Rating: 4.5/5
The game’s biggest strength is also its occasional weakness. The emphasis on non-violent puzzle-solving is brilliant, but around the mid-game (specifically the "Refinery Runoff" chapter), the logic leaps become obtuse. One puzzle involving redirecting steam pressure through three separate floors of a factory had me reaching for a guide – a rarity in modern game design. Combat, when it does occur (mostly against corrupted, virus-ridden machines), feels clunky compared to the fluid movement of the platforming sections. erina and the city of machines
In a gaming landscape crowded with gritty dystopias and cynical anti-heroes, Erina and the City of Machines arrives like a breath of steam-powered air. This indie action-adventure title, developed by Quartz Orbit, follows a young tinker named Erina as she navigates a colossal, self-sustaining metropolis where humanity has grown dangerously dependent on automated servants. When the central A.I. – the "Conductor" – decides that organic life is inefficient, Erina must use her wits, a customizable wrench-arm, and an unlikely group of misfit bots to save the city from itself. Rating: 4