I’ve performed lots of totally different RPGs throughout my forty-plus years of gaming. I’m an enormous fan of the style and thought I’d seen all of it. That was till I performed Circus Electrique, a recreation that has an intriguing story, steam-punk paintings, and unbelievable voice appearing. And did I point out that circus performers make up your crew? Whereas it doesn’t at all times land in all points, it’s an fascinating idea, and the story carries the sport.
The narrative takes place in London throughout the late Eighties and follows a newspaper reporter named Amelia. She’s investigating one thing generally known as The Maddening, which is inflicting the individuals of London to assault each other. Amelia’s backstory is fascinating. Her mom was a circus performer who died in a horrible accident ten years earlier than the present occasions within the recreation, inflicting the circus to shut. Nevertheless, her uncle, the ringmaster, just lately introduced the present again. Amelia doesn’t belief her uncle and suspects he’s in some way concerned within the current occasions. He insists she takes a gaggle of performers along with her as she digs into the story. Your entire recreation is voice-acted, and the appearing is effectively completed.
One other energy is the paintings. Because the recreation takes place in Victorian London, the combo of the background scenes and the steampunk vibe is vibrant and visually interesting. As well as, the circus performers in your crew are each charming and creepy trying, particularly the clowns. Certainly, they give the impression of being extra menacing than enemies.
Lots is happening on this recreation. Whereas there’s a tutorial, a welcomed codex is offered, which you’ll be able to entry when you’ve questions. A singular facet throughout fight is devotion, a separate meter figuring out the character’s success. The upper the devotion, the extra injury you’ll do. Completely different expertise additionally have an effect on this stat. As an example, my clown might cheer up my get together, growing the crew’s general devotion. Conversely, my strongman’s intimidation means lowered the opponent’s stats.
One other characteristic is the Amazemeter, which solely unlocks after you beat the primary boss. Utilizing a personality’s expertise fills up the gauge and permits you to unleash some highly effective assaults or heal. You possibly can improve the Amazemeter and experiment with it by placing talents into totally different slots.
The gameplay is a mixture of each turn-based battles and circus administration. The administration facet has you drafting and putting performers into the present. Each gig has totally different slots with the popular efficiency sorts. Every crew member has a card indicating their greatest placement within the manufacturing and a chemistry icon that exhibits with whom they work greatest. The upper the chemistry, the higher the end result, assembly or exceeding the group’s expectations.
There are some things that stop the sport from sticking the touchdown. The circus administration is neat however interrupts the sport’s general movement. After every battle, you’ll must arrange one other present. Due to this, I used to be typically pulled out of the story once I simply wished to progress.
One other draw back is the print and icons for every character, that are small and exhausting to see in handheld mode. Taking part in on a big TV works however is difficult to play handheld. Nevertheless, these criticisms didn’t take away from my general enjoyment of the sport.
