From what I've played so far this is a difficult review for me.

I love the original Autonauts. And this game is not bad either. Summarized quickly, if you want combat, and a more objective oriented game, then this is a good alternative to the original Autonauts. But that's what it is, an alternative.

Anyways, there has to be some context provided here.

Originally, this game was promised as a free update to the original Autonauts. After a long time, they came out and announced that the game would instead be released as a completely separate game.

Now, in itself, I don't mind that. Assuming the game distinguishes itself to a large degree and provides huge improvements.

And that's where we bump into a bit of an roadbump.

First of all, the game limits itself a lot to the original systems of Autonauts. It does NOT feel like you're playing a new game. You're playing a mod. A good mod, but a mod. For example, you still have to order bots around in groups using sign posts (banners). They've not introduced any unique systems to the game to support the more military focused approach of this one. Rather they are just building on top of features that already existed (besides combat).

Secondly, there has been no interesting changes to the map that plays to the strength of this game mode. You basically get access to a progressively bigger chunk of the map as you kill each miniboss (which brings down impassable laser walls). There are no terrain features, like mountains, chokepoints, etc. The map is still the same as the old map, except more boring (a pancake). Presumably to ensure nothing screws up with piratebot placement.

Third, I'm also a bit worried that this game will have very little replayability after you finish it once, due to there being less non-combat content than in the original autonauts (and what are you supposed to do once you kill the enemy boss? Assuming the game doesn't just end/quit), but I'll see once I get to that point. If that fear turns out to be real, though, at the very least they should have had a more survival/colony focused gamemode that could continue infinitely just like the base game, considering it's a separate game with it's own price tag.

For now I've only opened up the second area, but I'll play more and update the review as I go along. Maybe I'll come across more that justifies it, but for now I'm stuck with the feeling of "is this it?" after they said that the reason they took it to a whole separate game was due to the insane amount of work they put into it.

If you have neither game, and a more objective oriented version of the game with combat appeals to you, go for it. Although it might have less hours to spend than the original base game.

Some pretty solid quality of life improvements over the original game, including no longer needing to recharge your bots, a much larger memory capacity for bots, and being able to build the bot database from the start. So far, looks like an overall improvement.

One complaint: I don't know why it bothers me as much as it does that the bots are initially Minions themed, but it does.

Have been playing this as an early tester for the devs, and I really like the idea that they have managed to work out here. They have kept all the core functionality of the original Autonauts game, and replaced the requirement to upgrade your bots with the requirement to keep the pirates at bay.

Some other features have been changes as well, but most of them for the better, and they are looking into merging a number of the changes into the original game as well!

Autonauts vs Piratebots is a well-balanced game where you have to create your own worker- and army-bots in order to push back the constantly attacking piratebots. By defeating bosses and raiding the pirate bases, you unlock new recipes and mechanics that will help you in proceeding even further.

If you liked the original Autonauts, you will also like this one!

For fans of games like Factorio and Satisfactory: Think away the belts and insert robots to move the resources around, and you can start right away :D You just need to make the robots copy your actions to get them started.

A Real Time Strategy Game that ignores all other titles in the genre.
Crtl+1 to make a group and then 1 to command that saved group has been standard in RTS for over 20 years.
But in stead this game has physical banners that you either have to carry around or use several mouse clicks to:
1 Go to Sign list (not being able to see the health of units anymore)
2 Click Banner
3 Click Banner area or find it
4 Click an icon in the center of the banner area
5 Hold the icon and drag it to the new area you want your army at
6 Then click OK

Six steps through various menus for what is 1 + a single click in other games.
While it is a single player game, the time does not stand still in these menus, so tactical movement is near impossible.
Making it a very boring RTS: Produce until hitting population cap and attack. Rinse Repeat.

Autonauts is a fun factory and automation game.
This version does bring some much needed updates to that part of the game.
But combat is done in a terrible way.

Once the RTS part has received some polish and hotkeys I may give this a thumbs up.
But this is an RTS that did not take inspiration from other games in the genre and while innovation can be good at times, it seems more like the developers did not play other RTS games for inspiration before deciding to make their own.

To be able to command a unit it first needs to be added to a group, which is done by:
1 Click unit
2 In the lower right of the unit profile click the "list of units"-button
3 Upload your unit to the list
4 Click unit 2 you want to be in a group
5 In the lower right of the second unit's profile click the "list of units"-button
6 In the list of units find the first unit you you just uploaded
7 Click a button on that first unit and link the 2nd unit

Repeat step 4-7 manually for every unit you have.

8 Click create team
9 Name team and give it a color
10 In the list of all units find one of those you just grouped up
11 Drag unit to the team name

Repeat step 10 - 11 for every unit in the group

This is an RTS, with combat happening in real time and there are invasions of the base.
Plus units die in combat (without a possibility to heal (at least for the first 9 hours of the game which is what I have played)
Meaning that setting up groups and teams is a constant chore.

Autonauts (the first game)
Had extreme potential, this game does too.
But the developers seem to know very little about User Experience and GUI design.
Tasks that are done very often and are a core mechanic should be easy.

But both in this second game and the original a lot of tasks are way more complicated than it needed to be.

This second iteration has improvements:
-No longer needing to charge bots
-Linking multiple robots to one program script
-Wuv (in-game resource) being way easier to handle
-List of all units unlocking way earlier
-Bots having a memory so programming is doable without hours of grind
-Bots are way easier to make, using the same ingredients but using 1 crafting table instead of 4

But these streamlining improvements are what most would expect from an Early Access game getting updates, not a new 20$ game.
Looking at how Satisfactory is still getting updates and Subnautica changed from a mess to a fantastic game. Dyson Sphere Program having an AMAZING set of updates in the first year of Early Access.

Autonauts I cannot recommend to people.
It has enormous potential, the way to code bots is really good.
It is a fun factory game.
But it is made by developers who does not seem to understand User Experience.
If you like this game, please try playing Dyson Sphere Program and Age of Empires for a bit and then return to this game.
You will quickly see the difference in how other Factory games and RTS have way less tutorials, because they are intuitive and easy to use.

The tutorials in Autobots vs PirateBots are actually rather good.
But they are long, very long and sadly the only way to find out how a task is done.

If you put this game down for a month or two it is near impossible to pick it up again.
The combination of very unintuitive paths needed to do things and the lack of an overview that could help makes very long tutorials the only way to catch up.

Try pressing F1 in Fallout 1, a game from 1997, while it is an old and in some ways unintuitive menu, pressing F1 gives a lot of good details and explanation.
In Autonauts vs PirateBots the help section is an icon of a light bulb and a list of text with a scrollbar to the right.

A common thing I hear from people playing this is:
"I never know if I should right-click or left-click and I often make mistakes"
I have played Autonauts for days on end, but I still make that mistake.
That is the result of poor design or poor explanation on what right-clicking is supposed to mean as opposed to left-clicking.
Normally in Operating Systems and games right-click means opening a context menu.
In Autonauts right-click is "add item" and left-click is opening the context menu.

Hiring an experienced User Experience developer I think could help a lot.
Because the core mechanics are great.
It is just feels like a combat against a strange menu system than a fight against PirateBots.

A definite disappointment.

The original Autonauts was one of my favourite games of the last few years so was really excited to play AVP. Originally it was touted as a DLC to the original game but then the developers decided to release it as a full price sequel.

As a DLC it probably would have been easier to overlook the shortcomings but as a full product costing the same as the first game it's a real disappointment. The Autonauts side of the game is exactly the same as the first one. There are no real changes to the gameplay at all on the non combat side of things aside from a few minor QOL fixes.

The main issue is that the Piratebots side of the game, ie: the base defence and combat, which is the main theme and selling point of the game is very clunky and IMO lacking in its execution. The programming elements lack the finesse to be able to control the combat units in an interesting or even fully funtional way and the UI does not provide any tools to make managing the groups of units fun or streamlined.

Progression is locked behind taking out the Pirate Bot encampments but rather than a fun element this felt like a real chore due to the lack of refinement and options available for the combat engagements.

The original game was really great but this sequel feels like it is gating the fun progression side that made it enjoyable behind a laborious and badly implemented set of combat mechanics.

Is this game a masterpiece? Well, if you consider the original Autonauts a masterpiece then this is one as well, it is basically just more of the same, although with a new gameplay element, (automated) combat, tower defense style.

It is still a survival game, focused on constructing automated industrial processes, but now with the main goal of freeing a planet. As the title suggests, Piratebots have conquered the planet Rigel VII and taken over or plundered all the outposts of the peaceful Autonauts. They divided Rigel VII in 5 sectors (each lead by a boss). Free those outposts, defeat the Piratebots (and their leaders) and chase them away from Rigel VII.

To succeed, you have to build a base. You build it, manage it, automate it, defend it. Gameplay is at the beginning similar to your standard survival game. Run around, collect ressources, craft things at your workbench. But then automate as many things as you can, produce bots to help you in your struggle. Your base gets attacked regularly by the Piratebots, so you need to build enough towers to fend them off. Logistics is key to success, you have to automate your (farming) industry to earn enough cash to have the ressources to win the war against the pirates. Program Workerbots, and they will work tirelessly. As your technology evolves, new blueprints will be unlocked and you can build more advanced machines and structures. You can build different fighting units, then program them, and lead them into battle. The battles are then conducted automatically.

Conclusion:
Spin-off from a pure automation/construction playfield (somehow inspired by Factorio), with additional enemies to fight to spice things up. Besides construction, the new gameplay element of destruction was added. Still quite cute. And with a lot of content to play around.

This is a game neatly wrapped as a programming guide for people first getting into the world of coding. That being said, it can intrigue any player to pick it up and play as it's gameplay is decently engaging, even for older players. There is a solid campaign included and a tutorial that will walk players through the process of playing the game. In short, I would recommend if this appeals to you - but beware - if you're already coding a lot, you'll probably not be too invested, at least for long.

The primary form of gameplay and controls is through the mouse. The player will be clicking majority of the time in order to complete actions. The goal is to automate as many as the actions as possible. This may seem like a simple task, but as the game conditions become a little more complex so does the logic with the code. Cutting down a tree and putting it in storage is very different than telling a solider to wield a weapon, when its hands are empty, and then to find enemies to attack. The game will take a little getting used to and there certainly will be frustration regarding production lines. Patience does become a virtue and is certainly rewarding when it all comes together. There are loads of resources and jobs to assign, there is no shortage of logic puzzles in this game.

The visuals and graphics are decent all across the board. The user interface, I must say, was done quite nicely. Menus are easy to navigate, bots can easily be assigned tasks, click and drag features for the coding logic... it all comes together really nicely. The animations aren't extremely in-depth, however they do manage to display current actions happening in the game. Bots also have indicators to help the player quickly identify any issues within their production line. The sounds and music are okay. Every necessary sound, bump, attack, or harvest is noted. The pinging of the bots can get to someone after hearing it a few times over.

Overall, not a bad game, not a great game, but a decent game. It has a good tutorial system that should help players familiarise themselves with the game and become independent over some time. The campaign growth and patience of the Piratebots is welcomed as learning the game can take a bit of time. I think younger Gamers will enjoy it, but I can see anyone at any age enjoying watching their programmed bots carry out their orders.

While this game has its moments, I can't really recommend it. I love Autonauts and have played the original game for over 200 hours. I was hoping this would be good, but it's not as fun as I thought it would be. I recommend you play the original Autonauts.

In the original Autonauts, the focus was on programming robot workers to automate your base. You would have a robot 'record' your actions and the robot would mimic you, gathering resources or crafting (intermediate) products. Your goal was to house and facilitate colonists, which would give you Wuv (the research currency) if their ever growing needs were met. As you researched higher tiers, you got access to better robots with more memory, larger inventories or greater speed. You also got access to increasingly complex recipes for your colonists like mansions, clothing and toys. Having to continually expand your base and incorporate these new steps was really fun. There was always something new to automate.

In Autonauts vs Piratebots, the focus is much more on managing your combat robots in battle to complete your goal of defeating the Piratebots. You defeat Piratebots, take over small outposts and eventually defeat a zone boss that lets you enter the next area. You go through this process a couple times until you defeat the final boss. As you claim more outposts and take over the map, you get higher tier recipes and 'bits', which are the research currency. While this looks fun at first glance, you quickly realize that this game is a) a much simpler version of the original with some (quality of life) changes and b) that the RTS elements are very poorly done.

If you've played the original, you will immediately recognize the basics in this game. A very welcome change is that you no longer need to charge your bots, and that the database is available early on. It's also nice that they give you such good bots early on, but it does mean that there is no more bot progression, which I dislike. You can still get colonists to drop Wuv if you feed them, but their needs are now only based on berries. Wuv is also not as valuable, as you only need it for repairs. I found that I rarely needed it. The main change is in the new resource: gold. You can sell items in the spaceport and use gold to upgrade or build some buildings, but you mainly use it to create weapons and combat bots. Currently, you can only sell a couple of items, all based on cereal. You start with straw and cereal seeds, and progressively work your way through porridge and dough to buttered bread. Higher tier items give you more money, but that's it. No other items can be sold, NONE. No arts, no clothing or toys, no apple pie or fish, nothing. It's all just cereal. Personally, I think this is a mistake, as the variety of recipes and complexity in production is what made Autonauts so much fun. Having to only manage cereal just means you build a massive field, copy a couple dozen bots to harvest it and only ever get to selling porridge. I played on the extreme difficulty without ever using something other than porridge or plain berries.

This brings me to the combat. I get that the crafting and automation in this game are all heavily focused on making combat bots and fighting Piratebots, but honestly, the RTS part of the game feels really basic, clunky and unbalanced. You have your two basic grunts, and a level 2 and 3 of both melee and ranged bots. You unlock these as you progress through the map. Once you get the archer though, which is in your first upgrades, the rest becomes obsolete. They're cheap to make and their damage, range and speed is so high that no other unit compares. It's too annoying to effectively maneuver melee bots in battle using the flags and they don't compare well in damage anyway. You also can't heal your bots, so they're not an effective tank either. And once you make one good targeting program, you're set for the rest of the game. Pair this with the fact that you can use yourself to pull and kite Piratebots and every battle becomes a walk in the park. I know you're meant to use sappers to take down things like towers and walls, but realistically, the archer works much better.

All in all, I feel like this game dumbed down some of the core processes that made Autonauts so enjoyable. Combat and defense is a fun idea, but drawing your core focus away from automation and making a base towards some very simple combat is not as fun as I thought it would be. It's more suited to be a custom map or some DLC for the original game.

Should've just been a DLC for Autonauts. I enjoy it has PVE but it really didn't have to be it's own game and it feels off, like it doesn't have the same effort like Autonauts but probably because it's a copy and paste with a few re-skins and additions. If I could I would get a refund.

When you compare this to Autonauts you could say: Same, but different and better.

Same, because core mechanic didn't change. You program bots to achieve game goals.
Different, because the main goal and story is new, you have new ways for programming bots and new reasons to do so.
Better, because it has a lot of new features and QoL changes added and it's more fun to play it.

If you like Autonauts, you will love Autonauts vs Piratebots.