Steambot Chronicles opens with a young boy, Vanilla Bean, waking up on a beach unable to remember anything. He soon latches on to the only person around, a young girl named Coriander, who invites him to accompany her and her band on their next tour. Along the way, the two are caught up in a plot involving a group with not so nice plans for the world.
Steambot Chronicles is best described as a kinder, gentler Grand Theft Auto. Both offer open-ended worlds that you can explore on foot or by vehicle. But where Steambot Chronicles differs (aside from the lack of adult themes) is that nearly everything around you evolves based on what you’re doing – including the story. Pivotal story scenes are all told in a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style, giving you a variety of choices for how you would want to answer a particular question. Depending on which option you choose, characters will respond differently and cause the following events to play out just a little differently. These comments will also determine how the rest of the city sees you. If you’re a nice guy, you’ll have a nice-guy reputation. If you’re a jerk, everyone will let you know that.
Mechs, or Trotmobiles, are the main mode of transportation in the world and can be modified in any number of ways by visiting garages. Once in a garage, you can swap out parts and customize your trotmobile’s look as well as changing its functionality. You can attach a flatbed and start a transporting business or increase your passenger load and start a taxi business. You can even add combat modifications and enter the battle arena. The possibilities are nearly endless and assure that there is always something to do.
The number of things you can do extend beyond trotmobile modifications. If you’d like, you can become a street musician, play pool, or even decide to become the town Casanova. Or, if action is more your thing, you can venture into the world and battle bandits. As you complete tasks, you’ll earn new parts, outfits and licenses. It is hard to jump into Steambot Chronicles and not know what to do next. The only downside is that not all of the activities are as easy to get into. Some, especially the music ones, have awkward control mechanics that take some practice to really get into.
