Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1
- August 20, 2019
- Cosmo D
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamTales From Off-Peak City is a first-person adventure game series. Volume 1: Caetano's Slice is the first game of many in the anthology of Tales. While each 'Volume' is its own self-contained story and experience, taken together, they build towards the larger over-arching narrative of what’s really going on at the corner of July Avenue and Yam Street and what role you ultimately play in its fate.
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Reviews
- The game features a unique and surreal art style that captivates players and enhances the overall experience.
- The soundtrack is exceptional, with music that perfectly complements the game's atmosphere and adds to the immersion.
- The storytelling is intriguing, with a mix of humor and depth that keeps players engaged throughout the short playtime.
- The game is relatively short, taking only a couple of hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more.
- Some players may find the gameplay mechanics too simplistic, as it primarily involves walking, talking, and delivering pizzas without complex challenges.
- There are reports of performance issues on lower-end PCs, causing the game to run hot and potentially crash.
- music144 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its exceptional quality and integration into the gameplay experience. The soundtrack, characterized by a blend of jazz and electronic elements, enhances the surreal atmosphere and complements the unique visual style, making it a central aspect of the game's charm. Players are encouraged to immerse themselves in the music while exploring the game, as it significantly enriches the overall experience.
“Amazing sound design and music, completely individual visual design choices and story.”
“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.”
“The entire atmosphere brought forward by the characters, story, music, sound effects, and environment is awesome and exactly what I was expecting.”
“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 non-rhythmic music and the scattered strange sounds fit perfectly to the rest of the aesthetics.”
“But the soundtrack.”
- story100 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its intriguing and surreal narrative, which unfolds through exploration and character interactions, offering depth and replayability. Players appreciate the unique art style and soundtrack that complement the storytelling, although some find the plot convoluted or difficult to follow at times. Overall, the narrative is seen as a compelling blend of humor, emotion, and mystery, leaving many eager for future installments in the series.
“Came for the pizza delivery simulator, stayed for the surprisingly heartfelt story told in a city full of surprises.”
“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 atmosphere and the characters are great and the story... left me on a bit of a cliffhanger that I really want to see the next part of.”
“The most fleshed out story so far, yet it still feels too overly cryptic at times.”
“Despite this, the story is unfortunately incomplete, acting both as the first volume of a planned series of shortform games and also a sequel to two previous games from the same developer in the same universe.”
“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.”
- graphics59 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a surreal and unique art style that blends bizarre visuals with a nostalgic, retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic PlayStation graphics. While some players appreciate the creative ambition and immersive atmosphere created by the visuals, others note a lack of detail and refinement, describing them as rough and unpolished. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and storytelling, enhancing the experience with a captivating blend of art and sound.
“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 bizarre art style has found its groove, the world’s established enough that the characters are at their most memorable, and the tunes are sublime.”
“I've tried setting the graphics settings to the lowest and changing a few settings, but to no avail.”
“There's something incredibly Windows 98 about the entire art style and setting.”
“The graphics look like something from 20 years ago, which adds to the overall weirdness of this game.”
- gameplay52 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its unique blend of light adventure and walking simulator elements, featuring simple mechanics like pizza-making and photography that enhance the exploratory experience. While the gameplay is often described as minimal and secondary to the game's artistic and narrative elements, it remains engaging and enjoyable, with a compelling atmosphere and intriguing characters. Overall, players appreciate the relaxing nature of the gameplay, though some wish for deeper mechanics and more substantial interactions.
“The gameplay - making weird pizzas and taking weird photos - is perfect.”
“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.”
“Easily one of the most unique games I've played, from a visual presentation standpoint, gameplay, soundtrack, UI, story, etc. The game's mechanics have been built further from the Norwood Suite, where you earn money by making pizzas and delivering them to the various residents while moving the story forward in the two city streets the game takes place in.”
“The game can be completed in a single sitting; there are maybe 2-3 hours of gameplay here.”
“Not much gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very much a secondary consideration here, consisting mainly of talking to characters, solving some very light puzzles, and delivering pizzas.”
- atmosphere41 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its surreal and immersive qualities, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack that blends jazz and electronica. Players appreciate the unique, bizarre visuals and the unsettling yet engaging environment, which encourages exploration and evokes a range of emotions from calmness to intrigue. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature, making it a memorable experience for fans of artistic and atmospheric gaming.
“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.”
“The entire atmosphere brought forward by the characters, story, music, sound effects, and environment is awesome and exactly what I was expecting.”
“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.”
- humor20 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 rich sound design that enhances the comedic experience. Overall, the game is filled with unique, funny details that create a memorable and enjoyable experience, blending humor with intriguing storytelling.
“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.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is perceived as having limited replayability, often feeling more like a one-time experience or a movie rather than a traditional game. However, some players appreciate the effort put into replayable elements, suggesting that while it may not offer extensive replay value, it still provides a worthwhile experience.
“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.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its surreal and moving narrative, offering a surprisingly heartfelt story that resonates deeply with players. Many describe it as a profoundly emotional experience, highlighting its ability to evoke strong feelings and create lasting memories.
“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.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively utilizes a single street corner setting over the course of one day to deliver rich character development, blending intrigue, humor, and engaging activities like pizza making into a compact narrative.
“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.”
