Citizen Sleeper is a unique Adventure-RPG. It has a fascinating story and a fascinating setting. I enjoyed exploring this world.
The game has simplistic gameplay and graphics. You learn about the world you find yourself in through your character. Exploring the game’s world and following the story are what get you through it.
While you’re confined to a space station, it feels like there is a vast universe waiting to be explored. It is a dark look at a possible future that reminds me of Battle Angel Alita or other dystopian stories.
TLDR: A Simple Game with a Wonderful Story.
Narrative
Citizen Sleeper has one of the bests concepts for a story I’ve seen in a while. Your character is an artificial being that has had the memories of a real person put into it. At the beginning of the game, it is explained that your character has escaped from a corporate ship and ended up on a space station.
Over the course of the game, you learn more about the world that your character has woken up into. It is also revealed that someone is hunting for you. After all, you did technically steal the property of the corporation.
You learn more about the world around you by talking to different people. Each character has its own story and reasons for being on the station. By helping them complete various tasks, you unlock more of the station.
You also need to figure out how to stay alive on this station. The three things that you need are food, money, and the injections that keep your synthetic body from falling apart. In the course of getting these things, more of the story is revealed to you.
This game reminded me of Battle Angel Alita. It is a dark and corrupt world where people are just trying to survive. Instead of approaching this game as a hero who is trying to save the world, you’re just trying to survive.
Gameplay
At the start of the game, you pick between three classes. Each of them presents different strengths and weaknesses. It is an excellent way to introduce some replay value into the game.
It uses a simple turn-based system where a limited number of actions can be performed each turn. You can perform up to five activities each turn. These are displayed as being dice. These dice come in three colors:
- White – 50/50 chance of a positive outcome
- White/Yellow – Less of a chance for a negative outcome
- Yellow – No chance of a negative outcome
The number of dice depends on how healthy you are. If you’re starving or are injured, then you have fewer actions possible on that turn.
There are two maps in the game. Each consist of a series of locations that you can visit. Some must be visited to advance the story or unlock a side quest.
The main map is of the station, known as the Eye. This place has a mythology that is slowly given to the player as the game progresses. As you move from location to location, you learn more about the story, earn money, or deliver quest items.
The other map is a digital representation of the Eye. It operates the same, but the locations are access points where you can gather information on one of the many factions that occupy the station.
The gameplay feels like a text adventure with a few RPG elements. It is a different type of RPG that I usually avoid, but the story is what pulled me into the game.
You game skill points that can be spent to improve your character. It feels like an overly simplified version of Disco Elysium’s skill tree. I wouldn’t say I liked it all that much, and it feels unnecessary.
Visuals
We’re really talking about the character art here. The station and overworld graphics aren’t anything to write home about. They get the job done, but the character art is wonderful.
The graphics on the map get the job done. I wasn’t blown away by the visuals on either of the maps. The digital map is fine for what it is. You’re looking at a black-and-white screen with a series of dots. It is okay, but nothing remarkable.
The pictures of the different characters and the player’s character do a lot to paint a picture of this universe in which you’ve found yourself. From those pictures, this is a cyberpunk world where cybernetic body modification seems to be the norm.
The characters also paint a world of people doing whatever they can to survive. By having descriptions of what your character is seeing, it encourages you to come up with your view of the world.
It reminds me of what a horror director once said in an interview. You can scare someone by letting them use their imagination. What they put on the screen can’t match the horror a person creates in their head.
9/10. Citizen Sleeper has a wonderful story that keeps you engaged. It has a brilliant setting, and it makes me want to know more about this world and experience more stories about this place.
Pros
- Great Story
- Interesting gameplay
- Easy to get into
Cons
- A boring world map
- Hard to make money
- Leveling system isn’t all that necessary
Conclusion
Citizen Sleeper gives you a narrow view of a dark universe reminiscent of Battle Angel Alita and other dystopian future stories. While your character is a part of this world, it feels like there is much more to it, and you’re just an insignificant part of it.
The player can get wrapped up in the story by keeping the gameplay simple. It is a fascinating setting for a game like this. Every day is a struggle for the people on the Eye, and playing this game feels the same for your character.
The developers do a spectacular job of making an exciting game with good gameplay. The story is what carries you through this as you try to survive.