Do you know what makes a good game become a great game? When you can’t stop playing! That’s exactly what happened to me with Atomicrops, planted and harvested by Bird Bath Games studios and published by the hand of Raw Fury, it’s a roguelike title with immense action to the mix.
Atomicrops are the mutant offspring of Stardew Valley and a top dow view roguelike such as The Binding of Isaac. A country life simulator, where planting is the soul of the business, but with a twist of walking with a gun in hand to annihilate everything that tries to destroy our plantation.
Like most roguelikes, the story only serves as a backdrop to set the player in his universe. Well, in an area where practically nothing happens, a young man arrives with the promise of his uncle to have left him a farm. As soon as he arrives a large atomic explosion emerges from the horizon, leaving the entire area destroyed and with remnants of nuclear dust. Hence the name Atomicrops, since all the seeds we plant become super animated mutant vegetables.
The main objective is to plant and harvest the vegetables to sell them in the city. Hence the money to buy new weapons, evolve passive skills, and acquire small parts to build a bridge to find new areas. Within this spectrum of weapons and passive skills, there is still a skill that needs time before it is available, and that helps and in what way the player, the tractor. So there are some types of tractors other than the “Wrecker” that destroys all the weeds in its path and that drops seeds and fertilizer. The “Wood Chipper” that reduces enemies in the vicinity of the tractor in fertilizer, or the “Sprinkler” that helps to water the plantation.
Returning to passive skills, as previously indicated, all purchases are made in the city where it will be possible to talk to the different NPC’s who sell these products. The currency of exchange in Atomicrops is the Cashew. However, there is still the possibility of exchanging roses for said passive skills that somehow help the player in his demand as a farmer. This is where the possibility of marrying one of the two characters for this purpose comes in. But how do you get married? What do you gain from that? Rue will join the player in the exploration of new areas, where he helps to attack enemies and leaves some seeds along the way. Borage will take care of the farm and will occasionally leave fertilizer.
This title mixes three important elements, the fact of having to plant to get money, time management, and the way of combat. Regarding time management, during the day it is possible to take care of the plantations, explore the different areas that contain different types of seeds and enemies. When night comes, it is important to return to the farm and protect the plantations, since that is when all enemies decide to attack. Although the most important thing is to stay alive …
There are also different seasons that are separated by three days of play. At the end of each season, there will be a confrontation against that season’s Boss. For example, in the summer it is necessary to defeat a sun, which, however friendly it seems in the first version, the second version of the confrontation will be much more complicated. The confrontation against the Bosses is in fact where the game goes from a simple situation of running and shooting to action and adrenaline high to its maximum exponent! Since it mixes attacks of all types and shapes where it is really necessary to have good reflexes. All enemies have different attack patterns, from huge bullet curtains to onslaught attacks.
The design of everything is just wonderful, the enemies present themselves with a mixture of docile animals, but with attacks and fierce expressions. From rabbits that dominate different firearms to crabs with barrels of toxic waste on their backs.
Atomicrops is a charming title, suitable for those looking for action and many hours of fun.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game for Steam, provided by Raw Fury.]
