Rebuilding civilisation for a world in peril is a colossal task, especially when you’re up against nature. Against the Storm, by Polish studio Eremite Games, published by Hooded Horse, challenges its players to do just that. After its initial release with strong ratings on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, Against the Storm has now settled onto PlayStation 5, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

As a Viceroy, you’re tasked with overseeing the creation of settlements to rebuild the Smouldering City under the reign of the Scorched Queen, which storms have ravaged. Unlike most city-builders, the ongoing threat of natural disasters, in this case being mighty storms, is enough to wipe out colonies completely. Add in the need to maintain your reputation before the Queen runs out of patience.

Against the Storm plays like an isometric city builder with a massive emphasis on strategy and a decent amount of rogue-lite elements. Choosing a spot to place a settlement on the hexagonal-tile map leads to various mythical biomes where the real key to victory is chaining settlements before the ultimate Storm hits, effectively leading to a full collapse of civilisation and needing to begin again from square (or in this case) hexagon one. A high-risk, high-reward goal if there ever was one.

The first thing that stands out is the gorgeous fantasy setting, accompanied by a stunning painterly art style. With procedurally generated zones that look plucked right out of a storybook from woodlands, wastelands, and marshes, which help or hinder each species. The various creatures and set-pieces add perfectly to the worldbuilding, akin to fantasy greats like Dungeons & Dragons’ quirky critters, like anthropomorphic Beavers and badass Lizard-Folk, and World of Warcraft’s somewhat old-school, painted style.

What’s even more magical is the ethereal, orchestral soundtrack. Which is chill and relaxing, walking that fine line between being ever-present and atmospheric while concentrating, yet serving as a sign of the environment shifting. Likewise, when the weather begins to change, the super-realistic rain and storm sounds, along with visual and audio cues of an imminent threat, really help to set the mood and serve as a good way to stay alert. The world is so immersive, in part thanks to its visual and audio elements; it’s deep and dark when needed and calmer when the weather subsides during the recovery phase.

There’s significant pressure on its inhabitants to build, harvest, and produce materials in preparation for the worst. It’s an incredibly daunting task, with increased pressure to meet the villagers’ needs (food, water, resources) and wants (time in taverns and breweries), all while balancing labour to keep everything running smoothly. Preparedness is the key to recovery later, and the centre point of that is the inhabitants. Micromanaging the constant runnings is essential.

Most tasks have multiple purposes. While cutting down trees provides wood for building and fueling the Hearth, it also clears paths to explore, expand, and find more resources. It can be a bit of a ‘luck of the draw’ type situation, where you may not necessarily get the building you want. There are usually ways to alleviate struggles with alternative ingredients for producing goods or trading with merchants. These challenges accumulate without necessarily leading to an inevitable downfall in the long run.

Villagers come in five species. So far, I’ve come across humans. Lizards and beavers, each with their specialities, whether it be gathering, woodwork, or hunting. Each species has its own morale that needs to be met, which, depending on what tasks you’re given and what buildings you unlock as you go, can be challenging to balance out their satisfaction.

The biggest enemy here is time, so using all the resources and villagers at your disposal as efficiently as possible is key, mainly due to the impending timer running out. There are a considerable number of procedurally generated maps with varying effects and challenges as you move further away from the city.

Permanent upgrades gained throughout runs introduce a roguelike element that makes the game addictive, especially when the likelihood of survival seems more achievable. The gameplay loop is great for replayability, with numerous variables altering how maps operate, diverse biomes, and various events. No two settlements can be approached in the same way. The time investment per settlement is palatable, and it is just the right amount of time to keep invested.

The learning curve may be too overwhelming for some. I found myself severely disillusioned in the early hours until I figured out a strategy for progression. While the tutorial provides a general overview of the mechanics, it ultimately comes down to learning by doing, with guidance only going so far. I would have liked a low-stakes mode where I could take my time and freely build from scratch without time pressures. There are numerous options to modify character and resource behaviours in the options menu. However, the number of barriers to success is still incredibly high, so even on the easiest difficulty, I still had a rough time. Especially when it came to appeasing the Queen, managing to get through orders quickly before her patience ran out was the most stressful pressure of all.

I lost my settlements to the Storm or to failing to meet the Queen’s demands on the first few maps before I began to understand how to keep society moving. There are numerous obstacles to success. It’s not so much about thriving and surviving as it’s about developing the skills as a Viceroy to have more at your disposal, including better knowledge and upgrades for future settlements that genuinely make a difference.

While there’s no combat in the usual sense of RTS games, there are hostile elements like dangerous glades that can inflict curses or events that can lead to penalties or even deaths. Appeasing or Disarming threats and showing Loyalty to the Smouldering City is the way to thwart threats. Of course, the cycle of the Blightstorm is the most intense of all and often can be the defining point between victory and defeat. Assigning villagers to their strengths and upgrading the Hearth are a few ways to recover.

I had no real issues with performance; load times were relatively quick, and the frames were at a stable 60fps on the highest settings. Where the game fell for me is in the user interface. The UI is quite heavy; there’s too much information necessary to oversee. Using the DualSense controller, navigating to certain UI elements, such as the morale bars for each species, can be tedious. This led me to spend the first few maps guesstimating what my people and/or creatures needed. On PC, my past experiences with the mouse and keyboard approach have shown that most things are easier to access with a click or a well-bound key than with controllers. It took a while, but eventually, I found my way to each UI element.

Against the Storm is the kind of city-builder that even the most hardcore fans of the genre will feel the pressure in. It may not be for everyone, but for players looking for a surprisingly cosy wind-down game for an hour or so per settlement that still gives some challenge, Against the Storm might be worth braving the weather for. A standout, rewarding, fantasy survival colony sim with a strong reputation since its PC release is just what the Queen ordered. It’s now available on PlayStation 5, and even the vicious storms couldn’t rain on my parade.

Written by: Yasmin Noble