@@ScytheNoire Really, not noticing that, nothing has been adjusted, standard settings used. The background is always slightly blurred from the use of bokeh.
@@TheBrokenMeeple Not the bokeh, it's the components, box, yourself. It's blown out. Maybe RU-vid made it worse, watching in 1080p50, but quality seems far worse than normal.
On 2 occasions I almost purchased this for pure solo play. Instead I went for Distilled & Skies above Britain.... After watching your review I think I made the right choice! Thanks for the video - as always your sincerity and honesty comes across, unlike some creators who love everything they get to play for free!
I agree that the solo mode needs a fix but for quite a different reason: it's in fact too easy to obtain monster scores! When you play cards that allow you to play other cards (these won't trigger the action cube), you can max out everything..
I love this game. I play only at a 2 player count. There are a few things which are key to the victory. 1. Get Artifacts as quickly as you can (end the game as fast as possible) 2. Go for the large tiles at the corner of the board 3. Unlock the fith slot as fast as possible And it works perfectly with sleeved cards. I never tried to put them inside the slots. They are made for the modukes. I always had put it below the player board. The theme is barely there. At least I don’t care for the theme. I don’t understand the campaign. That only means that I have the advanced rules on cards and not in the rulebook. That’s silly! The campaign is rubbish. What I really like is the variability of the main board. And it is very rewarding. No matter what you do, you get something. I like that a lot. I totally agree with the artifacts and the end game scoring cards. The balance is rubbish.
Speaking of multiplayer solitaire, long downtime (and long total play time), and not-so-interesting solo mode, Ark Nova also falls into these flaws, and it's still a 10/10 game to you? Revive, as a racing game, should not be played as a greedy engine builder game. If somebody do, the best counterplay is to rush to the goal (especially true at higher player count, which helps shorten the play time). Whether you decide to rush or not, you always check what your opponent is doing. Taking advantage of area explored by other players is part of player interaction (and theme).
10/10 is not perfection, there will still be flaws but it's a case of how much the game rises above those flaws. I agree Ark Nova is long, I wish it were shorter with more players though I tend to play it 1-3 players. But it's not as solitaire as people think. Everyone is racing for the conservation projects, so you have to keep tabs on what they are doing and how long it will be till they can do their specific action that can screw you over. Grabbing cards in the display has a similar feel. Also knowing the best times to trigger the break based on what opponents are doing - if they are cash strapped and you can last a bit longer, then you stretch out the round as much as you can. These kind of considerations are why I've won more games of Ark then lost. It's certainly not high interaction but there's considerably more in ark Nova then there is in planet Unknown or especially Revive which has next to none. Unless you're going to build on a nearby space to me, assuming you're even on my side of the map as its too large, I don't care at all what you're up to and I'll still win fine.
I have to agree with you on nearly every point. This is a 7/10 game at best, and the lack of any real theme hurts it. However, I kinda feel the same about Age of Innovation (the only TM game I've played). It's a mish-mash of mechanics with a pasted on theme, too. I can see how people who like TM would also enjoy Revive, but I give 'em both a 7/10.
You can swing in and swipe some sweet spots with your buildings gaining hefty terrain bonuses that others are setting up for themselves if you can manage to reach them. That’s what I recall. Granted it’s been awhile since I’ve played it but I remember really frustrating my buddy by doing that more than once.
Another great review Luke, thanks. The problem I've experienced, is that if I have fun with just certain mechanics, then it can contribute to overstaying its welcome sooner. I think I'll wait until it's on sale 😁
I don't mind a bit of multiplayer solitaire in euro games or roll and writes, but it is becoming way too common now.. I wish the hobby would move away from this trend, as well as trick taking... I played Puerto Rico for the first time this last weekend and while the game isn't perfect and the theme is bad, the gameplay is interesting and quite interactive with the action selection. I was reminded how older euros were designed and how interactive they can be VS modern day euros
Good review. The first question I ask when purchasing a game is, “Do I feel like a mobster, monster, gladiator, magician…..or whatever the theme is trying to portray? For this game ((Revive), when looking at reviews I feel like you can feel the mechanisms poking out and protruding out of the thin veneer of a theme. I recently played “In Too Deep” by Burnt Island Games and although a lot of it is just picking up items and trying to set up a certain board state to complete objectives, I felt a bit like a person who was blurring the line between where criminals begin and where cops begin. I play games for the epic stories we tell. Remember that time I used a car bomb and devastated your gang or the time I conquered the galaxy with my space fleet. I feel like I would walk away from this game saying “those were interesting mechanisms and it was fun to optimize my tracks but not sure I would feel like a clan emerging to a earth that needs to be revived.
thx for your opinion and not hyping it. The moment I saw it I knew it would be just another mediocre ("good") but bloated hotchpotch of unthematic mechanisms that no one would talk about any more 3 months after release. The review channels tried this before with games like boon lake, blackout: Hong Kong or Corrosion among others no more to be heard about.
This time I'm with you completely. 3-player game was an uninteractive drag with significant downtime. But it turned out to be a reasonably fun solo puzzle. I agree solo feels a bit too short, but I'm sure fan-made automas are already on the way, as the game is quiet popular.
@@TheBrokenMeeple though on the other hand, is it really needed for wide audience? A lot of people prefer simple solos. I love David Turczi bot designs, but amount of rules is certainly not for everyone.
I agree that the tile portion is lacking and the user boards the best part. Would be nice if the tile portion were more ‘explorative’ with more unique tiles.
I love this game. I look at this game more like a race with the other players. Figuring out how to get artifacts faster then them and getting to the corners faster than they can etc. I don’t have downtime really. But I guess that depends on who you play with. I like it best at 2 or 3 though. I love the puzzle of this game and trying to do better each time and differently with different factions. I don’t need it to be a fighting interactive game. I like drafting at the beginning. I love building my own literal engine. I like that you can use the switch strategically. Use it on someone’s card that was gonna let them stack a card and force them to discard it. Using the modules to make my simple cards get me a lot of cool stuff. Using my lightning to get some free stuff. I like strategically using the individual powers. Etc. This game definitely isn’t getting old to me.
@@TheBrokenMeeple yea there’s no other way to play. The other version sucks. The advanced version is pretty easy to understand and makes it a worthwhile action.
Yeah, somehow I think you may be off on this one. earth is a faster, more accessible game like Ark Nova and Ark Nova is still hugely popular. I am guessing Earth will see similar expansion and stay popular for some time to come.
Earth will still be hanging around the top 20 in two years, dude. Are you one of the one who also claimed Arnak and Dune Imperium would vanish soon? "Innovation" is NOT what propels games into becoming evergreens. It's more about a perfect brew of familiarity with something that appears innovative or new.
Just discovered your channel, but love it! This game is indeed quite overhyped and once more reveals the problem we currently have with all those 'reviewers' we have out there. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the honest opinion. I really needed a pinch of salt before jumping onto the hype train. Now I really need to look closer and reconsider if it's worth adding on the shelf where Underwater Cities already takes a spot.
Thanks a lot for your review! I wouldn't have bought the game if I had seen your video first...It Is one of the first medium/expert board games I own, and I played it only once so far. I think I will enjoy playing it anyway since I am not so used to this kind of game level. One question: can you mention three titles that are similar in weight but that in your opinion are better than "Revive"? Thanks again to your deep analysis. P.S. I could not finish the last minutes of the video because I had to go back to work. Apologies if the answer is there.
Good review. Probably won’t get the game. However, there is one thing in your review that drives me nuts - that’s the issues of downtime. In a game of little interaction, downtime SHOULD NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, be an issue. This is a player problem - definitely not unique to this game. It drives me nuts that people never think about their turn until it gets to their turn - especially in a non-interactive game. So this is not a game problem - it’s the knuckleheads you game with! People, when it’s not your turn, don’t daydream about your playdate with your dog Fluffy, think about the game!
Great review with some really good critiques of the game. I do disagree on the solo comment. 20 turns isn't too short. It's too long. The games "top score" is 180 for solo. I got this my second ever game. It's so easy to use cards that play other cards that doesn't cost an action. I've had games where I'm maybe left with one meeple and one blue disk and everything else out on the board. The solo is really a different game than the racier feel of the competitive game
I vote that you change your name from "Luke, the broken meeple" to "Luke, the gaming kermudgen" hahaha 😊 As always, I love your videos and how useful they are. Thanks!
I couldnt pinpoint my problem with the game as everyone gushes about it but you nailed my issues! I was the slow player and felt I made it drag for everyone. I will add some plyer powers are a bit crazy on multi tiers and others are not (looking at you water people daylight side)
I have been on the fence about this one, but after hearing your remarks about playing with AP players, I am not on the fence any longer. My husband is AP prone and even with just the 2 of us, I think that the game would overstay its welcome!
In the past months, I realized something by looking deeper into reviews, comments etc: There is this kind of BIG group of board gamers that like to play "basic" eurogames. They dont care about the theme and if the theme fits to the mechanisms. Most of those players seem to think that it is already a high interaction when you can take a spot or card or tile from a pool that is mainly available to everybody. I say NO. That is no high interaction. That is just a medium degree of INDIRECT interaction. In those games, >90% of the time when you do something that is not meant to hit another player or all other players on purpose. You do it mostly because it's the best thing for YOU and your points. In those games, it is hardly ever better to take the action that is only 2nd or 3rd best to you while at the same time hurting somebody else. So let me say that this is no negative aspect of a game. 90% of my games are eurogames and from those, 80% are those typical games with some INDIRECT interaction. It just has the consequence that I dont want to play those games with high/full player count because it mostly doenst add something to the game except for a longer playtime. If you want a game with high interaction then play games like Dominant Species, El Grande, Dune: Imperium, Mombasa/Skymines, Tyrants of the Underdark. You need some kind of confrontation to call a competitive game DIRECT interactive. Unfortunately, this can mostly only be achieved by area control or area majority or take that. Card Drafting is also high interaction WHEN the choices are meaningful. Some people dont like that....having a confrontation. BUT: they should not call games like Revive high interactive....not even interactive. Still, that doesnt mean a game is bad...well they can even be great because the less direct interaction the more you forge your own destiny which means being cognitively better can only affect your result if nobody can get in your way. ;-)
You can have interaction without having to directly beat the opponent into submission though. Architects of the West Kingdom, Hegemony, Feudum all good examples.
Great video, keep it up! I know this game has already left your collection so the rest of my comment is more intended for future viewers. Regarding the interactivity level of this game I would say it is unjust to call it multiplayer solitaire. Yet calling it one of the most interactive games ever (as others claimed it to be) is also misleading . All of it comes down to player preference and playstyle, the game can be played both ways. If you stay close to your opponents, you can react to their actions, making discovery and building more interactive for each participant, alongside with the use of unique player powers. If you play far away from each other the person who gets better tiles/cards and can optimize their engine the best will win, simple as that. I personally prefer the former playstyle as I like to interact with my opponents in a racing game. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ As a final thought, although I have not seen it yet but theoretically this game can be played as a social negotiation or a semi co-op game as well. E.g. "If you build your workshop here, I will grow a forest next to your buildings." "If you discover this tile for me, I will leave that other building spot for you" etc. These interactions would at least have some connection to the otherwise non-existent theme here where we are "supposed to" rebuild the world together.
Thanks for the review! This look like a game I'd enjoy playing 3-4 times then I think it would start feeling samey. So not good enough to own I'm afraid but I'd definitely play it if I had the chance. Also I just got Darwin's journey that i backed so I'm good for euro at the moment :p
I agree this game isn't a 10 out of 10, but I think your concerns of play time and being multiplayer solitaire are bit overblown. My main criticisms are that there is no way to cycle the card market and that end game objective cards are difficult to quantify. Given that there is an expansion on the horizon, I'm wondering how these things will be addressed at that point.
To be stuck in a game for nearly 3 hours with no reason to be spending more than 60-90 min in it I don't call overblown. I hate playing this with a full count and even 3 I'll be checking who's playing. This is basically a solo game. Didn't have issues with scoring but yes the card market also needs a cycle option.
@@TheBrokenMeeple I have yet to play a three hour game, but I'm sure it's possible with hard APer's. I've played six times now among various groups. Maybe my friends are bit more suited towards heavier games, but my average playtime was about 2 hours after the teach. I actually prefer it at 4 players as it encourages racing for hexes and artifacts. I also much prefer the night sides of the player boards.
@@PandaPandaPandaism I got plenty of mates suited to heavy games, but in your case perhaps being a first game they weren't thinking too much about optimal turns and were just seeing how things went.
Brother I love your content, but would recommend stop talking about scores that other outlets give games. If the review you provide backs up your score, who cares what Dice Tower or any other outlet that gushed over this game thinks? Outside of that, I think I liked it a little bit more than you, but agreed with many of your points. I am curious if the designers will ever address the potential issues with the artifacts. In my first game, I was the only one incentivized to go after the orange colored ones and I rode that to great success. We did have an odd issue with the rule book and didn't realize that the settle action can only occur on the ruins/city looking spaces. Ultimately, it will take me more plays to decide if I would rate it with you or a little bit higher. I seldom worry about the hype train as I still don't love Gloomhaven and it seems like everyone else loves it.
The game is barely hitting the shelves now, and they already announced an expansion 🤣 Thanks for the thorough review. I already ordered the game before your review, but I really appreciate your honesty (which is rare in the land of 'this new board game is the best game ever omg I only played it once but go buy it now'). I'm looking forward to giving this a go, but time will tell if it is a keeper or not.
Well done!!! Your review is a lesson for all those other lying or corrupt reviewers!. We're very lucky to have someone like you. prepared to put their opinion out there! Their "opinions" are clearly ridiculous! Thanks!!!!
Thank you! Not sure corrupt/lying is the word I'd use, but it's more a lack of willingness to criticise rather than comment that everything is awesome!
Mostly the same as my view on it. I’ve enjoyed my plays of it so far but it is borderline for going on the to sell pile. I’ve only played it 2 player so far and `i think that may be the best player count for it.
You can't ignore the campaign...you have to get the rule that makes it super interactive...use someone else's card 😜 More players means the tiles will get uncovered to the corner tiles which you could time to use with an unlimited distance ability There is other subtle interaction, but generally agree with your review. The story feels like a joke added on to very lacking theme
I put in notes about that advanced switch variant, it's such a barebones addition and I wouldn't even say it's interactive, it's not like you can purposely mess someone over with it or the like, it won't stop you playing cards that you need to play.
I'm a bit mystified as to why there's so much love for this. Call me shallow but I think the artwork is atrocious (honestly the ugliest game i have seen in a long time) and that immediately puts me off in a big way.
That's because you found the game in general fun, the campaign adds next to nothing to the experience that you won't get from simply adding the content in straight away.
Completely agree that it doesn't live up to the hype. Still really enjoy it and going to keep it for a while at least. I think score wise I might even end up at an 8 personally, but definitely no where near 9 or 10 territory.
hmmm... taking a card first or building on a spot first is player interaction on a similare level, as attaking someone for example. When you attack someones units, they die (losing ressources) or they get a disadvantage because they get damaged. Building on a good spot first also means, that my opponent looses ressources. Also in a two player game (and of course in a 3 or4 player game), I constently had to make decisions, where I get good stuff and at the same time my oppontents loose good options. Yes sure, your can just go in different directions and do your own thing if you want, but always beeing in range of your oppontent is definitly a good strategy in this game. Also when exploring a tile, where another player can build in a good spot afterwards and therefore gets loads of ressources is not a good idea and imo very interactive. And there are more interactive elements like racing for a specific kind of artifact or using specific player powers against other players. Your argument, that this game is just multiplayer solitair is simple not true and gives the viewers a wrong picture of the game.
I'm sorry but if that tiny snippet of "player on player" moments is what counts for player interaction in games, then we have a long future of themeless, dry Euro's that might as well be solo games. You literally have only one thing you control in the game from a multiplayer standpoint - the added book of cost to put a meeple on a spot with another meeple. That's it. I don't know what cards you want, or tiles, or spots. I don't know what layout the explored tile is going to be to dictate whether an opponent can find a brilliant spot after. And with the pleathora of ways that someone can jiggle around resources, there's no guaranteed way to know if they can scrounge up enough resources for a house without you realising it. In a 2 player game, you can literally go in the opposite directions and never associate with each other. I've done that in multiplayer and done just fine without needing a "cohort" with me. In fact I do better each time because someone isn't potentially stealing my stuff. Racing for something is not interaction otherwise every Euro game is interaction as everyone is technically racing for something, whether it's a tile, a card or victory points at the end of the day. Also what player powers are you referring to that work against other players? No I stand by my argument. Revive is NOT an interactive Euro.
@@TheBrokenMeeple sure, my examples only are relevant, if you go in the same direction as your opponent, what definitly happens more often, since we play with the new official variant, where there's just one public artifact goal card for all players. Also when there's a flask or the lake goal on the public artifact goal card, you have to look what the opponent goes for and be faster picking the right artifacts. You maybe don't call this "interaction", but for me interaction begins, when I have to look what my opponent is doing to get an advantage. If I just go for the lakes and my opponent grabs all the artifacts for the lake goal because I was not paying attaion , I probably loose. About exploring: Often you have to hold back exploring further because there are already 2-3 resourcen (either terrain or lakes) adjacent to an unexplorerd tile already. Another example is: When I see my oppontent going heavy in one machine track, to reach the 12th space for card vps, I try to shut this down by building on those particular spots first( if it pays out). I don't know... I guess you can play it either way... depends on your playstyle. Sure there are a lot much more interactive games, no question, but I have a different understanding of "interaction". I would have said, what kind of player interaction revive has to offer, instead of saying, it is a multiplayer solitair, because that is exaggerated in my eyes. On the other hand, you cannot know this, because like you said , you always build into the other side^^ For the playerpowers, there is one, where you can place a token on a spot and if the oppponent builds on that spot, he has to give you the ressources instead of putting them back into the supply. I also may score double VP when I try build in a different direction and ignore my opponent, I will give this a shot next session^^
you wonder what is so unique about each tribe?! 13:30 i mean… how… did you play this game like… once? they have significant differences… 😮 the campaign is the tutorial, you can actually learn the differences between the tribes and you‘ll be very fit to play the game without looking everything up once you played it. maybe that is why you find it so hard to understand the symbols? no wonder you got downtime… and solo mode: well, the timer only pushes you if you’re not fit enough to know how you‘ll be able to play and get cards WITHOUT triggering the timer… what an angry review 😅 omg 21:16 when they got more ressources… well block them and get interactive… there is a hawk in the game that will love to help you doing that 🤷🏻 but yes, you got to know the tribe‘s specialties, of course. also, no one is holding you back to change the tempo by letting the players play all together making it a race. it gets crazy but why not 😅 it is the last chance to revive the planet.
I appreciate you being critical on games and although I don’t agree with some of your assessment here and there - your channel is one of the best out there!
