Aven Colony Reviews

Become the Governor of your own colony on Aven Prime. Battle resource deficiencies as the planet fights back against foreign visitors. Become a beacon of hope for future expeditions and landing parties as you navigate the campaign mode. Alien planets have never looked and sounded so good, or so dangerous.

Despite the time I’ve spent harping on Aven‘s issues, it’s not necessarily a bad game. Mothership Entertainment has put in a lot of effort to try and create a threatening world for humanity to conquer. It certainly did the former, but the game fluctuates wildly from barely eking out an existence to being devoid of challenge. Humanity can do better on its first settlement among the stars.

We tell you, it’s a good game! It’s not average! It might have some problems here and there, but you have to admit it is a “Good” game.

Though lacking in innovation, Aven Colony is a budget city sim that delivers a polished experience.

Aven Colony tells the story of the human colonisation of an alien world, and each mission of the fifteen hour campaign is a variation on that one, singular idea. Like Earth, the planet offers everything from frozen tundra to lush, fertile landscapes capable of supporting the growth of crops like corn and wheat. The aim of the game is to take over a fledgling colony ran by a skeleton crew and expand it by correctly managing resources, monitoring power consumption, and providing enough living space and employment opportunities to encourage immigration. Colonies begin with a dozen or so engineers and a few solar panels to generate power, but under the right leadership, they can grow into vast metropolises supporting skyscrapers, army bases, and sports stadiums.

One of the best SimCity clones on consoles, whose streamlined gameplay is accessible if not necessarily very original.

The first impressions of Aven Colony are great, as you build your first colony, finding your way on this alien world. It doesn’t take too long before you start to see the limitations, whether by design or by mistake, leaving this as a city builder that’s easy to pick up and play, but one that could do with a little more depth.

Strategy titles on console are generally few and far between. Can sci-fi city-builder Aven Colony bravely go where few games have gone before and bring the genre to a new audience?

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Outside of the campaign, sandbox mode provides ample opportunity to stretch out and relax, though there is the minor complaint that they do not allow picking a particular landing spot. Still, sandbox provides the same gentle nudges with missions to keep the colony growing, but also allows a little more freedom to hang out and build things in a serene, calming alien landscape where breaching the fully-sealed walls means instant death.

As a seasoned city-builder, Aven Colony is a solid game that has translated remarkably well to the PlayStation 4.It’s incredibly fun and challenging and optimising your colony to no end will keep you entertained.

Despite its variety and the occasional innovation, Aven's lack of threat and mediocre story make the game feel undercooked. It's a sold city builder that doesn't do enough with its premise to stand out.

I spent the equivalent of a working week playing Aven Colony and it was hard labor. This is a game of relentless concentration and chore-work, with only the briefest flashes of magic and relief, offering almost nothing new to the city building, or resource management genres.