Cloudbuilt Reviews
Cloudbuilt's platforming-as-time-trial-racing premise puts Sonic to shame, but its visual design detracts rather than supports it.
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 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.
For a certain crowd of challenge gamers and speedrunners, this is your new devotion. You'll laugh and cry and swear and, I hope, create works of beauty through world records and live runs. For the rest of us, you'll need to judge whether the incredible style, absolutely extraordinary soundtrack and stellar highs are worth the lows that will make you want to snap your keyboard in half.
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.
A precise, highly challenging parkour platformer with a heavy emphasis on replaying stages and somewhat unfortunate fascination with projectiles.
Cloudbuilt is a pretty game with a strong incentive to replay. If your primary interest is in a story, it's probably not for you. If you're more intrigued by jetpacks, rocket boosts, wall-running and the thrill of flying off a ramp as you make your way to levels end as fast as you ruddy well can, Cloudbuilt is heartily recommended.
Cloudbuilt is fun once you get the hang of things. A good challenge for those that do not frustrate easily.
It's hard not to recommend Cloudbuilt between it's innovative take on a third-person action adventure platforming game and it's easy price tag. It's also very easy to see that this is Coilworks first game as it lacks a layer of polish, but it's a valiant effort and I am personally excited to see what they do next. While most won't find much replay value once they beat the game those who come to master Cloudbuilt will certainly keep the community alive through ghosts and challenges.
It's very smooth and nice to look at, but loading times are quite long and made the wait for constant death quite boring. It seems unable to decide whether it is a parkour game or a third-person shooter, and that hampers what could be a much better game had it decided between the two.
First-person games are often dominated by a theme of shooting, but Cloudbuilt is one of the few games to place a low emphasis on combat. The game would work perfectly well without any confrontation and it is possible to complete the majority of it as a pacifist. Cloudbuilt's strengths lie in its amazing platforming elements, which are in abundance throughout the game. Whether it is running along walls, boost jumping between platforms or scaling high walls, the game creates a rush of adrenaline that makes it one of the most enjoyable experiences available.
Despite being a wonderful mix of eclectic and refreshing ideas, Cloudbuilt's difficulty relegates it as a hard sell to all but the most dedicated speedrunners and challenge gamers. It's most definitely a game where fun has to be earned and there are no cinematics to make the average gamer feel empowered. Instead, prepare to fall off the edge of the world over and over until you finally develop the skill to enjoy this game for what it is.
When I fall, I flail wildly, smashing buttons in an attempt to boost or double jump back to a safe platform. The protagonist cries out in frustration before giving up, and I can't help but empathize.
Despite cribbing notes from a number of gaming vets, Cloudbuilt manages to be its own beast. Its debut effort is a love letter to fans of all things stylish, those of us who live for perfect ranks, achievements, and the top of the leaderboards.
Brilliant and brutal, breathtaking and exacting, Cloudbuilt lights a rocket underneath traditional platformers. Exceptional level design, stunning visuals and a lofty skill ceiling make for an impressive debut, though its ferocious difficulty takes no prisoners.
The game is very interesting and can be extremely fun for those players who have a knack for quickly determining paths through levels and then quickly using the arsenal of moves provided to get to the finish point.