Citizens of Earth

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 305 reviews
  • story
  • humor
  • gameplay
Citizens of Earth Game Cover
Citizens of Earth is rooted in the past but still forward-thinking
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In "Citizens of Earth," you are the Vice President of the World, tasked with saving it from strange enemies with the help of 40 recruitable citizens, ranging from baristas to schoolkids. This retro-style RPG offers a unique blend of humor, exploration, and tactical combat. Engage in turn-based battles, manage your party's skills, and uncover the secrets of this quirky world.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Nintendo 3ds
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Wii
  • Wii U
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 305 reviews
story30 positive mentions
grinding42 negative mentions
  • The game features a charming art style and humorous writing, reminiscent of Earthbound.
  • The combat system is engaging, allowing for a variety of strategies with 40 unique characters to recruit.
  • The game offers a light-hearted and fun experience, with plenty of side quests and exploration opportunities.
  • The game is plagued by bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
  • The lack of a world map and confusing quest indicators can make navigation tedious and frustrating.
  • Combat can become repetitive due to high encounter rates and the need for grinding, which may detract from the overall experience.
  • story125 mentions

    The story of the game is often described as light-hearted and humorous, featuring quirky dialogue and a whimsical plot that doesn't take itself too seriously. However, many reviewers note that the overall narrative is weak and predictable, with a focus on side quests that can feel overwhelming and detract from the main storyline. While the game offers a charming experience with lovable characters, the lack of depth in the plot and confusing quest indicators can lead to frustration for players.

    • “Please note that despite everything I'm about to say, I found the game undeniably charming. The art style is excellent, the story is funny, and the characters are lovable.”
    • “It's a fun tongue-in-cheek story with some minor but dark undertones, featuring an almost completely lovable cast of crazy characters.”
    • “The storytelling is good, and with a story that goes absolutely bonkers by the end, it is still a pretty damn funny and bizarre experience.”
    • “Also, the plot goes nowhere and ends on a really lame note with essentially nothing of real consequence happening.”
    • “The story is virtually nonexistent.”
    • “All in all it's not a bad game, it's just after beating it I felt like the main storyline was really lacking.”
  • humor106 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of quirky, satirical, and light-hearted elements, often drawing comparisons to classic RPGs like Earthbound. While many players appreciate the witty dialogue and charming characters, some find the humor can become repetitive or forced over time. Overall, the game is seen as entertaining and funny, though its comedic impact may vary among players.

    • “I love the sense of humor; it's a perfect love letter to EarthBound!”
    • “Everything from the premise to the incidental one-liners will have you laughing out loud.”
    • “The humor is satirical and aimed at the politically correct sometimes, at the vapid candidates that run for office other times.”
    • “I have absolutely no idea how I played such a bland and unfunny game for this long.”
  • gameplay89 mentions

    The gameplay of "Citizens of Earth" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its humor and nostalgic JRPG mechanics reminiscent of titles like Earthbound, while others criticize it for being buggy, tedious, and poorly explained. The turn-based combat features unique character abilities and a variety of mechanics, but issues such as time-gated elements and repetitive encounters detract from the overall experience. Despite its charm and potential, the execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a consensus that while the game has engaging aspects, it suffers from significant gameplay flaws.

    • “The gameplay is fun and challenging, and the playable world is expansive, colorful, and packed with details.”
    • “The mechanics dare you to find powerful synergies between the abilities of the massive cast of recruitable characters, posing an engaging challenge to a keen RPG buff.”
    • “It's funny, it's cute, the gameplay is good.”
    • “This is a nice JRPG style of game that is in the vein of DeathSpank with some nice quality of life items and some really awful bloated gameplay mechanics.”
    • “While this game is fun, there are quite a few issues, mainly with the gameplay and mechanics that make it seem like it wasn't tested very extensively.”
    • “Don't even get me started about the gear and equipment system which is obviously implemented to increase gameplay time, not enhance gameplay.”
  • graphics62 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming, hand-drawn art style reminiscent of classic titles like Earthbound, with many players appreciating the colorful and quirky visuals. However, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, with reports of bugs, long load times, and graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the unique aesthetic and engaging character designs contribute to the game's appeal, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.

    • “The graphics are so good, love the art style.”
    • “The art style, music, and voice acting are great, and the story and the characters are interesting.”
    • “From the graphics to the music that graces your ears, this game emulates everything I loved about the Earthbound series while improving on it.”
    • “There are constant art style clashes between enemy designs.”
    • “On top of that, the visuals are a bit garish, there are too many maps that don't have anything on them but scenery and enemies, and it all just feels so pointless.”
    • “There are however a number of graphics bugs.”
  • music51 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its lighthearted and quirky nature reminiscent of classic RPGs, while others criticize it for being repetitive, forgettable, or even annoying at times. Although there are a few standout tracks, many players feel that the overall soundtrack fails to live up to the expectations set by its inspirations, often describing it as lacking variety and coherence. Additionally, issues like random music cutouts further detract from the experience for some users.

    • “The art and music in the game are excellent for setting a lighthearted tone.”
    • “The soundtrack is adventurous and reminds me of Donkey Kong Country; character design and animations make this a better standalone game than some big-budget titles.”
    • “From the graphics to the music that graces your ears, this game through and through emulates everything I loved about the Earthbound series while improving on it.”
    • “The music cuts out at random and doesn't come back until you leave the area.”
    • “This soundtrack is bad 90% of the time with a few genuine bangers here and there.”
    • “The music is disappointing.”
  • grinding47 mentions

    The game's grinding mechanics have received mixed reviews, with many players finding the experience tedious and repetitive due to the sheer number of battles and backtracking required. While some appreciate the optional nature of grinding and the ability to adjust difficulty, others feel that the combat becomes monotonous and lacks depth, leading to fatigue. Overall, the grinding aspect can be enjoyable for those who embrace it, but it often detracts from the overall experience for many players.

    • “Not too grindy.”
    • “This game is way too grindy for no reason at all.”
    • “The game has fun and cheeky ambiance, but it was so grindy that I would have to be paid to finish it.”
    • “You are forced to fight approximately 1,000,000 enemies at certain times in the game: the map is swarming with 20 groups of enemies, and you have to fight every single one. The battles are tedious as they get.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes and numerous glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the developers' efforts to address these issues through live streams and community engagement, the persistent technical problems and poor design have led to a lack of recommendation for the game.

    • “Freezes every 5 minutes.”
    • “The biggest glitch I encountered, at least on the Steam version, is that the game can be a bit buggy.”
    • “There are a great deal of graphical glitches.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is viewed positively, with many players appreciating its humor, challenge, and the option for New Game Plus, which enhances replay value for dedicated fans. However, some users feel that the replayability is limited, citing a lack of diverse content and character development options as drawbacks. Comparatively, it is noted that one game offers more replayability than another, indicating varying experiences among players.

    • “Lighthearted, funny, challenging, and replayable; a good gateway into the world of RPGs.”
    • “Amazing game with good replay value!”
    • “The game is not too short, and since you can turn the difficulty and the presence of a new game plus, there is a lot of replayability for the big fans.”
    • “Sadly, one downside is a sort of lacking replay value in my opinion.”
    • “Replay value: 3. The only reason I can see to replay this game is to develop characters in different parties for different stat boosts.”
    • “Sptsot has a tiny amount of content and replayability compared to CoE.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on the Wii U version, where crashes and frequent loading screens detract from the experience. In contrast, the PC version benefits from faster load times and generally runs smoothly at 60fps, though minor hiccups occur in larger areas. Overall, while the game has potential, its optimization problems may hinder enjoyment for some players.

    • “Performance-wise, the game runs relatively smoothly, with a couple of hiccups coming in larger areas late in the game, mostly when opening the map/menu.”
    • “Performance is a stable 60fps.”
    • “While I can't speak to the performance of the PC version outside of much faster load times thanks to the SSD in my computer, I can at least speak to the quality of the game itself.”
    • “I want to finish this game; I love the art style, the voice acting is nice, and the humor is great, but it is so poorly optimized that I feel it wants to crash the moment I entered the area of the coffee aliens. It's painful to watch on my computer because the screen goes black every 20 frames, and that problem only happens in that area. The loading screens are excessive; why are there so many?”
    • “It's sad that I won't finish a promising game because of its poor optimization.”
    • “While on the topic of game performance issues, the game crashed on me numerous times throughout my time with it.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its upbeat 90s retro feel, complemented by engaging characters and music. Reviewers report a seamless experience with no noticeable flaws, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “I don't even think a pros/cons list is necessary; I can't find flaws. I ran into no bugs and love the gameplay, atmosphere, difficulty, and controls, plus controller support.”
    • “The atmosphere, characters, and music have an upbeat 90s retro feel.”
    • “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real depth or engagement.”
    • “Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is dull and fails to immerse the player.”
    • “The overall ambiance is forgettable, making it hard to stay invested in the game.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is surprisingly nuanced, avoiding the typical family-friendly cash grab approach often seen in similar titles. Instead, it features clean graphics and flawed characters, suggesting a more mature and engaging experience that balances humor with its monetization tactics.

    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to progress at a reasonable pace.”
    • “It's frustrating that the game locks essential features behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy without spending extra.”
    • “The constant barrage of ads and prompts to purchase in-game currency really detracts from the overall experience.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The game subverts expectations by presenting flawed lead characters and incorporating unwholesome humor, contrasting with its seemingly family-friendly appearance. This emotional depth adds complexity and engagement, making it more than just a typical cash grab.

    • “I expected I would encounter a saccharine, family-friendly cash grab a la Candy Crush, but its clean graphics hide a game that is not afraid to have flawed lead characters and some sprinkles of unwholesome humor.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the character design and animations significantly enhance the game's appeal, making it stand out even against larger budget titles. The adventurous soundtrack further complements the overall experience, contributing to a well-rounded character development that resonates with players.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

Buy Citizens of Earth

Play time

25hMedian play time
20hAverage play time
6-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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