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When it comes to RPGs, time and time again Atlus has proven that they are one of the best. With their large collection of both entertaining and unique RPGs, Atlus has gained quite a fan following. Their latest RPG, Steambot Chronicles, is no different, and is sure to deliver one of the most unique experiences around.
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Throughout the world in Steambot Chronicles, the people have come to rely on these vehicles known as “Trotmobiles.” For the most part, these vehicles have taken over and become even more popular than the automobile. In fact, Trotmobiles are often used for more than just transportation, including agriculture, hauling items, and they can even help with mining. Chances are the player will be using their Trotmobile for most of the game, because not only does it help move across towns faster, but also combat relies completely on using one of these vehicles.
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The story of the game follows a young man by the name of Vanilla, who finds himself washed up on a beach with no memory of his past experiences. When Vanilla awakens, he is startled to see a young girl by the name of Connie, who just so happened to be out picking herbs for her mother. Soon after, the two find themselves trapped on the beach as missiles come shooting by and hit a nearby cliff, blocking the exit. Luckily the two come across an abandoned Trotmobile, and use it to move the giant boulder blocking their path. Due to the delay, Connie misses her bus and asks Vanilla to use his newly found Trotmobile to take her back to her hometown of Nefroburg.
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With a Trotmobile now under Vanilla’s control, the game really starts to unfold. From then on you will travel through different towns, encounter different characters, and be given the option of choosing different storyline paths. Throughout the game you will also encounter many dialogue choices, some of which might lead a character to like you, and others that could lead to the complete opposite. These dialogue choices not only have an effect on the character that you are communicating with, but also tend to have some sort of effect on your character's reputation and how people feel about him.
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As I said earlier, the Trotmobile is a key element of the game, and in order to perform most tasks, your Trot will be necessary. Controlling your vehicle can be somewhat difficult, and is done by using the two analog sticks and pressing them in certain directions. For example, in order to go forward you must press them both up, and in order to go backwards you must press them both down. If you are familiar with the Katamari Damacy controls, then you might have a little heads up on how these vehicles work. Anyone who is not familiar with the series, well, then this might take a little getting used to. However, the biggest flaws with the Trotmobile controls are easily found during the game's combat.
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Throughout Steambot Chronicles there will be a large amount of instances when the player will be taken into combat. Whether the player is hitting the arena to try and make a little extra cash or just walking around the environments, there will be many combat instances. Combat is easily one of the most frustrating areas of the game, especially because merely turning around can be a lot more difficult than it should. In order to properly turn around, it will definitely take a couple seconds, and during this time the enemy won’t be having nearly as much trouble as the actual player, and this can definitely cause some frustration. One of my worst experiences was during a boss fight where the idea is to jump on some platforms and destroy it's many turrets. The only problem is that the individual is also moving, and you must use the jump button and turn your vehicle in the air, which will definitely cause some problems. As you can see these controls can be quite bothersome, and the fact that you will encounter battles constantly throughout the game just adds to the frustration. Another flaw is that sometimes during combat the game suffers from the occasional slow-down. This wouldn’t be too big of a deal, but the problem is I’m not exactly sure why there is any slow-down. Normally there aren’t too many enemies on a screen at once, which is often a reason for slow-down, but this game normally won’t have more than three or so.
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One of the areas that Steambot Chronicles is very strong in is the amount of customization. Players will be able to completely customize their Trotmobile, everywhere from its arms, legs, and color, to even its windshield. However, in order to actually attach a new piece to your Trotmobile, you first take it to a mechanic at a garage. These garages often sell a variety of different Trot pieces, and will also repair and refuel your vehicle for a price. While many of the Trot pieces will often give some sort of stat bonus, especially when it comes to the offensive, there are also some pieces that help in other areas outside of the combat. For example, there are certain Trot pieces that will cause your vehicle to float in water, and there are others that might allow you to taxi people around. Aside from customizing your vehicle, the game has some ability of actually customizing Vanilla. Not only will you obtain several different clothing attires, including a cowboy and chef outfit, that will change his look, but players will also be able to alter his hairstyle. Customizing Vanilla can be somewhat funny, and I especially loved running around towns wearing my sombrero.
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While Steambot Chronicles is a game that allows the player to choose which storyline path he or she would like to take, one of the paths is that of joining the Garland Globetrotters. The Garland Globetrotters are a very popular band and it just so happens that Connie is the lead singer. When Vanilla joins up with the band he will be able to take part in many of their performances and use a variety of different instruments. During these performances, a screen somewhat similar to DDR will appear, having the player press the required button at the appropriate time. Each instrument plays somewhat differently than the others, with the drums only requiring the shoulder buttons while the trumpet will require the use of the left analog stick. Players will be able to practice with these instruments by going to the menu and clicking on the instrument, and occasionally will obtain cash from spectators. While the musical performances are fairly interesting and I enjoyed the variety of different methods of using the instruments, the main problem is that occasionally there will be a little slow-down during the performances. This normally won’t be too big of a deal, but it often can lead to missing a key, which can be somewhat annoying.
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Like I stated earlier, Steambot Chronicles features several different storyline paths that can lead to a number of different things. The player has the opportunity of joining with the Garland Globetrotters, or they could go in a completely different direction and join up with some of the bad guys. Of course, this will lead you to leave the band, but these are just some of the different paths that players who take on the game can take. During the game there are also a couple of different females that Vanilla can hook up with, including the obvious, Connie, and a few others. There are also the many different dialogue choices that players can take which will add even more incentive to go back and replay the game. Plus, with a large amount of mini-games and other side quests, including transporting individuals from town to town, purchasing houses, mastering all the instruments, and so on, there are several reasons to pile on the hours for playing the game. There are also options of playing two-player mode in the battle arena, but with some of the sloppy controls I’m not so sure that these would warrant more than a couple of tries. Overall though, there are many reasons to go back and replay the game and hours of potential fun!
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Graphically, Steambot Chronicles features some fairly good-looking character models, and the different bots are also pretty nice. The environments are fairly large, and some of the cities look pretty nice, but at times tend to feature some slow-down when too many vehicles are roaming around the screen. Aside from those problems, there are also some minor camera issues that can make it a little difficult to get a good view of things.
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As far as the sound department is concerned, Steambot Chronicles features some high points and some lows. For the most part, the voice actors tend to do a nice job, with most of them fitting the characters nicely. It also helps that the game features quite a bit of voice work. The music in the game, which obviously is an important issue, is mostly strong, but slow-down is AGAIN a problem here.
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Steambot Chronicles is easily one of the most unique RPG experiences I’ve had in quite some time. Even though the game has its fare share of flaws (such as the slow-down I repeatedly mentioned), it also has several strong points that can easily make it a fun experience. If you’re looking for an RPG with several story-line branches, some unique gameplay, and a lot of customization, then look no further than Steambot Chronicles!
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