It was a normal day in Steamburg. Things were going well until Robot Aliens invaded! But thanks to Vincent Cornelius Moore and his promising scientific research, he discovered that the robots were weak against the Tesla coils on the city. Using your intellect and a limited supply of electric bombs, you are in a quest to save your fiance as well as the city–and ultimately the world from those dastarly alien robots. This is Steamburg’s premise in a nutshell.
Steamburg is a puzzle adventure game in which you control Vincent to defeat the alien robots and save the girl and the city (you know, the usual). However, this is a game in which there is a catch. Vincent is unarmed, and his electric bombs only stun robots for a while. You need to use your wits to lure the robots to the Tesla Coil so they can be destroyed, but it is easier said than done.
Game play wise, your objective is to lure the robots to the Tesla Coil, so they can be destroyed by an electric charge, all while avoiding to get close to them because if you do they fry you up with their laser. You must do this all while activating switches using generators and teleportation spots to be used by you or to teleport your bombs. All of these elements come together to bring a really exciting puzzle game that has moments in which quick thinking saves the day.
After the first stages, that serve as a tutorial on how to use bombs, lure robots, and activate devices, you need to apply the acquired knowledge in the following levels. A good thing is that the game is presented in a top down isometric view, so from the beginning, you can see where the robots are located. You must check for the green orbs (you have to collect three of them in every level), and if there are devices needs to be activated, all while taking into account that you have a limited amount of electric bombs Do you see where I’m going?
You need to think how to solve each level. It is not mindless moving around and throwing bombs left and right. This is especially present in later levels where robots are faster and more. However, I wish there were some quality of life additions to make the game, not easier but more fair, because the Tesla coils don’t have an indication of what is their range. Oftentimes, I solved the puzzle brilliantly only to die because I got too close to the coil. Same thing happened with robots. I felt that I was in a safe distance only to be roasted. I know that is part of the puzzle itself, but some levels take to much trial and error to be completed, and it can be frustrating to lose all that hard work in a second.
The bombs are another thing that could use a little polish. I’m okay with the limited amount, but the throwing strength Vincent has leaves much to be desired. I wish that the range was a little better. It would make some situations more feasible. I would also like better movement speed as well for Vincent. Sometimes his movements feel awkward.
Graphically, I like how the game looks. All the different areas in which you play give a steampunk city vibe,. I like the effects of some of the clouds appearing in the sky (although they sometimes obstruct your vision) or a blimp flying through the air.
The music is good, and the sound effects hit the right spots. It certainly poses a challenge across the more than 30 levels, so there are a lot of robots to destroy.
Botom Line: Steamburg is a good game with interesting narrative. While there are some flaws in design–as I explained above–although they are frustrating, I liked the idea the developers had. Maybe a patch could address those issues and the game could be more fun? Even so, if you don’t mind these issues and want a different puzzle adventure game, Steamburg might be for you.
A Review code was provided for this review.