Author Topic: Vostok Inc. (Switch) Review  (Read 1651 times)

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Offline NWR_Neal

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Vostok Inc. (Switch) Review
« on: December 11, 2017, 02:16:41 PM »

Colonize solar systems and fight aliens in this interesting genre-bending shooter.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/46006/vostok-inc-switch-review

Blending genres can make for some great results in games. In the case of Vostok Inc, two mediocre takes on tried-and-true genres combine for an experience that has some moments of clever fun but wears thin quickly. Its take on the incremental/clicker genre is just okay and the twin-stick shooting is subpar, so the overall package really only lasts as long as the concept holds up for you. For me, Vostok Inc was wearing thin by the third solar system. It’s fun in spurts, but this jack-of-two-trades doesn’t master either, ensuring it winds up just being a cool idea that only goes as far as its humor.

But the humor has a solid setup, as you’re the new CEO of space-colonizing conglomerate Vostok Inc. Initially, the action starts off in a familiar galaxy, complete with Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, and even Pluto (which is humorously a Switch exclusive). The goal is to fly around space, landing on each planet and creating factories and more to earn money. The more money spent on each planet means the more they generate every second. Clickers can be very good, but the concept of a console clicker is more funny than it is practical. Money’s only earned while you’re playing, which runs counter to the concept of the genre, which is meant to be a thing you check in on your phone and tinker with. It’s the focus here and while it’s generally par for the genre, maybe clickers are only on phones for a reason.

Off the planets, the controls are that of a run-of-the-mill twin-stick shooter. Unfortunately, the shooting doesn’t feel all that smooth and the jerky controls pale in comparison to other similar shooters. Upgrades that give you more power and goofier firepower help mask the problems, but it takes a long while (and a lot of grinding) to get to a point where that happens. After I started setting up my planets to earn money, I avoided any combat I could because it just wasn’t very fun.

More solar systems unlock as you earn more money, eventually opening up six areas complete with several dozen planets in total. Outside of that, Vostok’s got a lot of unlocks, split across your ship, radar, and weaponry. Various business executives can be found floating in space and those management types open up retro-styled mini-games that aren’t too engrossing, but are funny enough to be worthwhile. Of special note is the mini-game that’s just basically a Game Boy first-person shooter.

The limitation to Vostok Inc. is that once it stops being funny to you, the warts show. Seeing your mild-mannered business associate argue with aliens is very funny, until it starts getting old. When that happens, the smile-worthy sheen of the blending of shoot-’em-up and clicker starts to fade, revealing that Vostok Inc. doesn’t really do either that well. Charm can only go so far, and unfortunately, the charm here doesn’t hide the repetitive, stale gameplay.

Neal Ronaghan
Director, NWR

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