Circus Electrique is fast to pique the curiosity of any followers of a turn-based tactical RPG, particularly those that cherished Darkest Dungeon. However, its distinctive design raises the query of what Darkest Dungeon could be like if it have been crammed with mechanical mimes and pretentious law enforcement officials, all whereas being set in a gritty, steampunk Victorian London. Zen Studios has answered with this eccentric half circus-sim, half story-driven RPG, and sadly the reply is ‘not pretty much as good’.

From the second the sport begins, gamers tackle the position of Amelia, the niece of Electrique’s ringleader and a younger journalist commissioned to report the re-opening of the present following a lethal accident ten years prior. Coincidentally, the accident’s sufferer was Amelia’s mom, so there’s a prevalent stress between niece and uncle. However, upon Amelia’s go to, an surprising flip of occasions unravels with ‘The Maddening,’ an incident that plunges London into chaos and turns its inhabitants into vicious enemies. So, as a substitute of reporting the Circus’ re-opening, Amelia takes it upon herself to find the supply of The Maddening and depends on Circus Electrique for help.

Toward the start of the sport, an in-depth tutorial talks you thru your first expertise with fight. From the get-go, Circus Electrique presents loads of info to digest. Unfortunately, in handheld, the textual content is so tiny it is virtually unimaginable to learn, and there is not a lot distinction when taking part in docked. The recreation provides a whole codex that may be accessed anytime in case important info will get misplaced or ignored among the many plenty, however at this level within the Switch’s lifecycle, tiny textual content ought to actually be a factor of the previous.

Gameplay is cut up throughout two predominant types the place you’re taking to the streets of London and cross an expansive map whereas going through enemies, accumulating loot, and sometimes answering riddle-like questions for further money, after which, as a substitute of collating a band of reprobates to battle the robotic opposition, Circus Electrique places the position of ringleader within the gamers’ palms.

Each night time, you are tasked with placing on a efficiency within the huge high. This ingredient of circus administration gives an thrilling change of tempo in comparison with the fight facet of issues but additionally requires loads of thought. While hiring expertise from the prepare station is straightforward, discovering performers who’ve a superb working relationship and may present an viewers with leisure is way from that.

A awful present ends in a foul popularity. However, a superb present can return rich presents from the viewers and line your pockets with further cash. As the circus receives extra consideration, the sport’s central hub expands and produces new buildings to utilise. Additionally, you may unlock card slots as you progress, which means you possibly can undertake extra performers and, in flip, extra fighters. This is among the predominant causes the short-lived circus administration sections hold you returning at the start of the sport.

But as you progress by the map and the town’s six districts, these circus-management sections turn out to be fairly insignificant. While they’re good for gaining funds and occasional presents, there aren’t many different perks. It shortly turns into tedious to cease what you are doing on the map, re-visit the circus, and sacrifice one other handful of potential fighters to placed on a present for the night time. Furthermore, every ‘day’ basically consists of 1 battle, so it is unimaginable to really feel such as you’re progressing when the tip of every battle takes you proper again to the hub the place you began. It could be way more participating if every day consisted of a handful of encounters, permitting you to sink your enamel into the primary enchantment of the title — fight.

Circus Electrique incorporates a turn-based method in battle, the place every participant is positioned in a line, which means sure strikes can solely be utilized in sure positions, which means you must suppose tactically about your subsequent transfer. Each battle requires as much as 4 members, and also you’re challenged to make use of the abilities of 15 totally different archetypes. While solely a handful can be found through the starting, you acquire entry to extra eclectic performers as you progress.

Every archetype has six totally different strikes and talents, ranging in goal, energy, and accuracy. So whereas fireplace blowers could possibly injury each member of the opposition from the again of the road, strongmen can hit hardest on the entrance. Much just like the preliminary tutorial, attending to grips with each ability and talent takes loads of consideration. Still, Circus Electrique is fast to clarify the professionals and cons of every motion, and fight is finest discovered hands-on.

As a brand new addition to this fight type, the sport takes an additional step and introduces ‘devotion,’ which acts as a secondary well being bar. Your workforce will depend on devotion to battle, which could be elevated through the use of crafted objects or utilizing talents to spice up morale. Without devotion, the fighters will flee from a match — which is superb when the opposition runs low however not so nice when your workforce packs up and leaves.

Combat is not notably difficult, and it turns into extra of a battle for who can land essentially the most brutal hit in the direction of the tip. As totally different characters have interaction, they acquire XP, which, predictably, can be utilized to stage up and improve abilities on the central hub. Leveling up a personality’s skillset will improve the probabilities of touchdown crucial hits, with the next injury %, whereas additionally rising devotion typically. So given you are rising your characters’ ranges as you discover, fight will not hold you up at night time.

The most enchanting ingredient of Circus Electrique is definitely its gritty, steampunk Londonscape, the place the journey takes place. During the dialogue, the sport adopts an virtually classic victorian hand-drawn look, carried throughout within the circus’ promotional posters and the performers’ playing cards. Disappointingly, this similar artwork type is not utilized to battles.

Characters from the identical archetype look similar, other than easy issues like hair color, and the final look of characters in battle is lacklustre in comparison with their look of their portraits. Unfortunately, the identical could be stated for the enemies you are going through, which quickly turn out to be carbon copies of the earlier battle you’ve got simply encountered, feeding into the tedious repetition of combating in the identical zone.

That’s to not say the primary few fight encounters aren’t participating. It’s enjoyable to familiarize yourself with studying every archetype’s talents, and fight’s over-the-top nature mirrors the circus performers’ humourous allure, so it is an actual disgrace that this novelty wears off after the primary metropolis zone is full.

Conclusion

Although Circus Electrique has its intriguing quirks, with the reliance on devotion and the occasional circus-management alternative, too many flaws accompany them. With most of its story revolving round fight, it quickly turns into an annoyance reasonably than an satisfying ingredient. The recreation does provide refreshing and distinctive twists on the style; nonetheless, there is a lack of drive to maintain you desirous to battle by London’s steampunk streets. The story grips you initially, but it surely takes some time to develop and loads of the preliminary dialogue is wasted on household feuds which provide no actual substance. To followers of turn-based technique and people who cherished Darkest Dungeon, Circus Electrique could also be extra satisfying, but it surely’s a little bit too disjointed and repetitive to advocate wholeheartedly.