New Review Posted: Steambot Chronicles

Daniel Weissenberger · 08-23-2006, 01:46 AM

Tera Kirk reviews Steambot Chronicles, and finds it to be a profoundly disappointing experience:

"Steambot Chronicles should have been another gaily subversive offering from Atlus. Describing itself as "a romantic scrapmetal adventure!" the game features a pop music band, characters named after food, and a pink mecha with bunny ears. It's silly and self-mocking, and the story is told subtly, in collaboration with the player. Unfortunately, the game's seeds of greatness are crushed by awkward controls and a lot of empty wandering."

Is it reall all that sad?

Boy · 08-23-2006, 02:20 AM

BOO HISS ANGRY ONOMATOPOEIA!

I would write a more thought out critique of the review, but I'm currently preoccupied with cleaning up my computer after violently frothing at the mouth in rage and disbelief.

shun · 08-23-2006, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boy

BOO HISS ANGRY ONOMATOPOEIA!

I would write a more thought out critique of the review, but I'm currently preoccupied with cleaning up my computer after violently frothing at the mouth in rage and disbelief.

I bought this game under your recommendation, so at least that's something you should feel happy about.

Anyway, I've played a little of this game, and though I share some of Kirk's sentiments, I like it a little more.

The bots are so hard to control, and I don't like the camera either. For a game that's supposedly "sandbox", this game is quite restricted in so many respects. I actually would prefer it if I can control my own bots while on town instead of letting the computer do the job, or an option for both maybe?

And I don't like this game's music at all, which is very disappointing considering that it's one of the game's focus. The vocals are very unwieldy, and comes off as off rhythm to the rest of the instrument. It doesn't even sound like the voice of Connie, who's supposed to be the singer.

But I still like this game, because it's similar in gameplay with Megaman Legends 1 and 2, both of which I loved so much.

Brad Gallaway · 08-23-2006, 03:35 AM

I only played this game for about six or seven hours, but in all honesty, I think Tera was being a little bit too easy on it.

Everything is so slow and clunky, and I'm not even talking about the controls. Being totally familiar with both Virtual On and Armored Core, controlling a Trotmobile was nothing at all. It's just that nothing much really happens, at least in the part that I saw.

I can understand going for kind of a "sandbox" thing, but everything feels so aimless and pointless. For example, in the beginning of the game when the giant mech appears and you take it out, absolutely nothing happens after that. Nobody makes any comments, you don't even really get any good reward, it's just some kind of random event that happened. The same goes for later on near the excavation area when the giant centipede thing appears. You fight it, and after you rescue the miners, is there any thanks or comment about it? Of course not, they encourage you to start digging. What the hell?

Being forced to let the computer take me from location to location in a town is immensely boring, and a lot of the tasks are just plain dull. Lame graphics, lame style (blah Trotmobiles and a hero named Vanilla Bean? Please.) And it's not like any of the dialogue is even that funny… the whole thing reeks of being totally generic JRPG junk retrofitted into being a complete time waster. This game might have been pretty cool back in the PS1 days, but it just doesn't fly now.

Like I said, these thoughts are based on just a small portion of the game, but from what I saw, I didn't want to see more.

Boy · 08-24-2006, 02:21 AM

Screw you guys!

*takes ball and goes home*

shun · 08-24-2006, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boy

Screw you guys!

*takes ball and goes home*

What? I did say I liked the game! And that I bought it under your recommendation!

Hypatia93 · 08-24-2006, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boy

Screw you guys!

*takes ball and goes home*

Boy, you're so cute!

EnduroGamer · 08-25-2006, 02:19 AM

Boy actually considers Breakdown one of his favorite games of this generation.

Nuff said.

legendarypegasu · 08-25-2006, 02:23 PM

I have only played about 7-8 hours, but I must say I am in complete agreement with Boy. I really like the game. Brad is right in that the game's logic is questionable at best, but no worse than any other sandbox style game like GTA or Mercenaries. I think Edge magazine was right on in their review when they said one of the best things about Steambot in the leisurely pace. With the memo book constantly updated with what you are doing and giving you hints where to go next, its a game you can come back and play after setting it down for a few days.

Hypatia93 · 08-25-2006, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnduroGamer

Boy actually considers Breakdown one of his favorite games of this generation.

Nuff said.

You're just never going to leave him alone about that, are you Doug?

EnduroGamer · 08-25-2006, 03:41 PM

Nah, between that and LD's fascination with DeathRow, I have to say that it's nice being able to pull out the big guns on two of the more frequent posters from time to time.

Just point and shoot.

I mean, really, when someone announces that you like Breakdown or Deathrow, there's no coming back from it. It's an instant conversational victory. It's the atom bomb. Especially for Boy. Deathrow can be fun. But Breakdown? Holy crap.

I kid.

technomancy · 08-26-2006, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnduroGamer

Nah, between that and LD's fascination with DeathRow, I have to say that it's nice being able to pull out the big guns on two of the more frequent posters from time to time.

Just point and shoot.

I mean, really, when someone announces that you like Breakdown or Deathrow, there's no coming back from it. It's an instant conversational victory. It's the atom bomb. Especially for Boy. Deathrow can be fun. But Breakdown? Holy crap.

I kid.

Hey now, aren't you the biggest defender of Enter The Matrix?

EnduroGamer · 08-26-2006, 11:33 AM

No way. I did admit that there was some fun to be had if you dug past all the crap and that it wasn't the horrific game everyone made it out to be, but I was fully aware of its mediocrity months before it released. Basically, every 30 minutes or so, you can stumble into a unique context-sensitive situation and happen to press the right button at the right time and somehow pull off a pretty cool looking move. That's all.

But I will defend Shenmue's voice acting to the day I die if you want some dirt on me.