I can’t help but feel that this game is throwing some philosophical shade at its civilization/city building counterparts as its beginning usually comes at the end of every other game in the genre: with nuclear annihilation. Before We Leave, by developer Balancing Monkey Games and publisher Team17, is a non-violent, tile based city builder that begins with little figures (called “peeps”) emerging from nuclear shelters to rebuild the land their ancestors once bombed to oblivion. It’s a hopeful and optimistic premise for its genre (and for humanity by extension) as it’s focused on rising out of our human failures to build a better world. There is no colonizing other nations, rather, it’s about rediscovering the land and knowledge we’ve once destroyed and taking care of that land now that we’ve got it again. In that vein, the game highlights the more peaceful gameplay loops of the genre, getting rid of all the violent stuff (like stealing worker units from your city states), and in its place, bringing to attention things like “global warming” and being stressed about the bad air quality as the main antagonist of the game. In all seriousness, this is a serene resource management/city builder where the player acts as an omnipotent figure who balances components like food, luxury items, pollution, and wood to build their civilization and keep the people in that civilization happy.
Before We Leave is able to reap the benefits of real time strategy as it puts a docile spin on the genre; in other words, you do not have to worry about enemy players or other civilizations coming to steal resources or land from you. There are little external threats to the player’s civilization throughout the game, with the main challenge being properly allocating buildings and resources given a limited amount of space. This gives the player a constant sense of progression and agency regardless of their actual skill or understanding of the game. In part, this is due to the non-intrusive interface the game uses to deliver hints to new players. As per the nature of its genre, the game tends to feel open ended, leaving the player to take initiative to explore and expand their civilization. For many, this can make the experience feel aimless, especially without a concrete story, but for others, this is a welcomed challenge to build the best civilization they can in the least amount of time.
One of the most distinctive parts of Before We Leave is the space travel where colonization goes further than what’s across the ocean. Exploration is interesting in general, usually accompanied with new tiles and circumstances that require the player to manage their resources with a different strategy. Exploring across the ocean will likely be one of the players first goals, then, getting to space, and eventually, exploring space and avoiding the space whales. Certainly, THE most distinctive part of the game is the space whales. I guess you’ll have to play this relaxing entry to find out what they do.
Something about this game’s mechanics just feels refreshing. Before We Leave progresses in real time, giving the game a vibrant and lively feeling as your peeps scurry about, building, resting, and playing music. It’s so easy to get attached to the little guys, each individually named and following realistic routines. Funny enough, the peeps are made the more endearing because of how sad their initial circumstances are: literally all they could make before you arrived were potato farms. As a consequence, it’s easy to get attached to the main game play loop of building up luxuries, reducing pollution, and getting them off the potato only diet to keep them happy.
In terms of story, Before We Leave does not have an actual plot, but not due to laziness or a lack of creativity; the game takes advantage of the tried and true premise of all civilization building games in order to keep the player immersed: survive, explore, and thrive. At first glance, the game seems simple, partly due to the limited actions a player can take to get started and learn the basics. However, each step seems to unlock a number of new steps, and the great depth of content keeps this mechanic in play for hours upon hours. In essence, Before We Leave is composed of mechanics to make the player feel satisfied and immersed through a simple yet effective strategy while continuously surprising them with encounters that break up the monotony of the player’s previously successful strategies (like… did I mention the space whales?).
Score: 8.5/10
Check Out the Before We Leave Trailer:
Before We Leave is available to purchase on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
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Steam Reviews
I remember when I was a little kid, I watched my dad talk to a cowboy robot in a post-apocalyptic open world game. He kicked me out of his office, stating that the game is inappropriate for children, but I think that’s where my love of western RPGs started. Since then, I’ve grown up playing competitive games, interacting with the community, and exploring immersive worlds. I’m definitely an old soul as my favorite games include all of the old Fallout games, RPGs with classical elements such as Divinity: Original Sin 2, and the all-time great Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
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