Choo-Choo Charles Review (Nirhildija)
Choo-Choo Charles Review
TLDR: Do you like trains? Of course, you do! Now, do you like spiders? Well, that's too bad because, in life, things come in packages; in this case, we get a train that is also a gigantic spider! Choo-Choo Charles is a game that is entertaining despite some confusing game design decisions the developer made here and there. Come aboard if you want a train ride lasting between 3 to 5 hours! Do not ride on Charles thought.
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First Impression
I heard about the title before and was interested due to its controversy. Journalists and companies seem to dislike it, while most players praised it, so I was invested in seeing the fuss. The game gives you a train to ride across the map during the first minutes, and you better take care of that train because that train is family now. During my half hour, I noticed the game was low-budget, but I thought it was a diamond in the dirt.
CHOO CHOOOOO!!!
I like trains; you like trains; everyone likes trains. The vehicle is customizable, allowing you to give it your flair, and I decided to focus exclusively on speed during my first hour with the title. The extra speed allowed me to move across the locations with less risk of Charles finding me and kept the experience less tedious. I love the weapons, as they can be obtained by doing side quests that take five minutes each and have different uses. For example, the bazooka is excellent for getting rid of Charles quickly in open-world encounters, while the default gun is excellent for stunning in boss fights.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2955099244
I would have appreciated some on-foot weapons, mainly due to the stealth aspect needing to be fixed when you are on foot. I would visit a cave to find the game's main objective, only for enemies to bother me. As I could not get past these foes stealthily, I would lead them out of the caves to kill them with my weapon on the train. That resulted in a tedious section of back and forth in which I asked myself why are the cultist a thing in this game. It would have been better to include on-foot weapons or remove these enemies altogether as they downplayed the experience.
Optional or Mandatory?
Another thing that bothered me is that quests are marked as either mandatory or optional-yet you have to do a lot of optional missions if you want to beat the game due to the last main objective requiring upgrades to the vehicle. While that is annoying, I enjoyed the side quest due to their simplicity and fun mini-games, such as playing a slender man section or delivering pickles to a lady that loves pickles.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2955099422
The originality is there, but the developer could have added more meaning in effectiveness. For example, a quest where a bridge is broken and must be repaired would have been an exciting challenge to the player. There is not a lot of danger when moving around on foot, as Charles will stay on the rails mostly. While that downplays Charles, it allows for a better time exploring the world and discussing with the island's people without too many hassles.
Strong and Weak Points
The strong point of the title is that it is a no compromised experience. Choo-Choo Charles is a fun game that lets you beat it in one or two sittings. It stays within its welcome and is rewarding enough to keep you invested as you gradually upgrade your train. The side quests are funny and straight, the locations look great, and so does Charles, a menacing demon roaming around. The scraps needed to develop your upgrades further add a layer of being like a gremlin hunting for scraps like a maniac!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2955099011
The weak point here is that the developer made some questionable choices. Why add stealth if it won't work and it's not a central focus? In addition, objectives on the map sometimes won't update halfway in, meaning you can get a letter, and the map will still think you need the letter. These issues keep the game from reaching greatness and could have been through more before making the final cut.
X Notes
My specs are RTX 2060, 36 GB of ram, Intel Core i7-11700K - Core i7 11th Gen Rocket Lake 8-Core 3.6 GHz LGA 1200.
Running the game on max settings, the FPS ranges between 50 to 65; I recommend setting the graphics high instead if you have a rig similar to mine for a more consistent experience above 60 FPS. The game would sometimes forcibly despawn an enemy for no reason, while other times, I would get shot by a foe and was sent flying into the air to my doom. These issues were rare and did not appear to be consistent as I only suffered each only one time.
Conclusion
Choo-Choo Charles is a game that you can pick and finish in one sitting. The asking price might be a bit much as it would be better priced at 12-15, but it is an enjoyable ride nonetheless. A survival horror that oozes originality and rewarding gameplay keeps the player invested from start to end despite some erroneous game design decisions. Is it worth your time and money? Overall, this is a good pick for most gamers out there. Do note that this is a survival horror, not a Horror game, as it lacks jumpscares and is more action-oriented. If you have money to spare, get it for the total price; otherwise, wait for a sale to drop it to 12-15 bucks.
8/10 GREAT