Vaproum:Lockdown is the prequel to Vaporum which was an award-winning dungeon crawler, both of which have been released by independent game developer FatBot Games. Image yourself a mixture of steampunk and grid-based combat with stealth and touch of puzzle-solving. This game is sure to appeal to you if you like any of the above mentions game mechanics.
Plot:
As the game starts, you find yourself in the shoes of a young woman desperate to discover her father’s fate. You are greeted with some awesome cut scenes at the beginning of the game that set up the mystery. As you explore further into the game you unravel the mysterious disappearance of your father and the tower of Arx Vaproum. Vaproum: Lockdown gave me BioShock vibes which really enticed me to keep playing.
Gameplay:
It is puzzle mystery action roleplaying game that does not cater to those that want an easy experience. The game is meant to be difficult. It is meant you make you work hard but as with all things, if it were easy then it would not be worth it. You will find yourself dying a lot but each time you die I like to think that you learn more about the game. As you move throughout the game you will be picking items up to use later when it comes to puzzle solving.
Pros:
The story is fantastic!!! Right at the beginning it brings you and grips you. I just wanted to keep playing to discover the plot. You do feel like you make progression in the game, and you feel stronger as you play. The eerie atmosphere is perfect and suits the story. It is amazing and if you can get past the cons of the movement of the game then I believe that this game is a gem. I liked being able to pick up items and saving them just in case you needed them for a future puzzle.
Cons:
The movement is the biggest miss for me. It is just not fluid and feels so cumbersome. As enemies attacked me, I felt like was stuck in mud trying to escape them. Yes, I know it is grid-based, I get that, but I am being honest here, it just did not suit my playstyle. If you like grid-based movements, then I am sure you are going to love this game. I really wanted to discover all the story had to tell.
The Verdict:
The game currently sits at 68 game score on metascore and a 7.7 user score. The game has a ton of potential and I feel that it will appeal to certain folks out there. I love the mystery and the intrigue of the story. However, the movement was difficult for me personally to get used to. The story really draws you in and captures your attention. If you can get passed the unyielding movement of the character then I do believe that story is worth it.
Final Score: I would rate this 5 out of 10. If it was a bit more fluid, then it would be a 10 out 10.
Systems Available on:
