*The Geek Getaway received a Steam review code of Ciel Fledge
I briefly talked about Ciel Fledge
before, but now that I had the chance to take the game for a spin I have a lot more to say about it. First off, let's get the basics out of the way. Ciel Fledge was developed by Indonesian developer Studio Namaapa and is being published by PQube. After having the release date being pushed back the game is set to release on February 21st, 2020 for Nintendo Switch and PC via
Steam.
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| You get to choose from several backgrounds for your player character |
At the start of Ciel Fledge you are forcibly thrust into the position of caretaker for the young girl Ciel by the government. This is due to Ciel having no parents and you having no kids. Before being left alone with Ciel, you have to fill out a government form. This is the in game reason you are allowed to choose the details of your own birth and well as what kind of job you do. These choices affect how Ciel develops and can make the game a lot harder, or easier, due to the bonuses and penalties each choice gives you. After you finish creating your own character you start raising Ciel as you see fit. This includes deciding her weekly schedule, how you treat her, how much and what you feed her, as well as with whom she spends her free time. There are several other bits of minutia that you can control, but those are the most important.
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| Choose Ciel's wardrobe wisely, each item offers different bonuses |
The gameplay loop in Ciel Fledge is comprised of you creating a weekly schedule for Ciel, Ciel running through said schedule, and you receiving a weekly progress update. During the week Ciel can run into different characters, engage in quiz fights, battles, and activate cut scenes. Eventually the world opens up a bit, but due to the embargo agreement I can't speak about things further into the game.
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| During the week Ciel can socialize with random characters |
Ciel Fledge starts off very slow, you are bombarded with a lot of information and tutorials after getting started. This wouldn't be a big deal if not for the fact that the tutorials that move at a snail's pace. Additionally, the tutorial about combat is broken up into 3 separate tutorials instead of being one. This means you have to read the same basics before getting to the slight difference in each type of battle. This leads to a very boring experience and could turn away potential players after less than an hour of gameplay.
The art in Ciel Fledge is a mixed bag. The full body art used in cutscenes and various other sections is well done and have an anime feel to it. The chibi like art used during battle and Ciel going around town look weird. Older gamers like myself will get a 80's
Little People toys vibe. The backgrounds are pretty detailed and look really good. It's a shame the simple chibi like art is used against such good looking backgrounds as it makes the simple art look worse. The sounds and music in Ciel Fledge are good, but nothing truly memorable. The best thing I can say is none of them will get on your nerves or make you want to lower the volume.
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| Ciel is like an animated paper doll |
If you're not into games like Princess Maker or Football Manager, then Ciel Fledge will not be the game for you. However, if you are into those type of games, then there is plenty to love about Ciel Fledge. With so many different ways to raise Ciel, combined with the different choices for your background, there is plenty of replayability here. The story, which I didn't really touch on here due to the embargo, is pretty entertaining and is intriguing enough to keep you playing. I truly look forward to playing the full, completed version of the game. As it stands right now, Ciel Fledge isn't a game for everyone but for those whom it is a game for, it is something pretty special.
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