i played 3 demos during steam next fest! QUICK TAKE #15
Starting the year with behemoths such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Civilization VII and Monster Hunter Wilds has put me in a hungry mood for some indies! That said, Steam Next Fest couldn’t have come at a better time. This past week, I dove into 3 demos for games that caught my eye: Deliver At All Costs, Mecha BREAK, and Wheel World, to see what would stick. Overall? I had a pretty good experience checking these games out. So, let’s break them down, starting with Deliver At All Costs.
Deliver At All Costs
Developer: Far Out Games Studio
Publisher: Konami
In Deliver At All Costs, you’re tasked with doing just that - delivering any and all things by any means necessary. Seemingly taking inspiration from the various eras of GTA, Deliver At All costs boasts chaotic top down driving mechanics, hilarious levels of destructibility, and a quirky cast of characters that shape the game into its very distinct personality. As I took my first delivery job driving a truck full of fireworks shooting themselves off in every direction until I reached my destination, I understood just how literal the game’s title was to be taken. The jobs that followed featured a variety of wacky situations filled with chaos, humor, and plenty of danger that I absolutely cannot wait to experience more of when the game launches later this year!
Mecha BREAK
Developer: Seasun Games
Publisher: Seasun Games
For me, it’s hard not to compare any mech combat game I come across to Armored Core VI. A quick look past the similarity in genre will reveal the deep differences in each game. Mecha BREAK is a mech combat game that combines single player story elements with online PVP combat. The demo featured a variety of heart pumping action set pieces, major and minor boss battles, and a selection of single player and online PVP missions. The movement system, while quick and snappy, ultimately felt a bit stiff owing to its strict directional locking. The base speed of the mech you’re allowed to use is also a bit slow for the level of speed the game is trying to move at. The online PVP, while an interesting concept, felt like a disjointed addition to the experience. To be honest, I was a bit confused about whether Mech BREAK was supposed to be a single player story mission game or an online PVP game, as it seems to feature a confusing amalgamation of the two.
Sadly, despite experiencing some moments of fun, its formula is not one that is enticing me to come back to it. Regardless, I’m sure this game will fill a niche audience that will really enjoy it.
Wheel World
Developer: Messhof
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Wheel World is an open world game about biking. That sentence alone was enough to rope me in, and the demo fully convinced me that this was going to be the calm, relaxing, flow-state game I’ve been looking for. In Wheel World, you race to win parts that will allow you to build the ultimate bike. The riding mechanics, as you would expect for a game all about biking, feel smooth as butter. Between racing and free roaming, riding in this world just feels so satisfying. Wheel World’s cell-shaded art style paired with its relaxing soundtrack result in a game that feels mesmerizing in the best possible way. Honestly, I can’t tell which I’m more excited for: racing or free roaming. Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long for this one as it’s currently set to launch this summer!