HighFleet

Equally unique and fascinating military fantasy with varied content. But you have to have the patience to get to grips with all that HighFleet has to offer.

Back in the 90’s, a lot of games were made by small teams or even a single person who did what felt right, creating entirely new genres in the process. It’s hard to imagine something like that happening today. But with Highfleet,it did happen: it’s a truly unique blend of arcade, strategy and fleet management. [Issue#256, p.46]

HighFleet is a good game. It can be challenging, brutally so, and it has some issues with the way it handles things. But you can see the logic behind most of the concerns (that aren’t bugs), so it makes it easier to accept.

Even though a lack of polish and poor accessibility keeps it from greatness, HighFleet is still a gem of an indie strategy game.

Brilliant visuals, great music and unusual user interface will score points with people who like games that have a soul despite being very complex. However, to reach a broader audience, the developers would have to significantly improve the transparency of gameplay mechanics and iron out rough edges. [10/2021, p.40]

HighFleet has appealing vision, but breaks down due to opaque systems and lack of difficulty options.

I think this is precisely why I'm so frustrated with HighFleet. There's a brilliant game in here somewhere, but in its present state it's buried under endless frustrations and restrictions that do little but irritate me and cut me off from engaging with it the way I want to. I hate that I don't love it except in infrequent moments of greatness, and that the frustrations keep piling on at the same rate as I find more impressive details about it. It's kitted out for the stars, but just needs another tune-up or two to escape the atmosphere.

HighFleet's dieselpunk, post-apocalyptic far future absolutely oozes style and atmosphere, stemming from its intriguing worldbuilding and immaculate art and sound design across the board. You are the commander of a Romani imperial task force initially sent to put down a rebellion across the gigantic desert region of Gerat. Things happen, and you're forced to lead your hulking airships northward across the procedurally generated world, juggling all sorts of interlocking gameplay systems. One might say the heart of this masterpiece is the intense, effects-laden, immersive combat between potentially player-designed airships and the insurgent enemies. But the body of the sublime design has many other living organs. From town assaults and swaying Tarkhans, local leaders, to intercepting and deciphering encrypted radio communications in order to better plan your movements, avoiding enemy battle groups and plundering juicy freighters. You must be constantly managing priorities and resources to preserve and enhance your vessels while you advance, ideally staying away from a certain decision which can irrevocably escalate the conflict. There's not much more I can say without robbing you of the joy of discovering the intricacies of this gem on your own. Go grab it now: should be particularly criminal to ignore it while it's on sale, too.

Very charming, atmospheric and different game. Has a steampunk vide that is incredible, game loop and sound design is incredible as well!

====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 71 IIIIIIIIII====================

Great design and presentation. I disliked the save system and the ship combat.

To summarise, it's a series of minigames tied together with unit management and a strategic map to move around. Playing it I wondered what a sub sim would feel like if the conclusion of every hunt was a 2d 80s style arcade shooter. Flashbacks to the old Elite in having to dock manually each and every time, although at least in that game you could eventually purchase some automation and fast forward the dull routine. The game is made difficult by its single save only system, with obscure systems and some clunky controls presenting the only other real barriers. What Highfleet has in spades is atmosphere and a really well done dieselpunk aesthetic. Sadly, that just isn't enough to keep me playing. Does make me wonder whether Xenon 2 with a strategic layer could be something we'll see at some point.