Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1
- August 20, 2019
- Cosmo D
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1," players navigate a first-person adventure within a single street corner, helping a pizza-maker with deliveries and exploring the neighborhood's hidden worlds. The game features memorable characters, open-ended gameplay, and the opportunity to uncover secrets and hidden agendas within the community. This title shares the same universe as the developer's previous games, The Norwood Suite and Off-Peak.
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Reviews
- The game features stunning and surreal visuals that create a unique atmosphere, making exploration a delight.
- The soundtrack is exceptional, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in the quirky world.
- The narrative is engaging and filled with bizarre yet relatable characters, making the story intriguing and enjoyable.
- The game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more content and depth.
- Some players may find the gameplay mechanics simplistic, as it primarily revolves around walking and delivering pizzas.
- There are moments where the story feels incomplete or leaves too many questions unanswered, potentially frustrating some players.
- music173 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its unique blend of jazz and experimental sounds, creating an immersive and atmospheric experience that complements the surreal visuals and engaging narrative. Players appreciate how the soundtrack enhances gameplay, with dynamic changes based on interactions and environments, making it a central element of the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the music as a standout feature, often describing it as captivating, beautiful, and integral to the game's charm and storytelling.
“The music is fantastic as expected and the game engine isn't nearly as janky as in Off-Peak.”
“The soundtrack is once again amazing and truly brings the city to life, along with all the characters and the unique environments.”
“The music is an effortlessly cool blend of jazz and electronica, and while the visuals do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to establishing the game's atmosphere, the music and sound design really cement the sense of place.”
“Cause those sound cues do not sound like a voice, they clearly are just noises made with a musical instrument, which makes it overlap the actual score that is incessantly playing in the background.”
“From the crappy collage style visuals and the noisy non-rhythmic music, to the strange story and the cringe characters, everything is just not right.”
“The music keeps grooving, the characters are entrancing, the creative photographic opportunities are infinite.”
- story129 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is a captivating blend of surrealism and human emotion, featuring bizarre characters and intriguing plot twists that keep players engaged. While some find the narrative convoluted or difficult to follow, many appreciate its depth and the way it unfolds through exploration and interaction. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its creativity, atmosphere, and connection to previous titles in the series, making it a compelling experience for fans of unique narratives.
“Tales from Off-Peak City provided me with exactly what I wanted after playing Off-Peak: a strange, bizarre, yet fascinating story with wacky characters, crazy settings, and just a general fever dream feeling.”
“The story is pleasantly detailed for a game of this size, and never feels like things are just being shoehorned in to maximize weirdness.”
“The story - so damn good (but damn short).”
“The storyline is boring as hell.”
“Trying to convey some story by simply laying it out for you, not leaving anything for interpretation, eliminating all the charm and distant feel of the world that is presented in the game.”
“From the crappy collage style visuals and the noisy non-rhythmic music, to the strange story and the cringe characters, everything is just not right.”
- graphics67 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning and surreal aesthetic, featuring bizarre visuals that evoke a sense of wonder and charm, reminiscent of classic PlayStation art styles. Many reviewers appreciate the unique art direction, which complements the immersive soundtrack and compelling narrative, creating a captivating atmosphere. While some find the visuals to be rough or lacking in detail, they ultimately contribute to the game's distinctive identity and overall experience.
“The visuals are stunning and surreal—I adore the buildings with faces and sentience—and all the characters feel like if you were to see someone as their vibes instead of strict representation of what they looked like to normal eyes.”
“An incredible experience with the most unique and beautiful visuals!”
“The graphics, audio, and the story are unique and amazing, unlike anything seen before in games.”
“The graphics look like something from 20 years ago, which adds to the overall weirdness of this game.”
“The visuals, despite their creative ambition, still lack detail and refinement, and the mechanics are still only minimally interactive.”
“From the crappy collage style visuals and the noisy non-rhythmic music, to the strange story and the cringe characters, everything is just not right.”
- gameplay67 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this series is generally minimalistic, often resembling a walking simulator with light puzzles and exploration elements. While some players appreciate the unique mechanics, such as pizza-making and photography, many feel that gameplay takes a backseat to the game's atmospheric storytelling and artistic presentation. Overall, the experience is described as relaxing and enjoyable, though it may not satisfy those seeking more complex gameplay.
“10/10 atmosphere, 10/10 gameplay, would recommend to freakin everybody.”
“The mechanics are fun, the characters are interesting, it's just an all-around blast of a game.”
“What I love about Cosmo D's Off-Peak series is that it has simple, relaxing gameplay mechanics, accompanied by mesmerizing world design, and an intriguing story.”
“The gameplay is minimal, but that's pretty common among all walking simulators.”
“If I had to criticize this game for something, or at least highlight an aspect that could be better, it would be the gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very much a secondary consideration here, consisting mainly of talking to characters, solving some very light puzzles, and delivering pizzas.”
- atmosphere46 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is universally praised for its surreal and immersive qualities, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack that perfectly complements the bizarre visuals and unique character interactions. Players find themselves drawn into a richly detailed world that balances unsettling elements with moments of humor and warmth, creating a memorable and engaging experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, making it a standout title for fans of exploration and artistic expression.
“The atmosphere the game had with the music, setting, and character interactions was cool and unsettling in a good way, and certain touches to the game really make it unique.”
“During my first playthrough, I spent most of my time just wandering around in the space and taking in the atmosphere, listening to the music and admiring the bizarre landscape.”
“A huge amount of creativity has gone into this game; it oozes atmosphere, has a good storyline, and a great jazzy soundtrack.”
“However, its atmosphere, style, or imagery might still be disturbing for some.”
“Fans of adventure games like Grim Fandango might also appreciate its low-key psychedelic atmosphere, but won't find much to chew on in the puzzle or gameplay departments.”
“Like Off-Peak or The Norwood Suite, this game is yet another that is kind of difficult to explain or properly convey with any words, like a bizarre dream you had that is impossible to explain properly because you just can't fully convey the feel and atmosphere of the entire experience.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its darkly comedic atmosphere, clever dialogue, and quirky character interactions, particularly during pizza deliveries. Players appreciate the surreal and bizarre visuals, complemented by a memorable soundtrack and a wealth of funny details that enhance the overall experience. The blend of humor with intriguing storytelling and unique gameplay elements creates a genuinely enjoyable and immersive environment.
“I enjoy the darkly humorous atmosphere of the game, and find the low-stakes gameplay relaxing.”
“The highlight of the game for me was having my pizza critiqued by my customers, who had a lot of humorous and interesting observations to make.”
“In this game, you get to explore a surreal-magical Brooklyn-esque world by making and delivering pizzas to a host of bizarre and funny characters in trippy apartment buildings.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it offers enough content for multiple playthroughs, others feel it resembles a one-time experience akin to a movie, limiting its replay value. Despite its short length and some movement issues, many still recommend it for the unique experience it provides.
“Not every game needs hours and hours of new stuff to be replayable.”
“It looks like a one-time experience, but in fact, it's got enough replayability.”
“Additionally, a lot of the development seems to have gone into replayability.”
“The only downside is the lack of replayability, since it's more like a movie in structure than a game.”
“Even though it's really short and not very replayable, I'd definitely recommend the experience!”
“It looks like a one-time experience but in fact, it's got enough replayability.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome and relaxing nature, particularly resonating with players during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reviewers describe it as a surreal and moving experience, with a heartfelt story that leaves a lasting impact, making it one of the most touching gaming experiences they've encountered.
“This game is surreal, moving, and heartbreaking.”
“Came for the pizza delivery simulator, stayed for the surprisingly heartfelt story told in a city full of surprises.”
“The most touching game experience I've ever had in my entire life.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect engaging and immersive, as the world feels vibrant and alive, making the search for missing pieces enjoyable. However, some mini-games, like the pizza-making task, are viewed as tedious and detract from the overall experience.
“This world felt so alive to me that finding the missing pieces to the puzzle wasn't tedious at all.”
“I would recommend it if not for the tedious pizza-making mini-game.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively utilizes a single street corner setting over one day to deliver rich character development, blending intrigue, humor, and engaging interactions, all while incorporating a unique pizza-making element.
“It takes place on a single street corner over the course of one day, and it manages to pack a lot of intrigue, character development, humor, and pizza making in that short period of time.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has received criticism for feeling somewhat unoptimized, indicating that performance issues may detract from the overall experience.
“As far as criticisms go, the game feels a bit unoptimized.”
