I found this game right when I needed to. I don't even remember purchasing it, I was browsing my library for games that look like they'd play well on my Steam Deck during camp trip outings or from the comfort of my bed, and added this title to that list. Ironically, I started my playthrough on my desktop on a 40" display with dedicated audio hardware to power a sound system befitting a living room entertainment center -- not what I anticipated this game to be fitted for, but my mind is abuzz with thoughts and stressors of life and none of the AAA titles in my backlog collection are able to hold my attention. Each blockbuster, overwhelmingly positively reviewed game in my lineup as seemingly impossible to approach as the next, leaving me saddled with analysis paralysis as even the endeavor of downloading 100GB of a game seems like a commitment that is surely to be let down with another 10 minutes of gameplay before ultimately deciding I've had enough. This game... I had no idea what to expect going into it -- in fact it's almost ambiguous based on the Steam store listing what genre of game this even is... but what's a couple gigs to try something before giving up and finally resigning myself to the dishes? It's magic. Maybe it has just somehow nailed the amalgamation of influences that defined my childhood gaming experiences, but somehow I was hit with a rush of nostalgic zeal from the very beginning and it hasn't let up. Future-tropic corridors littered with digitized combatants that invoke precious memories of Digimon World 4 and Megaman Battle Network; Cutesy human-robot friendships that somehow reminded me that C.U.B.I.X: Robots for Everyone was a game that exists and that I had once played and thoroughly enjoyed. Culminating in an escape from the tutorial area (which introduced the game's semi-simplistic but ridiculously satisfying combat mechanics) that led to emancipation from a retro-future prison to a player-editable hubworld that instantaneously invoked the most warm, homely reminisence of the Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon series, complete with resource gathering, furniture shopping, and catching this game's equivalent of bugs and fish which are, quintessentially, their robotic counterparts. The presentation of this game is leagues above what I expected. It isn't lost on me how difficult it is for a game to feel this polished, and cohesive as a package. The art direction of the game's worlds and characters is as lively as it is cartoonish and wholly futuristic. The user interfaces are beautifully crafted and blend diegetically with the world you inhabit, never taking you out of the experience for even a moment. The sound design is populated by whirs, blips and beeps that keep with the toy-like roboticism of the game's world, but are also accompanied by organic sounds of your multi-tool chopping wood, and chipping at stone in a way that consciously signifies the persisting natural elements. This is further bolstered by the wonderful soundtrack, which enhances this theme by combining soothing finger-picked guitar melodies with accompanying synthesizers that range from wistful chord progressions to low hums underlining the overall tone. Maybe this game has varying motifs that specifically hit home for me, and my initial enjoyment of this presentation is anomalous to the everyman who might fail to connect with it so vehemently, I can't say. What I can say for sure here is, wow, this is truly something special. Also, there's a review for this game which read that the poster's enjoyment was completely dismantled by a thin black outline that adorns the main character of the game. While I find it wildly hyperbolic to discredit everything else this game does so well -- to the extent of reviewing it negatively, which is even more dishearteningly weighted due to the low review volume this game has -- I would like to note that I agree the visual design is more cohesive when that outline is removed WHICH IS A SETTING CLEARLY DENOTED IN THE OPTIONS MENU!! I'll update this review as I continue playing and have more refined thoughts to share. Edit: 12 Hours In Okay... WOW! The concept of "rogue-life" is a unique one, but goodness gracious is this an addictive amalgamation of gameplay mechanics. The life-sim elements of the game perfectly complement the missions which serve as vehicles for the rogue-lite influences of this title. What I love, love, love is the way they've managed to marry these two opposing sides of the game. After rescuing the shopkeepers throughout differing missions, you're tasked with setting up their storefronts wherever you see fit in town. This opens you up to work on your relationship with them via missions and earn further progression in weapons/mods, upgrades for your hook-arm abilities, furniture, cooking, cosmetics -- there's so much! After that, you begin to rescue residents, similar to animal crossing's villagers, but they ALSO serve as companions that you can take with you into battle! The interactions with them in the village serve to rank up their battle capabilities, and it's such an ingenious way to give everything you do an intrinsic purpose -- and that motif carries through just about every mechanic that is introduced to you. Even the collect-a-thon elements which serve only to adorn your museum in animal crossing, serve to unlock further weapon variants and upgrades for you to craft and use in the field. In fact, there is such a VAST array of weapons variants that are upgradeable from one another that it scratches that same incredibly satisfying itch that the progression of gear in Monster Hunter: World provides. You're constantly rewarded for reasonably lengthed mission progression with ample discovery in terms of unlockables and material rewards, but also there's SO much to do when you get back to town and continue gathering materials, perusing the shops, and enhancing the lively NPC progressions. If I can park on the hubworld interactivity for just a moment, there's so much nicety in how it's carved out that makes it feel alive and a place welcoming to return to between missions. I absolutely adore that the shopkeepers leave their shops in the evening and lounge around town, waving hello as you pass by in the evenings. The residents in general feel so interactive, and there's no reason that we need to be able to pick them up and throw them but I sincerely enjoy that we can anyway. I love that they use the seats and swings and items you leave strewn around town, I love that they ask you to play pranks on their behalf, I actually feel bonded with these dinky little goofy robo-pals, especially those I'm most fond of taking into battle with me. Also, the game isn't a "real-time" progression like Animal Crossing, which I appreciate. It's more akin to any other survival game where the day/night cycle is something like 20 minutes, but there seems to be an element of time passing by when you AREN'T playing the game at play in the form of seasonal progression. Each day I log in, the season has changed and while at first it was absolutely unexpected, I see now that it serves as a wonderful incentive to continue playing as there are collectable bitibots and gillibots that only appear during certain patterns of weather -- ensuring plenty of variety from day to day without having to wait through an entire year to experience all of the content! This is great, I'm having fun :)
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