Steambot Chronicles Review
Breath of Fresh air (10):Steambot chronicles takes the action rpg genre and makes one of the best Japanese free roaming games in years. Steambot lets you run around the world in customizable robots called trotmobiles that can be used for many purposes from combat to transportation and even industry. At the start of the game you are introduced to the fighting that starts out easy against some local bandits. Throughout the game you are also given the choice to use your trotmobile, when equipped with different backs, to transport goods such as steel, lumber, milk, honey, wheat, etc or give citizens rides from the multiple buss stops around to mining out in the canyons.
Another thing that steambot chronicles does that other games do not, is play music. Throughout the game you are given the option to join a band which whom you can play concerts for money at all sorts of bars. The songs you play are all accompanied by a quality vocal track and while some of the instruments don’t sound particularly realistic, it is a lot of fun to play your part in any number of concerts. You are able to play your part on any number of instruments ranging from violin, cello, drums, bass, guitar, trumpet, accordion, and harmonica and many more I have not bought yet. Each of the instruments is a mini game in itself that feels completely different from one before it. The accordion is quite confusing, making you simulate the open and closing of the instrument with the right and left analog sticks while pushing the R1 and L1 buttons to play the music hoping that you are lined up right. At the same time you can play the trumpet by pressing the right analog stick in either the direction of straight down, straight right, or straight up, to hit the notes as they pass by. All the other instruments I have gotten my hands on were equally as interesting and playing music can be quite a fun diversion from the serious main plot.
If this were all you could do aside from progressing through an interesting plot, the game would be more unique then any number of title on the market but there are even more things you can do. You are able to woo multiple girls throughout the game and go on dates with them, give them presents and all that. While I didn’t go too deep into this path, the few dates that I did decide to go on were quite fun. Besides dating the girls, you also have the option to go visit the random dungeons, of which I’ve discovered 2, that have multiple levels and are riddled with artifacts you can sell to the local museum for cash.
Finally, you are able to fight in the arenas in the different towns. Arena fights are timed and set you against trotmobiles that are a certain strength until you gain enough medals to advance up rank. Someone who never fought in the arena does have a chance to go from D rank to S in one tournament you are forced to participate in although if you have never fought in the arena most likely you will fail to win. The medals you win from the arena can be used to purchase upgrades for your trotmobile that are specific to the arenas like some weapons that you can only get through the arena. The arena specific weapons tend to be decent at best and seem a bit overpriced considering how slow you gain medals in the arena especially at lower ranks.
Characterization ( 8 ):
Steambot takes an interesting approach with the main character of the game in that you have some things in the game pre set like that you wash up on the beach in the very beginning, but when it comes to recovering from your amnesia when you are finally given a choice to remember, whatever you choose to remember from a large list is what you will have for your back story. The game essentially lets you pick your own back story to a degree, something that makes the game very interesting to say the least. As far as the other characters you meet throughout your journey, some of them are very interesting, especially the girls from which you are allowed to choose. The characters that matter are well enough presented that when they come into peril, you really feel for them and want them back safely. One thing that is kept quite secret though is the past of the game’s final boss which you never truly find out about the incident that makes him do what he does. All in all the characterization is solid but nothing spectacular.
Plot ( 8 ):
The plot in steamboat chronicles is somewhat strange. It starts out very low profile with ordinary interactions and the biggest thing that goes wrong being that you miss a train and are forced to go the long way to some very emotional twists at the end that I never saw coming. At one point in the game you are given the option to join an organization that is considered the evil side. A choice to join them will drastically change the outcome of the story from the “good” story that is default. While the plot picks up towards the end, there isn’t that much drive through the middle of the game story wise.
Immersion ( 9 ):
Steambot chronicles does a great job of creating a convincing world that really feels like a world in the midst of the industrial revolution. The different gangs that sprout up to prey on travelers are very believable. The Controls add a lot to the immersion because the trotmobile really feels like you are controlling a huge robot. Forcing you to equip different backs to haul different types of cargo also adds to the believability because you see the cargo on whatever you are using to carry it.
Controls ( 7 ):
As stated above, the trot mobile really feels like you are moving around a huge robot. Many find the controls to be clunky, especially those of the trotmobile but I find it very fitting. Basically you have a dual analog control similar to katamari where pushing both forward goes forward, both to one side goes to that side and one up while the other down turns you to either side. You can lock onto enemies with square, boost with L2 and jump with R2. Attacking is done with L1 for the left arm weapon and R1 for the right arm weapon. You can also pick up objects throughout the world such as rocks and trees by pushing in either analog stick and whichever side you picked it up with, will put it in that arm. You can then throw the object by pressing that button again. Combat is all real-time. All movements while you are off your trotmobile are quite standard with very little you can do other then talk to people and open chests with x and turn the camera with the right analog stick.
While you are in the different cities, you are forced to select your location from a list and then watch your trotmobile slowly make its way there while following the traffic laws, including stopping at traffic lights. This can sometimes take quite a long time to get from one end of the city to the other especially because the game has to load each of the multiple zones of the city when you go between one and the next. It is often times faster to walk to your destination especially if you know your way around the city as you are able to take shortcuts that your trotmobile will not take.
The game also suffers from frequent backtracking and it can be quite a chore especially traveling between the first and second towns, a path that, through the course of the game, started to slowly drive me insane with how many times I had to go back and forth for the stupidest little fetch quests. Thankfully, there are frequent save points throughout. You can save it at any of the many highway cones that you pass that lets you dismount from your trotmobile as well as the many mechanics that are scattered throughout the areas. Rarely do you have to go for more then 30 minutes without saving.
Sound ( 8 ):
While the majority of the background music is fitting, it is nothing special and the only music that stands out is the music you play with the band. The sound effects are very fitting for what you would think a bit steam-powered robot would make. The voice acting is very solid for the most part and you can turn it off if it is too much for you.
Conclusions:
Steambot chronicles was a lot of fun and can be completed in around 15 hours. Completionists would want to beat the game a second time to explore the evil side.
People with little space left on their memory cards should be warned that the game does require 900 kb to save but this gives you like 30 saves. I would recommend this game if you are interested in something that gives you freedom but don’t expect a long epic rpg.
Breath Of Fresh Air: 10
Characterization: 8
Plot: 8
Immersion: 9
Controls: 7
Sound: 8
Final Score: 8.5 (slightly rounded up average)
Reviewed by Sirus.