Shezka Foxe: Okay, so where to start? Well, Clockwork Empires is basically a civilization simulator. I was incredibly excited when I first heard about this title… you know, “jumping in your seat can’t wait to play” kind of excited. This is typically my kind of genre (it probably has something to do with me having evil overlord training, but anyway…). I finally had the opportunity to see what it’s all about. Now, just to be clear, this is an EARLY RELEASE game, meaning the game isn’t even out of beta yet. This means it’s still in its infancy so it’s not quite fully playable yet. Therefore, this preview is going to be a bit stranger than others I’ve written before. However, I’m going to be as clear cut as possible about this and break it down as best as I can. If you have any complaints well…I suggest you watch out for the fish people.
Tom Chick - "If I was to make a game that I didn’t want anyone to actually play, it would look a lot like Clockwork Empires. A torturous interface with lots of busy little buttons and information spilled across various mutually exclusive screens. Basic tasks that require about two too many steps. Lots of waiting among the various stages of any process, so when you went off to do something else, you might forget the first thing you were doing. One way doors into unrecoverable economic death spirals that you don’t know you’re in until it’s far too late.
Also, it would crash a lot."
Gather your colonists! You will need great wits to get your steampunk colony up and running without facing the wrath of the Occult in Clockwork Empires!
Clockwork Empires feels like a flawed gem. Gamers looking for an accessible colony simulator will certainly find a lot to love here, but frequent crashes and numerous AI issues spoil the experience.
