Developer: Fernando Cordoba
Publisher: Fernando Cordoba
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
BalanCity – Review
Over the years we’ve seen many games that revolve around managing and simulation, and while most tend to take themselves quite seriously, which is not a bad trait, sometimes a small title comes by that handles the same principles, but adds a lot of humor to the fray. Even though this title doesn’t go off the charts like Goat Simulator did in 2014 (or 2015 for consoles), we still get treated to a hefty dose of silliness in this indie building game. Even though building and managing a city doesn’t really sound bad, it sure as hell becomes a lot weirder when you have to start building your digital city on a construction site the size that would surely harbor an entire city, yet it’s midair, supported by only one pillar in the middle. We wondered what could shift the balance of BalanCity in this review.
Story
You’ll have to make do with no storyline in this quirky little simulation game, but as a fun touch, the developer made sure there are some scenarios implemented which situate themselves around famous cities. If you’d rather build your own version of New York or Tokyo, the game has got you covered. Who knows, the game might even show the two prominent (ex-)candidates of the recent elections in America. While the game is void of an actual story, there actually is no need to present the player with a plot in order to be fun.
Graphics
BalanCity might not be an impressive game graphics wise, it does have a certain flair that makes the game appealing. The bright colors properly set a lighter mood, which is important for a game that revolves around city building, on a giant platform, standing not-so-firmly on only one central pillar, where Godzilla-like creatures can pester you. The game’s appearance is hard to place, as it feels like a mix between the current management games on mobile platforms, older flash games and downright retro, allowing the game to cover many grounds at once, while also not mastering a specific style.
The only small bit that might drag this simplistic looking game down, are the inhabitants of the city, as they look a bit out of place. Nonetheless, even for a game that has menus reminiscent of a mobile game, the developer made sure this game would be appealing for young and old alike.
Sound
Just like the graphics of the game, the creators decided to keep the soundtrack rather simple, which is not a bad choice, as you’ll have to focus properly on making your city a successful place and not forcing it to tilt to one side and fall into oblivion. While the soundtrack is not that diverse, it never truly gets annoying, only when you leave the menu open for a long time the song might start to haunt you.
Only one minor issue in the sound department is that there are no proper volume settings. The game allows you to opt for music, or no music at all, but you can’t really direct the loudness of the backdrop. The latter proves to be rather annoying, as the standard loudness of the game is quite loud, thus forcing you to go back to the windows mix panel, in order to adjust the settings to your liking.
Gameplay
BalanCity is a simulation/management game that bases itself on a rather silly concept, namely build a town on a platform, supported by only one pillar. It’s your job to keep the city in balance, not only when it comes fighting crime and tending to the need of your citizens, but also quite literally, as when you build too many constructions on one side, your town-to-be might come tumbling down, killing every single one of your inhabitants.
The overall idea for all of the missions you’ll plow through is the same. Try to build bigger, better and taller, while your skyline gradually increases. Of course, you can’t start off building too high, as you’ll have to reach certain milestones in order to be permitted to build higher. This means, after you unlock specific landmarks, you’ll have to build map-specific buildings, and your reward will be an increase in your skyline limit. Building higher means you’ll have to think longer and harder on where to place new buildings, and how to keep a proper balance.
Outside of building, the other management functions prove to be rather simple, as you’ll have to break up protests, extinguish fires, treat wounded people and of course clean up after disasters, which go from meteors to raging Godzilla-like lizards. If you’d rather play in a more casual setting, you can turn off the disaster occurrences in the menu to make the game easier in the free play mode. Keep in mind, the game does not save these settings, and thus next time you boot up the game, you will have to reselect these settings if you wish for them to be to your liking once again.
The game itself might not offer a diverse array of actual gameplay options, it does offer a handful of missions, scenarios and items to unlock as you progress. The missions often force you to clear certain conditions, such as reach higher platforms, power buildings, while the scenarios will revolve around you building the landmarks of famous capital cities, such as Tokyo and Paris. It will take you quite some time to tackle all of these events, which is the game’s forte, as you’ll really want to clear them all, to get some extra options in the free building mode.
Overall the game is quite solid in terms of concept and gameplay, there are a few minor bugs to be found, such as power stations which often choose random buildings to power, or megablocks, a bundle of four smaller blocks, which don’t merge, even when all conditions are met. The latter can be a tad frustrating, as megablocks give a lot more benefits than regular ones, which means that if they don’t trigger, your city misses out on quite a lot.
Conclusion
BalanCity is a fun quirky little indie title, in which you can sink many hours to come. While the overall concept is simple, the many missions, scenarios and free building options will present you with a heap of different options, even if the game sticks with the same building blocks from start to finish. If you’re into simulation titles that don’t take themselves too seriously, this game might just be a very interesting one, if you don’t mind its rather simplistic graphical prowess. Build, plan, keep symmetry in mind and pretty much hope for the best.
No Comments