City of Chains

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 76 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
City of Chains Game Cover
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"City of Chains: Astronomic" is a first-person shooter game set in a dystopian, futuristic city. As a member of the rebellion, players must fight against the oppressive government and its enforcers, using a variety of weapons and abilities. The game features a rich story, detailed environments, and intense combat that will keep players engaged and challenged.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 76 reviews
story23 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • City of Chains offers a compelling narrative with meaningful choices that impact the story and lead to multiple endings, enhancing replayability.
  • The game features a unique skill progression system where players earn skill points through completing tasks rather than grinding for experience, allowing for diverse character builds and strategies.
  • The graphics and atmosphere are well-executed for an RPGMaker title, providing a dark and immersive cyberpunk setting that stands out from typical RPGMaker aesthetics.
  • The game suffers from a lack of character depth and memorable personalities, making it difficult for players to connect with the cast.
  • Some players found the combat system to be frustratingly difficult, with unclear enemy health and mechanics that can lead to tedious battles.
  • The writing contains grammatical errors and awkward dialogue, detracting from the overall experience and immersion in the story.
  • story62 mentions

    The game's story is a mix of engaging elements and clichés, set in a cyberpunk world where player choices significantly impact the narrative and lead to multiple endings. While some players found the plot predictable and the characters stereotypical, others appreciated the moral dilemmas and the depth of the world-building, noting that side quests enhance the overall experience. Overall, the story is described as well-written with potential for intrigue, though it may not fully escape genre tropes.

    • “The story was good, but what stood out to me was the morality choices and the combat.”
    • “Decent story with multiple endings and alternate paths depending on the choices you make along the way.”
    • “The story is well-written and some memorable characters and villains are present.”
    • “The story, though it has potential and some little twists, is cliché and just uninteresting.”
    • “Great crafting mechanic as well as nice map layouts, but the story is boring and the characters are so stereotypical.”
    • “It's very much like Deus Ex in the setting, but I don't feel the story or characters are much more than average.”
  • gameplay23 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is characterized by solid mechanics and engaging turn-based combat, set against a dark sci-fi backdrop. While it features a variety of skills and choices that enhance character development, some players find the story and characters lacking depth. Overall, the game offers a balanced experience with a mix of traditional RPG elements and unique mechanics, though it may not fully captivate all players.

    • “Although the pacing of the story is somewhat linear, the breadth of actions, lore, and overall gameplay elements more than make up for it.”
    • “The dark sci-fi setting, compelling narrative, non-linear gameplay, and wonderful turn-based strategic combat come together to create quite the exciting adventure.”
    • “Highly functional and engaging (if slightly simplified) JRPG-style combat and gameplay, combined with a nicely cyberpunk-esque visual aesthetic.”
    • “It's mechanics are sound, it's combat works, but it just doesn't do anything to really hook you in.”
    • “The battle gameplay itself is familiar turn-based territory, while the music fits the sci-fi/futuristic atmosphere.”
    • “This game is best suited when all of your head can be concentrated in a story and its mechanics.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The graphics of this JRPG stand out for their stylized western cyberpunk aesthetic, diverging from the typical anime-inspired visuals often seen in the genre. While some reviews note the graphics as rudimentary or reminiscent of RPG Maker titles, others praise them as superior for their ability to evoke a dark, immersive atmosphere. Overall, the visuals are considered a refreshing departure from the norm, though opinions vary on their execution and quality.

    • “It's a joy to see a JRPG-type game that doesn't feature manga/anime-style graphics (characters with large eyes and heads bigger compared to their bodies) but instead showcases more stylized western cyberpunk graphics.”
    • “Graphically, the title is absolutely fantastic and is without a doubt the best-looking RPG Maker game out there, hands down.”
    • “In summary, the sleek graphical style and wonderful audio really complement the great combat and excellent narrative in this title.”
    • “If one can get past the rudimentary graphics and somewhat clunky user interface, this is actually a very entertaining science fiction RPG.”
    • “The graphics look like they've been run through a third-party Sega Saturn game filter, and the major characters are all matched with awful, kludgy 3D portrait art.”
    • “Graphics are okay in some standards, but unfortunately there is very minimal interactivity with the environment.”
  • music11 mentions

    The music in the game has received positive feedback for its diverse and high-quality tracks, effectively enhancing the atmosphere and gameplay experience. Reviewers appreciate the blend of heavy metal and techno styles, noting that the soundtrack complements the sci-fi setting while remaining accessible and enjoyable. Additionally, players can easily access the soundtrack through game files, further adding to its appeal.

    • “There is a surprising amount of good music in the game across different stages and situations.”
    • “Also of note, the sound quality is excellent whether it's gameplay, ambient background noises, or the dystopian-flavored musical score, which is superb, I might add.”
    • “Good techno-style space-age music really sets the mood.”
    • “The battle gameplay itself is familiar turn-based territory, while the music fits the sci-fi/futuristic atmosphere.”
    • “Music is half decent.”
    • “Heavy metal steampunk music, but it's not too rough on your ears.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    The game is praised for eliminating traditional grinding by rewarding skill points for exploration and progression rather than combat, making the experience feel more engaging and less tedious. Players appreciate the fixed encounters that offer variety and the focus on completing objectives, which keeps the gameplay dynamic without the need for excessive grinding for experience or loot. Overall, the game strikes a balance between a tight narrative and enough side quests to maintain player interest without the grind.

    • “There's no grinding for experience: you get points as you complete portions of the game and spend them on abilities you desire.”
    • “As skill points are awarded for completing objectives rather than combat, there is no grinding to be done.”
    • “It does not offer up that much loot and astronomical grinding for experience points.”
    • “It does things I wish every RPG would do, like having fixed encounters which are actually different instead of just endless filler, and awarding skill points for exploration/progression instead of grinding.”
    • “Where it is short, it maintains a tight story with just enough freedom and side quests to keep you hunting without it seeming like the tedious slog of many AAA games.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its impactful decision-making, which leads to different paths and scenes, encouraging multiple playthroughs. With three difficulty modes and a variety of weapons and skills to choose from, players can experience the game in diverse ways despite its relatively short length of 6-8 hours. Overall, the combination of choices and customization significantly enhances its replay value.

    • “Thanks to this, the game also has a good replayability value, in addition to its length of 6-8 hours for the first play-through.”
    • “There are three difficulty modes—casual, hardy, dystopia—and given the number of weapons and skills to select for your team, as well as the many decisions to be made throughout the story, the replay value of this game is quite high.”
    • “Worth noting that the decisions you make are very important and bring a lot of replayability to the game, thanks to different paths or scenes depending on which choices you make.”
    • “There are three difficulty modes - casual, hardy, and dystopia. Given the number of weapons and skills to select for your team, as well as the many decisions to be made throughout the story, the replay value of this game is quite high.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive sci-fi and gritty themes, complemented by fitting music and realistic visuals. Reviewers appreciate the well-balanced integration of story and gameplay, noting that it creates a captivating experience without the distractions of typical fantasy elements. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as beautifully crafted and engaging.

    • “If you enjoy the ideas from the sci-fi genre or gritty themes, this game has the perfect atmosphere for both.”
    • “Finally, no more enemies that appear from nowhere, no more fantasy world with magic and other stuff... the atmosphere is great, the visuals and lighting are realistic; I really couldn't find anything wrong with this beautiful game.”
    • “The battle gameplay itself is familiar turn-based territory, while the music fits the sci-fi/futuristic atmosphere.”
    • “The overall atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real sense of immersion.”
    • “Despite the promising setting, the atmosphere fails to engage, leaving the world feeling lifeless and dull.”
  • character development3 mentions

    The game features a more realistic visual style in character design, setting it apart from typical RPG Maker titles, which enhances the memorability of its characters. Additionally, the mechanics of character development are well-executed, contributing to a solid overall experience.

    • “I believe the main difference, at least to me, is that this title doesn't have the 'anime' or 'cartoony' look of your average RPG Maker title and has opted for a more realistic visual style, especially when it comes to character design.”
    • “+ memorable character designs”
    • “The mechanics of character development are equally solid.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
    • “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired.”
    • “There is a lack of depth in the characters' backstories, making it hard to connect with them.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game's humor is noted for its darker tone compared to typical astronomical games, yet it retains the developer's signature style and character types, offering a unique blend of wit and edginess.

    • “I could always expect the developer's humor to take things in a different direction.”
    • “Yes, it is much darker than usual astronomical games, but it still has its signature humor and character types.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization of "Serve No Master" has been praised for its impressive performance, allowing players to fully enjoy the game without technical issues.

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

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Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
10-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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