Introduction
Basic information
Developer: Endless Frontier
Full name: Ekkorr
Release date: Not specified
Released on: Mobile
Cross play: No
Genre: Idle Clicker
Initial thoughts
I was expecting a fun idle game with a lot of content, since this is an idle game, I also expected some automated gameplay mechanics. My expectations were not very high, but I expected fun with the premise of endless progression. There also seems to be some strategical elements.
Story and setting
Plot overview
Endless Frontier does not have a real narrative structure, there is no focus on a story, only on gameplay progression.
World building and immersion
While this game is set inside a fantasy universe with various units and monsters, its world building primarily serves the need to get the gameplay mechanics going.
Character development
While I love to write a whole section here, this game makes it hard for me as there is no real character development. This game only focuses on unit collection and enhancing those units.
Emotional impact
The games lack of story and character development limits the emotional depth of everything.
Rating for story and setting
I have tried to dig as deep as possible as this game allows me to in the story section, sadly the waters are very shallow. I have to rate the story and setting for Endless Frontier with a 2.6
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
While I love to get all detailed here, I cannot escape the fact that the core gameplay mechanics are also very shallow. It all revolves are earning gold by idling or clicking. This allows you to upgrade your units which can be reset to gain more buffs. This cycle does emphasize strategic management over active engagement.
Difficulty and balance
The game’s difficulty scales with the progression that you make. You will not be able to continue unless you have to keep resetting your progress. This balance between effort and reward undermines the gameplay loop and makes it tedious instead.
Pacing of the game
I can only describe the game as having fact—paced gameplay. Once you accumulate more upgrades and automate the processes, it is likely that, despite this being an idle genre, it will overwhelm newcomers.
Innovation and uniqueness
This game does try to do something new with its revival system. It blends some idle and clicker gameplay mechanics with strategic elements, despite that, it does only offer the niche confines for these genres.
Controls and user interface
As you might have expected, the user interface is streamlined for ease of use. It facilitates the gameplay with minimal inputs to make it as casual as possible. You will get used to where the buttons are very quickly.
Microtransactions
Microtransactions available: Yes
Prices: ranging from low to very high
Battle passes: not that I am aware of
Boost for experience or gold: Yes, by buying gems with real money, you can buff your heroes
Is this game pay to win: I have to say, yes
Can you buy items to upgrade your stats or better weapons: Yes
Personal opinion: This game focuses a lot on having you buy buffs with gems, you can get these buff by playing, but they should have limited it to microtransactions, not macro transactions.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with a 5.5.
This game uses two niche elements of the idle and clicker genre, this game is not fun for a very long time.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
This game employs pixelated graphics, and it features a wide array of unit designs. Although, the fast-paced nature of this game will detract from fully appreciating the art the developers put into these units.
Technical performances
There are no specific issues that I encountered. You can expect a stable performance with any mediocre phone. There were no notable bugs or frame rate drops.
Environment and design uniqueness
The changing backgrounds and diverse unit designs add a lot of visual variety. However, once again the game shoots itself in the foot by going too fast. The game speed overshadows all that makes this game pretty to look at.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 5.0.
Why? This game has great visual designs but hampers itself by going too fast. This is something the developer should have thought about beforehand, slowing the game down, or adding extra options for people who love to gawk at visual designs.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The soundtrack does not stand out, it is a boring loop and I recommend you use your own music to keep your sanity.
Sound effects quality
All I can say is, generic. It is even annoying, and it contributed nothing to the game’s atmosphere.
Voice Acting
Not applicable
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 1.5
They might have been better off cutting the sound from this game.
Multiplayer components
Online gameplay experience
Not applicable
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
This game does offer an endless gameplay loop with a continuous loop of progression and resets. This is supported by a vast collection of units and items.
Extra Content
The focus remains on the core gameplay loop, there have been no specific mentions of special updates coming to the game soon. This game encourages ongoing engagement rather than keeping adding finite content. There might be new units planned for the future.
Replay value
The replay value is very high for players who invest in these kinds of games. There is a lot of strategic depth of managing resources and all your units. There are many stages to clear and you can keep resetting and becoming stronger.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability of Endless Frontier with a 7.8
This is undoubtedly the strongest point of this game, if you do decide to invest in this game, then you can expect to put in a massive number of hours.
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
Now that I have mentioned a lot of the pros and cons with this review, how could this game be improved? Firstly, it should have a minimal storyline, put some lore behind the units or stages. This way people will be more invested in the game world.
The sound and music needs to be enhanced, add captivating soundtracks, improve the sound effects, this will make the game more immersive! There is also the visual presentation, adding a slow motion mode could allow players to appreciate the game art. It is clear the developer put a lot of time in creating these units.
I would love to see more strategic elements, like special unit formations, or even battle tactics. This could deepen the gameplay and appeal to a broader audience. Also, adding social and competitive features like guilds and leaderboards will make a more dynamic player community.
Comparisons
Endless Frontier has a gameplay loop with strategic idle elements, there are other games in this genre, for example Clicker Heroes. This is a well-known game in the clicker genre and does a lot more strategy to its game. Or how about AFK arena, there is no resetting in this game, but each character has lore going on for them. These are things that Endless Frontier could learn from.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
There was a lot of satisfaction in advancing through the stages and accumulating new units, The upgrades I acquired provided me with notable enjoyment. As an idle game, it offers a unique blend of automation and strategy, but it may fail to captivate people who are seeking a more traditional and active gameplay experience.
Rating
Personally, I would rate this game with a 5,4
While I did enjoy this game, it did get stale rapidly, the feeling of progression was not really there for me in the game.
Last words
Pros
- The game is designed to reward players even when they are not actively playing
- With a vast array of units to collect, players can enjoy diverse strategies and team compositions
- allowing players to earn gold and progress without constant attention, perfect for casual gaming moments
- The concept of resetting progress to gain powerful buffs encourages strategic planning and offers a satisfying loop of progression and empowerment
- The game offers a wide range of items, including pets and artifacts
Cons
- the game does not offer a narrative or story, which might detract from player immersion and investment in the game world
- With most of the game automated from the start, players looking for a hands-on experience might find the gameplay too passive
- The game's fast pace can make it difficult for players to appreciate the graphics and unit designs fully
- The soundtrack and sound effects are considered lackluster, potentially detracting from the game's atmosphere and immersion
- he sheer number of units available can be overwhelming and may dilute the significance of individual units,
- Like many free-to-play mobile games, there might be a significant emphasis on microtransactions for progress
- Players looking for dynamic action or deep story-driven content might find the game's loop monotonous over time
- : While resetting progress can offer a sense of renewal, it might also lead to feelings of stagnation or lack of meaningful advancement
Endless Frontier serves as a niche title within the idle/clicker genre, offering a deep repetitive, gameplay loop focused on strategic management and progression. While it may not cater to all tastes, especially those seeking a narrative-driven experience or active gameplay, it stands out for its target audience with a unique blend of mechanics.
Final Rating
4.5
Please let me know what you think of Endless Frontier in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
If you liked reading this review, maybe you would like to share this review with your friends.
Also saw the Youtube video – the game feels like there’s some video playing in the background and I just need to click through to see more of the same (just like Youtube ads lmao).
You have the same feeling I had, just click to move on.
Yeah, this game doesn’t look like so good.
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE
0 stars from me personally
I can understand that.
This is the first time I see you give a game less than half in the score.
This game was not very good mechanic wise, I think I went into detail as to why in this review.
Not for me either 😉
Seems an idle game for people that doesn’t want to spend all the time on it
Too much idle perhaps?
boring
design looks ok, but yea i would better play other game
Playing another game would be much better.
These games are always fun for a bit. Do they ever end lol?
It is endless!
Good review!
Not really my type of game but the art style looks nice
Thanks for your insights!
I don’t understand the concept of idle games anyway…
I’m doing enough nothing. I don’t need to invest in a game to do nothing 😀
Idle games can be good, if there is a decent balance in activity, and getting rewards for having to do stuff in real life while your characters continue killing enemies. However, a lot of games forget this and think you are never online.
This game doesn’t look so good.
Thanks for the review but it doesn’t look good
Looks very repetitive. Not a fan of these idle clicker games.
This one is very repetitive.
I prefer games that give the player at least a story or charakter intro.
I am actually looking into a mobile game with a very good story and voice acting!
mobile games don’t even try anymore