Citizens of Earth Reviews
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.
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.
As an adventure that does just about everything right in the fun and technical sense, CoE's most valuable triumphs are its sense of humour and accessibility; whether you're politically knowledgeable or oblivious, and if you have a near-romantic relationship with turn-based RPGs, you will risk yawning through a filibuster if it means becoming the Vice President of this world.
Citizens of Earth is a great role-playing experience that manages to evoke the feel of Earthbound and other JRPGs while still doing its own thing. The gameplay is fun, the environments are varied, and the crazy citizens make the whole title feel refreshing. Sure, there are a few quirks here and there, but overall, you can't lose by playing this great title.
Citizens of Earth is rooted in the past but still forward-thinking
Citizens of Earth is a quirky JRPG with a sense of humour that loves to make fun of American stereotypes. Destined for cult status.
One for the cult history books - an imperfect classic that fits into a very welcome little niche on the eShop.
Citizens of Earth is an enjoyable charming retro-inspired RPG with clear inspiration from the SNES classic EarthBound. There are occasional pacing issues, as certain areas seem to be padded with additional areas and enemies. The writing hits the mark throughout, making jokes about the political system and the occasional pop culture reference.
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.
I have to say, I really enjoyed Citizens of Earth. While I wouldn't call it a must own title, I would say it's a game worth playing, if only to see what can be done to revive this old and beloved genre. I'd say it's probably even a bit better on mobile platforms, as it's the type of game where you can have a million quests to do which you slowly wrap up over the course of a bus ride. If you liked old JRPGs and want to see what might be in store for the genre's future, give Citizens of Earth a try.
Humorous and fun, but a bit mundane at times. Retro RPG fans will find a lot to like
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.
Good for the casual gamer. Hell for the collectionists.
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 wins hearts and minds, but still loses in a few key states.
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.
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.
Wrapping American cultural stereotypes and the feckless disposition of politicians around an effigy of Earthbound is an electrifying thesis, but not one that Citizens of Earth quite sees to its potential or conclusion. The ingenuity of its character-based progression systems is stacked against tedious battle mechanics, suspect level design, and demoralizing performance crashes. Citizens of Earth is ultimately a victory, but not without a few conspicuous bruises.
Citizens of Earth isn't always right on point. The humor is spotty and predictable, but the combat system has enough depth to be engaging.
The result is a largely enjoyable but far too shallow experience. With plenty of laughs a minute, a fun battle system, and oodles of old-school charm, Citizens of Earth will delight you for a while - and then simply tire you out. There are too many frustrating hours spent wandering around, too many little bits and pieces that haven't been sorted out properly. With no further depth to it than pure satire, it can be difficult to force yourself through these awkward sections and seek what lies on the other side of them. A little refinement could have gone a long way for Citizens of Earth, but without that extra touch, it's not so much EarthBound as it is grounded.