Should You Play Locomoto?
This article gives you all the information you need to see if you should play Locomoto?
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Look, I’m the first person to admit that I do enjoy the base level mechanics of the cozy gaming genre. Farming, making friends, solving puzzles, running a business, and so on are all great elements that make the cozy gaming genre so fun to play. Hower, it’s also always really excited to see game developers taking the basics of a cozy game and creating something completely new.
One exciting example of this is the game Locomoto in which you get to run your very maintain and run your very own train. This game is a soothing adventure game that explores the concept of trying to revive an old railway through hard work and sticky fingers.
Though your main objective is running your train there is plenty of work to be done in the land of Salsglade and the train station isn’t the only thing that needs to be renewed. Clean the environment, open a university, and help out those in need all while riding in your cool new train.
I loved playing this game with its emphasis on bringing back old ways of doing things, being good to your community, and having just an all around good time. If you’ve been considering playing this game, then keep on reading to see if you should play Locomoto.
Story
Locomoto is all about bringing life back into the world of Salsglade. Here, you have “procured” an old train from Mr. Mcgruff and have set out to bring back the old railway stations in an effort to recreate what you love about the place you live.
As you travel from station to station you get to meet knew characters and explore areas of the land to try to bring back your hometown of Barrenspyre (sounds charming I know).
Your town has been severely damaged by ash and decay and is the reason you’re seeking out ways to restore the town to the way it was. Completing tasks like cleaning ash and planting flowers all culminate in ways you will work hard to create a better life for you and your neighbors.
As you continue your efforts you find yourself taking on bigger projects as other also need your help around Salsglade as it seems the everyone has been having problems. From lost wheels to a lacking economy Salsglade’s got many issues and its your job to fix them.
You can tell this game was made with a ton of love. Not only did the developers create a relatively full game right from the beginning but the game is incredibly fun to play.
I really enjoyed how they framed helping the town as well as how the game emphasizes being good to the community by encouraging activities such as side quests and recycling.
Another great aspects about this game is the free mobility to move around. The developers add to the interest of the game play by allowing you to roam around in your train and explore the different nooks and crannies of the game. Each area has its own NPCs and quirky aspects about it that make things even more interesting.
I will say that story wise the game is pretty general and that while saving your home town is the main quest there’s A LOT of other things that you can do within the world of Locomoto.
The animal characters add a wholesome touch to the game and getting to enjoy the many areas of Salsglade brings about new stories that make the adventure even more exciting.
If you like a low stakes wholesome storyline that revolves around rebuilding and rejuvenating your community than you’ll love Locomoto.
Gameplay
As far as the gameplay is concerned it’s pretty easy going and can even be quite addicting.
You don’t really run out to of things to do and are able to have an enjoyable time just running around finishing quests and simple tasks.
In this game you get to drive your very own train and pick where you want to go. You do this through making sure the furnace is full of coal and pulling the lever after picking which stations to visit.
You make whatever stops you want and it allows you have a fun time riding around with you passengers.
So long as the furnace doesn’t over heat and you have enough coal you are good to go until you reach your desired station.
You can also choose who gets to ride on your train and the many amenities that make the journey all the sweeter.
Much of the train is customizable and you can rearrange the different carts that comprise your very own locomotive.
I love the subtle ways the game allows you to put your own stamp on the world of Salsglade by giving you so many customization options. From the look and composition of your train to the full makeup of how your character looks this game has a lot of little details you can make to suit your tastes.
The different activities within the game feel fresh and don’t feel monotonous in a boring way but in a comforting way.
Though this game has a lot of good in the gameplay I do want to address some of the areas that I thought were lacking. The first one being how the storage isn’t very customizable. You get six slots and you are unable to really rearrange anything. This can become cumbersome. While it’s not a huge set back it can be a bit annoying at times due to needing room for tools and different items while playing.
Really the only thing you HAVE to do is the main story quest. You can’t progress and get your tools if you don’t do this but other than that the rest of the world is free game
Also, when it comes to the quests I did get a bit confused as I would often miss returning to NPCs to finish quests. This can become a problem as NPCs are often in different areas and you do have to take a train to get to and from different places just o speak to certain people.
At the end of the day though these issues are small ones and don’t necessarily take away from the overall fun of the game.
Much of the world of Locomoto is a comfort from the comfy character designs to the soothing lo fi music that often plays in the background. The many little tasks that you can do are not necessarily mandatory and are technically optional.
Who Would Like This Game?
Those who are fans of soothing cozy games, world exploration, and of course trains will love this game.
This concept is a unique one that the developers of Locomoto have done exceedingly well with many tasks to complete, NPCs to meet, and wholesome vibes to enjoy.
Locomoto takes the open world aspect of many RPG games and positions it on a more low stakes scale to make it easier for players to know the map.
It’s also an easy enough game to play so if you’re new to playing games this would be a relatively good one to pick up.
Who Wouldn’t Like This Game?
In saying that, those who want more things to do when gaming or prefer a linear play style might not enjoy this game. While the game is fun there isn’t as much of a hard core objective that you have to complete in order to beat the game.
The play style of Locomoto is very relaxed and is one best enjoyed on a more easy going pace. If this is not something your interested in then you may have a hard time with this game.
In the same vain, those who want a lot to do in their gaming sessions might find some lack within this game. This is not to say that Locomoto is lacking in things to do but if you’re a gamer who prefers to min max or wants a lot of different tasks or open world content on a grander scale then this may not be the game for you.
Pros
- Cozy and encouraging storyline
- Interactive gameplay
- Wholesome NPCs
- Low stakes gameplay
- You can customize your own train
Cons
- Some players might struggle with the non-linear play style
- Non customizable storage and cumbersome quest completion may be an issue for some players.
This article gave you all the information you need to know if you should play Locomoto. If you enjoyed this post then check out the related links below for even more content you’ll love.
Ready to start your train driving adventure? You snag Locomoto here on Steam.