Against the Storm Review - A Roguelike for the SimCity Crowd
Sometimes, when developers try to mash two different genres, players are left with a game that fails to capture either side of the coin. It feels like these mashups have to spread their attention too thin, and therefore, both genres are left underserved. Sometimes, just sometimes, the developers nail it, though. They bring two different gameplay styles together in such a way that it makes players want to leap with joy. Against the Storm is one such game.
So, which two genres does Against the Storm blend, I hear you ask? This game is a combination of a traditional city builder, such as Tropico or SimCity, infused with the roguelike stylings that are more commonly found in action-focused titles. If that sounds like an odd combination, well, that’s because it is, but I’ll be damned if the development team at Erimite Games didn’t absolutely nail it. Even when I was told what Against the Storm was, I didn’t see how it would work, but once I got my hands on it, I just couldn’t stop playing.
The setup is reasonably simple. Set in a fantasy world, you, the player, are responsible for setting up villages in a wilderness obscured by a massive storm. The goal is to create four successful villages that extend into the storm, allowing the player to approach a special seal, which will hopefully halt the storm forever. Success is measured by keeping the Queen of the nation happy through meeting in-game goals like supplying the nation with resources or encouraging trade, but if you take too long, the Queen’s impatience grows, and should it reach its limit, your village is a failure. Each successful village brings you closer to a seal. You have 5 cycles to reach and activate the seal before the storm closes in and the entire map is wiped away, forcing you to start again.
Being a roguelike, between each village, you have the opportunity to return to the capital city and purchase permanent upgrades that will make your journey through the world that little bit easier. Things like new industry buildings, a more patient queen, better resource gathering and faster villagers are the types of upgrades you are looking at, and each makes a significant impact on your ability to progress. Within the villages themselves, you also have to manage the different seasons of weather, keep villagers happy (lest they leave you) and keep exploring the surroundings to locate new resources and events.
The maps are such a well-designed idea. Each Village starts with the player in one small glade and using their wood gatherers, players need to open up paths into new glades to expand the area. These glades can be small, with a few new resources, or large, with more resources but the chance of a hostile event occurring. These events can cause serious morale issues among your villagers, but if you can clear them (by dedicating villagers and resources to the task), the rewards are well worth it. This also creates a nice risk/reward mechanic that forces players not to push too far too early, lest they find themself without enough villagers to tackle whatever may pop up.
Being a roguelike, there are a lot of random elements to the game. Players get the same base buildings each time they start a village, but the ones that follow are random draws earned by completing the Queen’s missions. This means players need to be adaptable and change resource pipelines on the fly if they want to remain effective. In fact, I would say this game’s greatest achievement is that despite there being so many random elements (the map, the races of villagers, the buildings available and the in-game events), everything is beautifully balanced and it never feels unfair. Some serious playtesting must have gone into Against the Storm because everything fits together like a perfect puzzle. The game also does a wonderful job of onboarding players. There is quite a lot to learn here, but the nature of a roguelike, with its repeat runs, makes it the perfect learning environment.
I reviewed Against the Storm on the Xbox, and despite being a game that has clearly been designed for the mouse and keyboard, the controller does the job reasonably well. The ability to pause time and issue orders is a godsend when trying to navigate with the thumbsticks, minimising frustration at the imprecision significantly. It also runs exceptionally well, with no tech issues to be found. If you are the type who wants to play with a mouse and keyboard occasionally, the good news is the Xbox version is Play Anywhere, so that option is available
If you are like me and find the early stages of a city-building game the most exciting, then Against the Storm is going to absolutely be your thing. The building of new villages is never the same and never gets old, thanks to the wonderfully realised and balanced mechanics. Being a city builder, each game takes a fair bit longer than a typical run in a roguelike, so it does ask for a bit of a time commitment, but if you have a lazy Sunday afternoon and you enjoyed games like Tropico, Anno or SimCity, I can almost guarantee that Against the Storm will sink its hooks into you. I would go so far as to say it is the best city builder I have played in years. Seriously, don’t miss this one, folks.
Against the Storm was reviewed on the Xbox Series X with code kindly supplied by the publisher.
