Kosmokrats – Review
Russian themed games have always had a special place in the gaming industry. The cold feeling of the former Soviet Union is a setting that some will like and others might find it a bit stereotypical. This time around we get to experience the Sputnik space program and how it is to work for the Union in a Soviet-built space station.
Story
Kosmokrats has a huge and elaborate story. It all starts with the space program starting up in the Soviet Union. There is already a small space station and the comrades are sending a new type of drone to help build new stations while in space. The story gets followed up really nice as you start out as just a potato peeler and get recruited to do a temp job as a drone pilot. As the story progresses you will have greater responsibilities and the decisions that you make influence the story. There are a lot of nicely animated cut-scenes showing you the storyline, perfect for those who just want to follow the story without having to read too much text.
Graphics
It’s hard to explain the graphical style of Kosmokrats as it feels like a blend of goofy 3D rendered cartoons that took some inspiration from South Park characters. The quality is really high, from the interior of the space station to the detailed space exploration missions. The game tries to emulate the earlier days of the Russian Empire, so the technology is a bit dated, yet feels futuristic (just like how it would have felt to the potato peeler) in the game. Most characters have very stereotypical and comical appearances, from the oversized communist hats to the smoking Ushanka wearing guards that brandish their Kalashnikovs with pride.
Sound
As nice as the graphics are, the sound is equally as great. You have some typical Soviet-era music playing in the background, sometimes even hearing them singing Russian songs like ‘Novi God’ (Happy new year). All the characters are voiced with a slight funny Russian accent, it gives them the needed charisma while not overdoing it. Their choice of words is also really well-implemented as it gives this realistically vibe and not the stereotypical American kind of movie. During your missions, you will hear the few sounds in space from your drone flying around to crashing into the space station.
Gameplay
Kosmokrats is a puzzle game where you have to build space stations by connecting them with each other. In the beginning, you can select the difficulty, this affects the time you have and how the gravity reacts in the game (on easier modes items will stop, while on hardcore difficulty things will keep on floating). The story starts with you being a potato peeler that gets upgraded to a drone pilot. Something happened to the previous one so you have a few minutes to train yourself to become one. In the simulation you will be thought the simple ropes of the game; just move your drone and push the parts of the space station together with their connectors so they get linked. In the beginning, it’s easy enough, but there will be more challenges along the way.
After a few missions, something horrible will happen to the world and you are left to survive on the station, by doing good and not destroying drones you are sure to stay employed. Not only will you have to complete the puzzles, but there is also a small management part in place. By completing missions, you will be granted rations and these are to buy new furniture or food. If you mess up, your payment will be deducted and when something bad happens it could even mean that for a certain amount of time your job could become really hard.
Controlling the game is really easy, you only need directional buttons and one button to pull the pieces to you. The general rule of thumb is that only small parts are easily pulled, larger and heavier parts will need to be pushed. Every mission poses a different challenge, so the gameplay stays fresh. When you have had enough of the daily grind, then you could always explore your desk for some hidden stuff, look out the window, wear a gas mask and play some videogames.
Conclusion
Kosmokrats is a simple game that has this really nice and fancy packaging around it. The thought-out storyline with many cut-scenes makes following the story a fun and relaxing experience. The overall setting is crafted into this awesome blend of both realistic and goofy elements. The gameplay is easy to pick up and fun to master. The sound and graphics are great, yet sometimes it can feel like the main game can be a bit repetitive at times.
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