![]() But Rania on foot isn't as gratifying because of the camera angles that shift depending on your location and can obstruct your view. There are some issues with slowdown and the occasional crash, but it's stable for the most part. The driving experience is fun and visually engaging with this electric city with huge video billboards, sprawling skyscrapers and mix of traffic to navigate through (similar to Blade Runner). Often, Rania will be confronted with a choice that doesn't have a clear "right" or "wrong" answer, and it's fun to weigh the moral and ethical implications for these, but it doesn't seem to change the story at all (while ambitious, it would be better if it did affect Rania's path).Ĭontrolling your flying cars is fun after you learn to smoothly ascend and descend, adjust speed, take corners, and park before going on-foot. Other characters will come and go throughout this 8- to 10-hour or so adventure. ![]() dog companion to keep you entertained during jobs. You'll no doubt grow fond of some of the more recurring characters, like Control, who's like your dispatcher that helps you learn the ropes of this new city. Many of the missions are tied to delivering parcels from A to B, but in doing so, you'll meet a cast of characters and uncover more of the overreaching storyline. While not flawless, Cloudpunk is a fun, affordable title that's unlike other games you've played. This adventure is a delight - for the most part - as it's a refreshing fusion between a flying car simulation in a futuristic city and story-based adventure game. All of this takes place in one night, but there's some replayability once the main game has been completed (including optional side missions). As a courier, you'll begin to unravel what's really happening in Nivalis, who's really running the show, and how your quasi legal company may be involved in it all. You'll use money earned from jobs to upgrade your ride, buy food, clothes, drugs, and things for your apartment, like furniture. This will include some dangerous and illegal jobs that you'll have to decide whether you should take or not, and other ethical choices along the way. She'll also take on missions, mostly focusing on transporting goods from one place to another. dog companion, park her flying car, and interact with various characters (be they human, A.I., or Android robots). She'll float around the neo-noir vertical metropolis with an A.I. Your character Rania is new to the city, and gets a job as a courier. But there are some nice, light navigation puzzles here, using elevators and walkways to find clients hiding in the dark corners of the crowded city.In CLOUDPUNK, players are tasked with thriving as a fresh-faced courier in the futuristic city of Nivalis. Fixed camera angles and slightly floaty character movement mean these sections aren't as compelling as when you're in the air. Occasionally you're forced to park your car and explore parts of the city on foot. It's a narrative game first and foremost, more concerned with telling you a story than challenging you. But for the most part, Cloudpunk is a pretty easygoing experience. ![]() ![]() There are some light simulation elements too, such as stopping at garages to refuel, or forking out for repairs if you've traded paint with a few too many hover buses. And it only gets better as you spend your hard-earned wages on upgrades, including a nifty booster that gives you a short, satisfying surge of speed. Gliding across those dazzling cityscapes, weaving through traffic, and firing your repulsors to gain altitude feels sensational. Or is it flying? Your little hover car is a delight to control, with a nice feeling of speed, weight, and momentum. ![]() And as Control grows to trust you, you're given more lucrative jobs-including a visit above the clouds to the Spire, where wealthy corporate stooges live and work away from the mass of humanity below.īut what really holds Cloudpunk together is the driving. As Rania makes her deliveries she learns more about Cloudpunk, how the city is run, and the tensions bubbling beneath the surface. And I love Camus, Rania's AI companion, who has an infectiously naive, optimistic personality. Huxley is a private detective who speaks like he's narrating a hard-boiled crime novel, and frustrates Rania with his tortured mixed metaphors. There are some great characters here, though. Nivalus is a city filled with stories, although the quality of the writing and voice acting is pretty uneven. As you make your deliveries you'll meet a large cast of characters along the way, including shady nightclub owners, hackers, hover car racers, CEOs, cops, and self-aware androids. (Image credit: Ion Lands) (opens in new tab)Ĭloudpunk is a game almost entirely about exploration and conversation. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |