City of Chains

Looks terrible and boring as hell. Don't even bother.

City of Chains, developed by Astronomic Games and published by New Reality Games, is a dark, choice-driven RPG that takes the familiar structure of an RPG Maker title and pushes it toward a more narrative-focused, consequence-heavy experience. Set in a dystopian sci-fi city defined by control, surveillance, and systemic oppression, it places the player in a world where survival is uncertain and morality is rarely clear-cut. While its mechanical foundation is recognizable, its ambition lies in how it frames decisions and allows player actions to shape the course of the story. The narrative follows Holt Allaway, an engineer imprisoned after refusing to assist in a dangerous government project. His escape from captivity marks the beginning of a journey through a fractured and hostile environment, where alliances are fragile and trust is difficult to earn. Along the way, the player encounters a cast of characters whose fates can shift depending on the choices made. The story places a strong emphasis on consequence, often forcing the player to weigh immediate survival against longer-term outcomes. Rather than presenting clear right or wrong decisions, it leans into ambiguity, allowing …

I was a big fan of Matthew Ashworth's games back in the RPG Maker Forum days, and I kind of dreaded when I saw this game come out. It seemed Ashworth wanted to experiment more with narrative elements, which is fine, but I think this was a step in the wrong direction. Many of the choices are either dumb binary 'mercy/kill' options or gameplay 'decisions' of sneaking around or fighting upfront. Atonement and Incitement were just better games all-around - better visuals, better gameplay and better narrative.

7/10 - A nice little RPG to kill some time.

Получил удовольствие от прохождения. Хороший сюжет, интересные персонажи и ощущение, что каждое решение действительно имеет значение.

eh