a mud pie. If you're a glutton for punishment or have a burning desire to command rodent armies, by all means, dive in. For everyone else, wait until this cheese has aged a bit more.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way.