Parents' Guide to Cloudpunk

This adventure is a delight -- for the most part -- as it's a refreshing fusion between a flying car simulation in a futuristic city and story-based adventure game. While not flawless, Cloudpunk is a fun, affordable title that's unlike other games you've played. Many of the missions are tied to delivering parcels from A to B, but in doing so, you'll meet a cast of characters and uncover more of the overreaching storyline. You'll no doubt grow fond of some of the more recurring characters, like Control, who's like your dispatcher that helps you learn the ropes of this new city. You've also got your A.I. dog companion to keep you entertained during jobs. Other characters will come and go throughout this 8- to 10-hour or so adventure. Often, Rania will be confronted with a choice that doesn't have a clear "right" or "wrong" answer, and it's fun to weigh the moral and ethical implications for these, but it doesn't seem to change the story at all (while ambitious, it would be better if it did affect Rania's path).

Controlling your flying cars is fun after you learn to smoothly ascend and descend, adjust speed, take corners, and park before going on-foot. The driving experience is fun and visually engaging with this electric city with huge video billboards, sprawling skyscrapers and mix of traffic to navigate through (similar to Blade Runner). There are some issues with slowdown and the occasional crash, but it's stable for the most part. But Rania on foot isn't as gratifying because of the camera angles that shift depending on your location and can obstruct your view. While Cloudpunk has its various issues, it's notworthy to have games that aren't just different -- in this case, a mash-up between adventure game mechanics with driving as a courier -- but mostly works well. Plus, it successfully folds in a dark sci-fi cyberpunk theme and attractive visuals with interesting characters.