There are some light simulation elements too, such as stopping at garages to refuel, or forking out for repairs if you've traded paint with a few too many hover buses. And it only gets better as you spend your hard-earned wages on upgrades, including a nifty booster that gives you a short, satisfying surge of speed. Gliding across those dazzling cityscapes, weaving through traffic, and firing your repulsors to gain altitude feels sensational. Or is it flying? Your little hover car is a delight to control, with a nice feeling of speed, weight, and momentum. And as Control grows to trust you, you're given more lucrative jobs-including a visit above the clouds to the Spire, where wealthy corporate stooges live and work away from the mass of humanity below.īut what really holds Cloudpunk together is the driving. As Rania makes her deliveries she learns more about Cloudpunk, how the city is run, and the tensions bubbling beneath the surface. And I love Camus, Rania's AI companion, who has an infectiously naive, optimistic personality. Huxley is a private detective who speaks like he's narrating a hard-boiled crime novel, and frustrates Rania with his tortured mixed metaphors. There are some great characters here, though. Nivalus is a city filled with stories, although the quality of the writing and voice acting is pretty uneven. As you make your deliveries you'll meet a large cast of characters along the way, including shady nightclub owners, hackers, hover car racers, CEOs, cops, and self-aware androids. (Image credit: Ion Lands) (opens in new tab)Ĭloudpunk is a game almost entirely about exploration and conversation.

Cloudpunk william