Before We Leave is a cute city-building game developed by Balancing Monkey Games. It is described as a “non-violent city building game set in your own cozy corner of the universe.” The developers also advertise something called space whales. Well, call me intrigued. I cannot wait to see where this game is going to go!
For individuals that are not familiar with this style of game, often called “4x” by their fans, (meaning explore, exterminate, expand, exploit, but possibly not necessarily in that order.) This game style is usually played on a hex grid, with the object of the game to usually build out your city and expand your civilization. For newcomers, this could be rather daunting, considering the amount of options that you have and the unfamiliar hud while loading in. I’m here to say that Before We Leave does a fantastic job with their tutorial and getting people familiar with the layout and what successful gameplay looks like. These games for me can often be overwhelming, but I found myself quickly getting used to gameplay and also rather enjoying it, it reminded me a lot of the RPGs I play so much due to the exploration factor that these games have. While in quarantine, if you have never given this style of game a try, I would recommend that you start with Before We Leave, due to the fantastic tutorial that they have given here.
Additionally, the vibes given off by Before We Leave are just exquisite. The pacing of the game is rather relaxed, and unlike other games that centered around resource management I never felt stressed out while playing. In fact, I could even call this game the Animal Crossing of 4x games, due to the peaceful music and the charming graphics. The music is super sweet and catchy violin and harp melodies, with a backdrop of crickets and the sounds of the nature. During the night, the music stops, and you are left with just the peaceful sounds of nature – crickets, and the occasional owl. I really liked this touch, so much so that eventually I turned the music off and just listened to the ambient noise. It made for a very relaxing and enjoyable gameplay experience. Cute and simple assets remind me of Minecraft crossed with a storybook tale. This is also exacerbated by the whimsy and humor that overflow from all aspects of the game (I mean hello! Space whales!).
The gameplay is super fun and very addicting. Although being unfamiliar with this genre of game, I found myself catching on quickly and really enjoying the experience. I always found myself wanting to do one more turn and continue to upgrade my village. While I can’t really speak to what this game offers to 4x veterans, I think that newbies to the genre will really enjoy it. Before We Leave offers the ultimate package to be your next obsession during this quarantine season. I recommend it!
9/10
Check Out the Before We Leave Trailer:
Before We Leave is available on the Epic Games Store for $19.99.
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PC Review
I am a senior studying History at the University of Michigan. I've been playing video games since I was very young and around age 16 I had become entirely obsessed with the medium. I hope to one day work in the industry in any way I can.
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