At the same time, it reminds me of dice-based boardgames that have been adapted into electronic formats - Tharsis is the closest point of comparison that comes to mind. However, it’s also a resource management affair, as there are several kinds of ‘currencies’ needed to perform actions and move storylines forward. In large part, it’s a visual novel with story told through chunks of text accompanied by wonderful still images. Mechanically, Sleeper is a little hard to describe. Once there, they’re free to pursue whatever goals they wish in an effort to carve out whatever kind of life they can. They stow away on an interstellar freighter and end up at a remote space station near the tail end of the universe. In Citizen Sleeper, the player takes on the role of a synthetic human who’s on the run from the corporation that created them. As such, I was a hesitant to get into Citizen Sleeper, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and I’m glad I did! While both games share the same narrative focus and unconventional approach to mechanics, the expanded systems, detailed artwork and wider scope of the world in Sleeper make all the difference. I loved the concept of In Other Waters, the debut release from developer Jump Over the Age, but the approach was too dry and abstract - it felt more like a mental exercise than a videogame.
It’s rare that a follow-up title from a developer connects with me if their last one didn’t click, but that’s exactly what happened with Citizen Sleeper - and not only did this one click, it’s one of the year’s best. LOW Selling all of my data a couple of turns too soon.
HIGH It’s a marvelous Swiss watch of storytelling and experience.
0 kommentar(er)
