From a learning perspective, this is undoubtedly the best way to learn scripting. However, therein lies the problem: this is meant to be educational just as much as it is meant to be fun, which means that every element revolves around teaching the user rather than allowing each element to shine independently.
This is seen in the core gameplay loop and progression. When you strip away all the programming elements, the game is hilariously cookie-cutter and bland, essentially being universal paperclips with code. The story is an afterthought, the different systems and mechanics have clunky interactions, the progression is unnatural and artificially controlled, and for people already experienced with code there is very little benefit of playing this game over the mountains of other free cookie clicker ripoffs that pollute steam like the downstream sewage of a chemical plant.
Of course, some people might argue that the act of solving problems with code and bugfixing is itself both unique and relaxing. And to that I say if you have so much fun writing JavaScript for 5 hours a day, go to leetcode or hackerrank and grind problems there. It's fundamentally the same thing, except leetcode problems are probably more complex and interesting for experienced programmers.
Overall, this is an incredible educational tool that should be used in high schools and colleges across the country. But that's all it is. It's a tool. Games are an art form. The purpose of games are not to fill some sort of functionality, but to act for the sake of games itself. By its very nature, this is not and can never be true art because it is designed with a functional objective in mind, and thus constitutes kitsch. This is not a game. This is an interactive, playable, and highly addictive JavaScript textbook. It might have a structure and form resembling games, and it might be classified as a game on steam, but those video game elements are not used to expand upon the video game form in bitburner, but to create an incentive for people to learn JavaScript.
As a game: 0.5/5 (Stay Away At All Costs)
As a learning tool: 5/5 (Flawless)
This is seen in the core gameplay loop and progression. When you strip away all the programming elements, the game is hilariously cookie-cutter and bland, essentially being universal paperclips with code. The story is an afterthought, the different systems and mechanics have clunky interactions, the progression is unnatural and artificially controlled, and for people already experienced with code there is very little benefit of playing this game over the mountains of other free cookie clicker ripoffs that pollute steam like the downstream sewage of a chemical plant.
Of course, some people might argue that the act of solving problems with code and bugfixing is itself both unique and relaxing. And to that I say if you have so much fun writing JavaScript for 5 hours a day, go to leetcode or hackerrank and grind problems there. It's fundamentally the same thing, except leetcode problems are probably more complex and interesting for experienced programmers.
Overall, this is an incredible educational tool that should be used in high schools and colleges across the country. But that's all it is. It's a tool. Games are an art form. The purpose of games are not to fill some sort of functionality, but to act for the sake of games itself. By its very nature, this is not and can never be true art because it is designed with a functional objective in mind, and thus constitutes kitsch. This is not a game. This is an interactive, playable, and highly addictive JavaScript textbook. It might have a structure and form resembling games, and it might be classified as a game on steam, but those video game elements are not used to expand upon the video game form in bitburner, but to create an incentive for people to learn JavaScript.
As a game: 0.5/5 (Stay Away At All Costs)
As a learning tool: 5/5 (Flawless)