The main element of Cloudpunk is exploration, which we can do on foot (observing the character in isometric view) or behind the controls of a flying car (which we can see in TPP view). During her first night shift as a courier, Rania not only meets new residents of Nivalis but also makes decisions whose consequences can be felt by the whole metropolis. We play as Rania, the freshly baked employee of the title Cloudpunk - a supply company that runs both legal and less public business. PlotĬloudpunk takes us on a journey to the futuristic city of Nivalis, which is dominated by skyscrapers several kilometers high. We are talking about a team, whose portfolio includes the warmly-received Phoning Home. It’s just a shame that there couldn’t be more to actually do among those beautiful, sparkling towers above the clouds.Cloudpunk is a title verging on adventure game and simulation, which is developed by an independent studio Ion Lands. The ability to just visit and fly over that huge, neon-soaked city of Nivalis is quite an accomplishment and for some, that will be enough to make it worth playing. Cloudpunk looks gorgeous, especially in first hour of playtime. But there still must be gameplay, and what is attempted must be followed through on. This Switch version has also undoubtedly lost some of its polish in the port from PC. As an Indie game, I can forgive Cloudpunk for being smaller, simpler than a AAA blockbuster, and it would be unfair to judge it by the same standard. That should come as a shock to absolutely no one. So, in the end, Cloudpunk is no Cyberpunk 2077. Overall, even the simple pleasure of exploration in Nivalis wore off quickly once I realized there wasn’t much new to discover. Only the Hollows and the Ventz, underground areas I visited a couple of times on my missions, offered something different in their foggy and run-down appearance. Avalon Heights, presented in the story as the upscale neighborhood, looked exactly like everywhere else.
Going to Little China, I saw nothing to denote that it was more Asian or Chinese than any other part of the city. Or even the many districts of Nivalis, which would seem to offer distinct urban landscapes, ended up all looking and feeling the same. It won’t win any awards for originality and the inconsistent voice acting will test your patience often, but Cloudpunk’s narrative was decent enough to keep me engaged till the end. At the same time, a mysterious AI entity named Cora approaches Rania, who must eventually make a choice that could decide the fate of Nivalis itself. Rania finds herself involved in a missing-person case, as she helps Huxley locate and save a young girl named Pashta. It’s a large cast of distinct characters, and the story begins to get interesting, if cliché.
Story comes to you in the dialogue of NPCs along the way - among them Camus, your AI side-kick an android Private Eye named Huxley or Control, the grizzled yet kind dispatcher whose voice becomes a source of security for Rania in the big, bad city. The missions are given in a linear fashion, and together comprise the overarching narrative of Cloudpunk. Your job is to take on delivery missions from a man named Control in Dispatch, and completion of each mission entails successfully taking packages from pick-up to destination.
A story-based adventure game, Cloudpunk has you play Rania, working her first night as a delivery driver for an underground courier service called Cloudpunk.