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For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Citizens of Earth | Game Review Exploration, turn-based combat and cheesy puns abound in this retro role-playing game Joe Griffin Game Title: Citizens of Earth Publisher: Atlus Reviewed On: Playstation 4 Available on: Nintendo Wii U,PC,Playstation 4,Playstation Vita,Nintendo 3DS Wed, Feb 4, 2015, 15:14 First published: Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 06:00 * * * * If nothing else, Citizens of Earth boasts a fabulous title. Those three words are so evocative, conjuring images of old sci-fi, from The Day the Earth Stood Still to the infamous Orson Welles prank. This role-playing game is retro in other ways too. While it has the aesthetic of American culture of the 1950s, it also resembles old RPG such as 1994’s Earthbound. The story follows the Vice President of the World, who looks like a splice of Conan O’Brien and Mitt Romney. Still living with his mother and hanging out with his teenage brother, the Vice President (who the player gets to name) notices some strange goings on in his local town. It starts with sentient, running java beans, and then escalates to hostile half-phone deer called “telefauns” (who hit you with a “roaming” charge) – and gets weirder from there. Along with the puns and slapstick, it also sometimes tries its hand at modern satire. When entering a hipster café, the game warns that “Guys with beards don’t like being disturbed from their coffee”. Aint that the truth. This is a cute, reasonably funny game, though possibly too genteel for many tastes. Younger RPG fans, accustomed to the pomp of recent Final Fantasies, the game-play of Dragon Age or sweep of Skyrim will be disappointed. But those who enjoy gently exploring, strategic and dense turn-based combat and groan-inducing puns could do far worse. It’s presented nicely, with rudimentary but colourful graphics that look like an Archer comic. The biggest problem is one that’s common to low-fi RPGs – because it’s often a thicket of menus and wandering, it stands or falls on its humour and personality. And while Citizens of Earth is charming, its pacing and humour can’t hold a candle to the likes of Monkey Island or the recent South Park: The Stick of Truth. With nice graphics and effective turn-based combat, Citizens of Earth is a likeable nostalgia trip, but world domination remains beyond its reach. atlus.com/citizensofearth Wed, Feb 4, 2015, 15:14 First published: Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 06:00 * * * * ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4269142|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ga me+Reviews;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT Virtual reality to boost digital games revenues past $100bn Virtual reality to boost digital games revenues past $100bn Oculus Rift, HTC Vive among headsets set to launch early next year Is bitter rivalry driving gamers’ suspicion of episodic games? Is bitter rivalry driving gamers’ suspicion of episodic games? Gaming: The fifth episode of Game of Thrones is about to be released by the king of episodic gaming, Telltale, but, despite the great success of the format, gamers remain divided. But what’s so wrong with going back to your roots, asks Emer Sugrue Galway studio creates 3D-printed Batman replica costume Galway studio creates 3D-printed Batman replica costume Costume created to coincide with release of long-awaited ‘Arkham Knight’ video game ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4269144|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ga me+Reviews;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. 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But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. 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