Citizens of Earth Reviews
Nevertheless, Citizens of Earth succeeds in rediscovering something of the ingenuity of 1990s JRPGs in its playful twists on genre cliches. And as a kooky and inventive contemporary re-imagining of the Super Nintendo-era role-player, this, like its protagonist's campaign, is but a near miss.
Citizens of Earth is a quirky game with its heart in the right place and its head in the clouds.
Humorous and fun, but a bit mundane at times. Retro RPG fans will find a lot to like
Citizens of Earth wins hearts and minds, but still loses in a few key states.
Citizens of Earth is rooted in the past but still forward-thinking
If Earthbound is a Japanese interpretation of Americana as seen through a filter of sitcoms, b-movies and news reels, then Citizens of Earth offers a Canadian take on the country we see through The Daily Show and the front page of Reddit. But where Shigesato Itoi displays deep fondness for his source material, Eden Industries is clearly more attached to the games that inspired them than they are to their game's setting.
One for the cult history books - an imperfect classic that fits into a very welcome little niche on the eShop.
Citizens of Earth is a charming drag.
Citizens of Earth is a quirky JRPG with a sense of humour that loves to make fun of American stereotypes. Destined for cult status.
Citizens of Earth feels like a game that's meant to be played with a walkthrough guide nearby, which is also reminiscent of a classic RPG-adventure experience, but not one that is necessarily enjoyable all the time. That being said, Citizens of Earth does provide an fun retro experience. It just has trouble keeping things interesting during the long trip around the world.
It looks like EarthBound, and to a degree it plays like EarthBound, but this has none of the charm or character of the SNES classic – and considerably worse combat.
Despite some poor design choices and a few bugs, Citizens of Earth is still an enjoyable game that will appeal to turn-based RPG fans who like quirky humor. It's just too bad that there's such a strong focus on keeping players busy rather than interested.
However, there's still a somewhat decent game beneath the frustrating amalgam of boring, grinding gameplay and bizarre design decisions. There's a lot of potential behind the scenes that could be reworked into a much more satisfying experience. As-is, Citizens of Earth is at best a semi-mediocre journey with lots of quests to complete. Alas, it seems that while it tried its best to do so, it just couldn't quite grasp EarthBound's true form.
Citizens of Earth tries to be too funny for its own good, and often feels like one long joke about politicians. Fortunately, the gameplay, in all of its nostalgic glory, is fun and charming. There are moments where it treads a little too closely to its inspirations, but this at least results in great art, a fun soundtrack, and some compelling combat. And while it fails to hit the standard set by the classics that it's attempting to imitate, it should still get your vote if you're a fan of old-school RPGs like EarthBound.
Citizens of Earth can be looked at as a love letter and an inspiration to roleplaying games of the past. It's unique enough in its core premise and gameplay additions that I can't see many long time RPG fans not highly enjoying this. If you're looking for a title with both style and substance and a hint of nostalgia, Citizens of Earth is your next RPG purchase. I had a smile on my face every time I played this.
It delivers on everything it promises, and I'm still not having fun.
Throughout my playthrough of Citizens of Earth, I was continually enthralled by all the ideas that went into creating the title. I fell in love with the characters, dialogue, and world. The battle system, meanwhile, captivated me, as it was so perfectly orchestrated. In theory, Citizens of Earth should have been an amazing game, and to a certain extent the game accomplished everything it set out to complete. Unfortunately, however, a few technical errors, along with a few design errors, turned what could have been an amazing experience into one that did not live up to its full potential.
Citizens of Earth is available on PC, PS4, PS Vita, WiiU, and 3DS. There's even a discount if you buy it during the first week of release on any platform.
Overall, Citizens of Earth is a game that has solid underpinnings, though it could also use some extra polish. Folks who prefer more modern titles with all the 3D fixin's will likely pass on this. If you like games that don't take themselves too seriously and also have an old-school flair, however, this'll be worth checking out, especially given it's affordable price.
I was excited for Citizens of Earth, and I marked it down as the first 2015 release I wanted to sink my teeth into. What I bit off left a bad taste in my mouth.