Everybody wants to rule the world.
Very few RPGs rely on humor to be their vehicle for everything. Four years ago developer Eden did just that with the original Citizens of Earth, an RPG that looked and felt like the cult classic Earthbound and managed to deliver a genuinely humorous experience at the same time. Now without much fanfare the sequel has arrived, and while it retains its trademarked humor, it has traded the Earthbound-style combat for a more Paper Mario approach, but still manages to retain what made the first game work so well.
In this sequel the former VP of Earth has returned, only this time he is the Ambassador of the planet. He arrives to officially receive his title when it is discovered that Earth has gone missing. He obviously cannot be Ambassador of a planet that does not exist. This leaves it up to our hero and his trusty assistant to figure out what is going on and why the Earth has suddenly disappeared.
MSRP: $14.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $14.99
The most shocking trait of Citizens of Space is how well it is written and performed. The voice acting is great and every character has their own personality. It feels like a cartoon at times, with its whimsical approach to even the most typical of situations. There are a ton of characters to interact with, and it manages to hold up over the course of the game. I am really impressed at how much it drew me in. It kept me interested throughout the entire experience.
As mentioned combat has switched from traditional turn-based style to a move active approach. I had to be on my game during combat, which is both a good and bad thing. There is a lot of grinding in these games, and the lack of auto battle to grind is disappointing. Battles are all done with recruited characters since the Ambassador is too precious to put into combat. He can still toss healing and damage items to his party, but he never participates in combat.
Each party member has different traits, whether it is a tank that deals and takes tons of damage, or healers that play the back line to keep the party healthy. Button prompts are always onscreen and timing these combos is how I succeeded in combat. There is also a button press when an enemy attacks, which negates some of the damage they deal. Combat is not something that can be tuned out, so be aware of that before diving headfirst into this game.
Of course, in order to progress I was going to need party members and there are plenty to obtain. I love how each one is unique – I could even give them their own name. Bad decision on the developers’ part there, I can get creative with my puns. Recruiting them is also much more involved. There are a lot of fetch quests involved and like the grinding combat, this pads the game’s play time, which is probably its biggest weakness. Citizens of Space feels a lot longer than it needed to be. With some streamlining in the combat and recruitment process the pace of this game would be improved tenfold.
The visual style retains the same cartoon aesthetic of the first one, and it works. The characters are accented in ridiculous fashion and extremely colorful. It is hard not to fall in love with just how bright and vibrant this game is. The soundtrack feels a little less impressive, with plenty of forgettable tunes. The voice acting rounds out the package in a stellar way, delivering some truly great performances, and the writing is spot on.
Citizens of Space is a solid follow-up to a truly unique RPG experience. There is little else like it, especially on Xbox One. It is a game that can be played without having to worry about the first title and it is definitely worth the time. I just wish it took a little less of it. It feels padded in the places that make it drag on occasion, however the writing and performances pick up the slack, making this one diamond in the rough that should not be missed.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
