Steambot Chronicles

"Solidly Average"

I actually like this game a lot, but only in principle.

The big pluses: customizable robots, lots of sidequests, divergent storylines (albeit only 2), noncombat tasks/minigames, and a decently amusing plot. In short, the game has varied gameplay and text that is fun to read, which is enough for me to enjoy a game.

Of course, the execution leaves something to be desired: difficult controls (and I mean clumsy, not hard to master), repetitive tasks, load times, limited customizability, and a small yet surprisingly inconvenient world.

Gameplay

Unfortunately, most of the secondary tasks available involve ferrying items or people from once place to another, or finding an item and bringing it to a person - which amounts to your standard caravan/treasure hunt that rewards you with money. The big exception is the music minigame, which involves playing different instruments (all of which have different controls) for money and items. Now, I'm all for doing menial in game tasks for money, because I think it's cool to interact with a game world in ways besides fighting, but the real problem is there's not a whole lot to do with your money. Spending is limited to five things: robot parts, presents, clothes, food, and real estate.

Sounds like a lot, but robot parts are rather distinctly tiered (especially with regard to ranged weapons and shields) and there are really only 4 body parts to choose from, 2 of which are upgrades to one of the others. The only really cool modifications are leg parts, which affect robot movement. The end product is a very limited set of looks for your robot. The other ways to spend your money are all pretty cool, since they are all reflected in the game world. For example, you can change the lipstick the love interest wears by giving her a different color.

Graphics

I'm not terribly big on graphics, so by my standards this game is great. It's cel-shaded, which is a minus for some, a plus for others, and neutral in my book. Most importantly, animation is smooth, which is full credit in my book.

Controls

I'm unhappy with the controls. It uses both analog sticks, one for the left leg, one for the right leg. It's like a lot of games, though the earliest game that comes to mind for me is Sega's Virtual On. It works wonderfully on the ground during normal movement but leaves a lot to be desired when A) boosting without a lock-on and B) jumping. I have still to figure out how the game decides to react if you jump or boost while turning.

Also, certain objects seem to have a no-fly zone above them, and not all of them are immediately obvious. The problem is only really frustrating in one battle that involves platforming, but otherwise is somewhat innocuous.

Environment

My biggest gripe is that there isn't a big enough world to explore. Granted, I tend to demand unreasonably large worlds (I think WoW is too small), but for a so-called “sandbox” style game, the tasks get pretty boring, pretty fast. The biggest problem is that many commodities and items are only available in certain zones, so the world is enlarged by the fact that you are FORCED to walk across it. The problem solves itself later, but at that point the world becomes tiny. The ideal gaming world would be large yet rich with detail (like the real world), with enough playable zones to house 3 or 4 games of its size, but enjoyable even within a small self-contained area. Basically, bigger and more detail (which is just asking everything).

Impression

Overall, I do like this game. But it seems that if they'd have spent a little more of time expanding robot designs and enriching the world, they could have made a great game.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/07/06