Plastic Battlegrounds

Developer: Simulated Minds
Release: Jul 10th 2025
Platforms:
Action
Indie
Simulation
Strategy
Early Access
Nostalgic
Creative
Fun
Buggy
Unfinished
Plastic Battlegrounds Poster

Plastic Battlegrounds Review

Plastic Battlegrounds is a VR sandbox shooter that captures the nostalgic charm of playing with toy soldiers, offering players the ability to create and participate in custom battles. The game features a variety of weapons, vehicles, and themed maps modeled after miniature-scale playgrounds, providing a unique and playful combat experience. Players appreciate the freedom to set up scenarios and the fun gunplay, which, despite some roughness, feels satisfying and true to life.

However, the game is clearly in early access with several technical and gameplay issues. Weapon mechanics are basic, lacking reloading and realistic handling, and AI behavior is simplistic. Performance can be inconsistent, especially during large battles with many entities. Some players experience motion sickness and find the controls awkward at times. Despite these drawbacks, the community recognizes the developers' commitment to improving the game, with hopes for future content additions, multiplayer, optimization, and mod support. Overall, Plastic Battlegrounds shows promise but remains a work in progress.

Highlights

Players praise the engaging sandbox mechanics that allow creative battle setups and scenario building. The toy soldier aesthetic is well-captured, evoking childhood memories. Gunplay is considered fun and satisfying, with weapons feeling weighted and authentic. The variety of maps and weapons adds to the gameplay depth. The developers' active support and frequent updates are also highly appreciated, giving hope for the game's growth. The game's unique blend of nostalgia and VR immersion stands out as a key positive.

Criticisms

Common criticisms include janky weapon handling with unrealistic shooting mechanics and awkward aiming poses. AI is rudimentary, often just standing still while firing. Performance issues arise during large battles, causing lag and frame drops. The game suffers from bugs such as clipping, collision problems, and occasional crashes. Controls can be unintuitive, and some players report motion sickness without comfort options. Content is currently limited, lacking a campaign or multiplayer, and some desire more lore and faction-specific details. Overall, the game feels unfinished and rough around the edges.

Pros

  • Engaging sandbox mode allows creative battle setups and scenario customization.
  • Toy soldier theme effectively evokes childhood nostalgia and charm.
  • Fun and satisfying gunplay with weapons feeling weighted and authentic.
  • Variety of maps and weapons enhances gameplay diversity and replayability.
  • Developers actively support the game with frequent updates and improvements.
  • Ability to spawn vehicles, infantry, and artillery adds tactical depth.
  • Simple HUD keeps immersion intact without cluttering the screen.

Cons

  • Weapon mechanics are basic, lacking reloading and realistic interactions.
  • AI behavior is simplistic and often unchallenging during combat.
  • Performance issues and lag occur in large battles with many entities.
  • Controls can be awkward, causing difficulty aiming and interacting.
  • Game suffers from bugs including clipping, collision, and graphical glitches.
  • Motion sickness reported due to lack of comfort options and camera handling.
  • Limited content currently; no campaign or multiplayer available yet.

Rating Criteria

Story
Difficulty
Graphics
Duration
Stability
Worth the Price
Capsule image

Set up the battlefield with an ever growing list of units, vehicles, and emplacements! Then either join the battle as a plastic soldier or be life sized and tower over the chaos.

Release Date Jul 10th 2025
Publisher Simulated Minds
Developer Simulated Minds
Platforms

User Reviews

Very Positive (112)
91% Positive 9% Negative