We, therefore, had the opportunity to test the long, wide and across a certain Floodland. State management game that aims to put you at the head of a community of survivors.
Just like a game like This War of Mine which is a plea against war, Floodland is intended to be a demonstration of what our beautiful planet could look like in the event of total inaction on the part of our governments. In this context, the nickname “blue planet” would then take on its full meaning since the game has as its starting point a series of catastrophic climatic events which lead to the almost total submersion of habitable land. It is in the midst of this drama, expected in reality, that you will have to take the lead of a community of survivors whose objective is to… survive. That blows your mind, huh? Despite the ecological theme of the game and its scenario, the title spares us with the moral lesson to remain playful while making us aware of the current situation. A good starting point and an interesting bias.
The planet is bad
As you can see in the screenshots that dot this test, the artistic direction is impeccable. Floodland offers a fairly unique visual identity for a management game that fits perfectly with the game’s purpose, dark, with heavy hints of blue colours. We should not expect a graphic slap because the independent studio Vile Monarch did not benefit from an unlimited budget. But it remains very honest, the artistry catching up with the technique and making us forget that we are not facing a AAA management game.
An interesting choice system
At the start of the game, Floodland invites us to choose a clan between The Good Neighbors, The Survivors, The Brigade and Berkut-3. Each has its statistical bonuses and its vision of the world, it’s up to you to choose the one that seems the most interesting to you, knowing that the management game requires, replayability is possible and even recommended. The Good Neighbors, for example, are hard-working suburban survivors with traditional American values while The Brigade is a more liberal settlement that values personal growth and freedom above the community. Decisions will need to be made at regular intervals and will need to be kept an eye on to manage your clan’s level of unrest. If your community is upset, this can lead to a strike and in this case, the consequences will be disastrous for your “city”. Knowing that it is possible to welcome another clan to your home and that their desires may come into contradiction with yours, you will have to constantly juggle the desires of each other so as not to sink into chaos. Thus Les Bons Voisins (which we played during this test) which are very respectful of order, will have difficulty in accommodating the needs of individual freedoms of The Brigade. And vice versa. Thus Les Bons Voisins (which we played during this test) which are very respectful of order, will have difficulty in accommodating the needs of individual freedoms of The Brigade. And vice versa. Thus Les Bons Voisins (which we played during this test) which are very respectful of order, will have difficulty in accommodating the needs of individual freedoms of The Brigade. And vice versa.
Action reaction
This is the substance of the title: the game forces you to make difficult decisions that can completely upset the organization of your game. Nothing is easy in Floodlandand you will soon be able to find out. This is what makes the main difference with a more classic management game. For the rest, we find traditional management of resources, namely food and water, by recovering berries, fish and seawater that we will have to treat and desalinate. The flooded lands then become a vast playground and you will once again have to adapt so that your population can survive. Nothing is unlimited (except water) and if you harvest all the berries in an area, you will have to find others. A little nod to reality to remind us that resources are not inexhaustible and that we must constantly find new ways of exploiting food.
Despite the limited resources, we must constantly take care of the population. Both for housing and to meet basic needs. A technology tree also makes it possible to improve things little by little and very gradually. It allows you to find a tree of survival, development, exploration and comfort. Its use is essential for the well-being of your tribe and to hope to be able to meet the needs of everyone.
Freedom my love
In the same vein, food poisoning can occur when eating certain “polluted” fish. It will therefore be necessary to find the right technology to solve the problem. So the game, like Frostpunk, is based on an action-reaction system in which we must constantly adapt to events. We cannot say that Floodland leaves us a lot of freedom. If that’s what you’re looking for in a “city builder” then this is not the right door. You have to agree to let yourself be carried away by the incessant flow of events that will upset your plans. In the black spots, we will note that when a game drags on a bit, interface problems begin to appear with the impossibility of having all the data on the screen and making everything unpleasant to use. .
REVIEW : Lords and Villeins (PC)
