Clid the Snail Reviews
Weird Beluga attempted to merge two distinct genres of game with Clid the Snail: top-down shooter and narrative. Although they succeeded on the worldbuilding and narrative front, the gunplay feels unforgiving, repetitive, and frustrating. I can't sleight them for trying something new, as I generally enjoyed Clid's grimy world, but I really did want more. I can't wait to see where Weird Beluga go, as Clid is a good start for hopefully something better in the future.
Clid the Snail is a lot of really interesting ideas executed in a way that feels really rough around the edges. It's almost there in many ways, but some quality of life issues and design choices hold back the unique concept. Its brilliant art and character design is masked by some hazy aesthetic choices. Its "methodical" combat often ends up more cumbersome and overwhelming than tactical. An interesting story, world, and mystery, however, helped to keep my interest despite these issues. If you love taking a chance on weird ideas-and that key art of Clid with his gun caught your attention-it's worth experiencing Clid's world, but be prepared for a number of speedbumps along the way.
At the end of the day, Clid the Snail is a fun but flawed first effort for Weird Beluga. I enjoyed the game’s more deliberate approach to its gunplay, and the weapon variety and shell customization options kept the action feeling fresh. Add to that some excellent puzzles and fantastic worldbuilding, and there’s no denying that there’s a lot to love here. That’s why it’s such a shame that things become so frustrating due to the developer’s artistic choices. After all, it’s hard to focus on a firefight when it looks like half of the screen has been slathered in vaseline. Perhaps the developer will add a patch down the road to remedy the muddy visuals. And if they do, Clid the Snail will be a much more playable experience. As for me, I’d probably wait and see if they clean things up before taking the plunge. However, if those issues aren’t enough to dissuade you, escargot ahead and give Clid a shot.
Overall, Clid the Snail is a beautiful game with tons of personality and a world that begs to be explored, but the combat and gameplay is so frustrating that it makes doing so a huge a chore. The good news is that it only takes a patch or two to fix the weapon damage and rolling issues if they're viewed by many as a source of frustration rather than challenging, fair combat. While it's not the best experience right now, players should absolutely follow its post-launch development, because Clid the Snail oozes, like so many of its menagerie, with the kind of potential that could make it an excellent entry into its genre with some meaningful tweaks.
Snails may be soft and slimy, but Clid is one tough mollusk. With an engaging narrative brimming with unexpected twists, Clid The Snail successfully delivers a mayhem-filled adventure and tells a story where you can clearly see the character’s development and motivation. Unfortunately, the core gameplay mechanics contain questionable design choices with the unnatural difficulty curve and lack of I-frames, making the game more frustrating than fun.
There’s a lot to like about Clid the Snail. To say this is from a small team, the worldbuilding and ingenuity is second to none. But while ‘unforgiving’ may have been the developer’s intention, the game’s boss encounters are far too frustrating to be enjoyable. With a bit more balancing to Clid and his armoury, this will be a must-play twin-stick shooter. Until then, only those with patience as hard as Clid’s shell will be able to truly enjoy what’s on offer here.
Clid The Snail is a charming indie game with characters that you can easily grow to love just by spending time with them, and a narrative that is entertaining and consistent all the way through till the end. However, its gameplay issues and the clash of two very different vibes pull you out of those fun moments constantly, and you're left reminded of all the game's shortcomings all over again.
Clid The Snail has been a real surprise for me. It is impossible to overlook the incredible work that Weird Beluga Studio has done, the care and dedication they have put into every aspect of the game. They have built a very beautiful and detailed world, despite the fact that we spend 90% of the time shooting and looking at enemies. The story features original characters and dialogue that will bring a smile to our faces. And the gameplay is diabolical: I haven't had this much fun shooting things since 2016's DOOM and I haven't felt so on the ropes since Dark Souls and Bloodborne.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Even if playing as a bipedal snail with a laser gun is different from anything else I’ve played, I can’t say I was having the time of my life with it.
Clid the Snail somehow manages to shoulder a cumbersome load of gameplay issues; opting to carry your attention with a unique cast of characters that tell an interesting story within a world that commands your interest.
Clid the Snail is a twin-stick shooter set in a fascinating, well-realized world that trips over its own flaws and uneven pacing.
Clid The Snail is the first great bet of Weird Beluga Studio, a Madrid studio that has won the award for best art and best game in the fourth Playstation Talents contest and after trying it it is no wonder.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Clid the Snail is a twin-stick shooter that's radula-deep in mediocrity. The slimy graphics and sluggish combat keep its decent story and characters from thriving outside of its shell.
Unfortunately, the promising Clid The Snail fails to fully reach its potential and turns out to be a rather average game, held back by inexperience and, probably, the team's budget. Despite this, it's a great starting point for what we hope will be a long and prolific career for Weird Beluga.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Clid the Snail is a passable twin-stick shooter with plenty of basic plot to keep you on your slimy path. But it is very rough round the edges. Simplistic combat, dated level design and a grimdark colour palette make it a little hard to see, let alone care what’s going on.
Clid the Snail is an original adventure in a deep dark distopic world. The narrative part is really nice that combines perfectly with the mindful combat. Belu, the firefly, always be with Clid into the many adventures that we can enojoy, that works great. If you like original indie games, with a new world really good created, you can't miss Clid the Snail.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, Clid The Snail was a pleasant surprise for its combat, story and world building. The visuals end up to hinder the gameplay at times and some systems limitations can end up bringing unnecessary frustration. However, it's a title that I recommend for those who like a good action game with a slower pace and I really hope to see more from the developers and this world from now on.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Clid the Snail is a very appreciable twin-stick shooter from an artistic point of view, but which proves not to have an equally solid gameplay due to some game design choices that enlight the inexperience of the Spanish developers of Weird Beluga.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In the end, I am a fan of where Weird Beluga aimed but not as much as where they landed. While the world that Clid resides in is full and realized, its characters unique, its level design excellent, and its overall tone unexpectedly great, the gameplay itself, not plague fuelled slugs, seems to be the biggest deterrent Clid needs to overcome. No matter how Weird Beluga wants to tackle this, whether it be leave it as it is or patch it, they still stand as very innovative and exciting developers. As for the gamer, if you think I’m just weak and you can do better managing the punishing level of gameplay, you should definitely pick this up. Otherwise, maybe see what they do moving forward before you dive into this strange and unique foray into gaming.
Clid the Snail has an interesting concept, and that’s a fact. I don’t think there will ever be another game where you play as an anthropomorphic gun toting snail in a post-apocalyptic world. However, the poor, overly difficult combat and the muted environments keep Clid from achieving anything notable. Even hardcore fans of twin-stick shooters would be better off passing on this title.