|
Adventure on the high seas!
That's not what this game is about, but that's what Vanilla was seeking when he stowed away on a tall sailing vessel with his friend, only to be caught before it left the docks. The captain, however, will take them on as crew if they can operate trotmobiles. Trots were invented as an extension of the automobile, which is the reason why they look like cars that have suddenly sprouted arms and legs. Like cars, they've made some people's lives easier, and others much harder. That's not Vanilla's concern, however, jamming on his trusty harmonica while the ship sets sail to embark on a fantastic voyage of discovery...which is the last and only thing Vanilla remembers when he washes ashore of a beach with a girl leaning over him, making sure that he's all right. In the distance, a wrecked ship rests upon the rocks with no sign of the crew.
Make room for some colorful mecha action
Mystery! Action! Romance! Steambot Chronicles is a quirky, semi-cell-shaded adventure that comes loaded with charm, and a wacky mix of eccentric gameplay ideas that make for an enjoyable whole. Set in an alternate version of the early industrial age, people go about their simple lives farming, trading, constructing, and fixing these towering trotmobiles that do most of the work for them. The problem is some people have turned their trots to nefarious purposes, making the once well-traveled streets and trade routes between towns havens for bandits. Something Vanilla and Connie will soon run smack into on the way to bringing her home.
Vanilla has got a trot of his own though, and even though it starts without weapons, it's still a powerhouse. The controls of these lumbering vehicles might be hard to get used to at first (unless you're a Katamari Damacy fan), with one stick controlling each of the legs, used in concert if you want to do anything but walk in circles. Yet with mastery comes the ability to block, dash, smack, grab, and leap into the air. My favorite trick is picking up one of your enemies and hurling him at his own ally for a double explosion, ending in a rain of money and gas to collect. And that's just for the small ones. Some trots will make yours seem like a mouse before a hungry cat, wielding giant weapons that can smash you flat, while the bosses are so enormous you'll need to climb up on top of them just to reach and wreck their weak points.
After defeating his first enemy, Vanilla will reach his first garage, and get a small taste of the possible modifications to his trotmobile. The body, legs, arms, back unit, grill, and roof can be swapped out for superior versions, such as trading a regular old arm for one that comes equipped with a cannon, or swapping the default roll bar for a parasol that closes when the trot is parked. You can also add a touch of style with a two tone paint job and personalized license plate. There's a large number of plates to collect in the game, mostly by completing side quests, plus slots to create your own. If you find the proper materials, you can even develop special high-power parts, while others can be gained through arena battles or meeting special challenges. Arena battles are one on one matches with decked out trots with very aggressive drivers, making for some of the most challenging and exciting fights in the game. Rising through the ranks will make way for tougher opponents, complete with larger rewards.
It's not all battling though. Vanilla's rescuer Connie happens to be the front woman for a trot band known as the Garland Globetrotters, and it won't be long into the game before Vanilla himself is invited to join up. Until then, he can play his harmonica on street corners for spare change, amuse a crowd of drunks playing piano in a bar, and even groove on a church's pipe organ. There are nearly a dozen different instruments in the game (including everyone's favorite, the accordion), each with their own unique play style where you have to quickly match button presses or stick directions to the beat and keep the audience entertained. It's all the more impressive when you're playing in the band with a slow pan of a large crowd all applauding with a working, living city in the background, the street lights twinkling as evening comes to an end. All of this detail does come at a price, however, and that's in familiar loading screens and an unsteady framerate, frequently marred by slowdown. It doesn't really effect the gameplay, but it takes you out of the moment when the PS2 is struggling to keep up.
|
