Cloudbuilt
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Cloudbuilt
Cloudbuilt succeeds remarkably in proving that how a game feels and what you do within it can tell stories all on their own. The monologues contextualise the gameplay, and knowing that Demi is pushing through her own recovery maps cleanly onto the difficult jumps, complicated wall-runs and well-placed shots. Cloudbuilt is a game in which you'll die a lot, and that's not an accident. Demi's progress is slow and painful. Yours will be too, but that in itself carries meaning. Sometimes the quiet, narrow victories are the most meaningful.
Cloudbuilt's platforming-as-time-trial-racing premise puts Sonic to shame, but its visual design detracts rather than supports it.
Cloudbuilt should have been an addictive competitive speedrunner, but its imprecise controls and brutal checkpoints mean that only the most patient and dedicated players will press forward in this uniquely frustrating game.
There is so much to love about Cloudbuilt that it's a shame it has a handful of issues that dampen the experience. Freerunning games are few and far between and it's definitely one of the more exciting, skill-based platforming titles out there.
Cloudbuilt is frustrating. It's frustrating to play and frustrating to recommend. I like the style, I like the parkour mechanics overall, but there's a lot of junk to contend with. The antagonistic design (minefields everywhere) is one thing, but the unforgiving checkpoints and limited lives lead to a lot of repetition. Meanwhile, the combat ends up about as unsatisfying as Mirror's Edge, with worse enemies that either absorb too many bullets or deflect them with shields anyway. If you want something that is going to fight you every step of the way as you shave seconds off of run times (and you have a strong pinky finger), this is for you.
Cloudbuilt is in no way a bad game, but it does have its flaws; the worst of which are the controls and difficulty curve. If you can get past those, though, you'll find a fairly decent and fun game in a genre that doesn't see a lot of entries. If speed running is your thing, definitely give this one a shot.
Cloudbuilt is a genre hybridization of a game that works on almost every level, and if you're looking for something new, look no further.
Cloudbuilt is a fantastic platforming game that's simply held back by substandard controls.
