A Guide To The End Of The World
There is always something about the future that scares the life out of us. I don’t blame anyone for feeling that way, because if stories from films and games are anything to go by, that future is not going to be pretty. Usually, either robots have killed us all and turned us into batteries, or everything has been completely destroyed by war and the world is now run by apes and vampires.
So, the idea of a “Cozy Apocalypse Survival” game is a bit of an oxymoron to me. But this is exactly what I Am Future hopes to be. So, let’s make a cup of cocoa and enjoy the end of the world as we know it.
Rebuilding Humanity
For fans of games like Stardew Valley, this story puts you in the shoes of either a red-headed man or woman who wakes up on the roof of a large building. You soon find out that the rest of the world is flooded, and you seem to be the only one left standing. There are the remnants of some kind of homestead on the roof, and there is a talking fridge who tells you about how the world got here… but from a fridge’s point of view. It is up to you to start slowly building the world back up and discovering the secrets it holds.
I liked the setup of I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival; it was great discovering bits of the story and piecing together what happened to the world as progress was made. You meet all sorts of mechanical characters, which opens up more answers and more areas beyond your rooftop. At one point, you can even send drones out for expeditions to find other bits of the drowned world, such as a submerged aeroplane containing a celebrity from the past.
The Rooftop Renovation Loop
The main draw of the game comes in the title, with ‘cozy’ and ‘survival’ being the keywords. You can adjust your difficulty levels at the start to determine how you want to play, but basically your protagonist needs to eat and rest, but the first thing they need to do is collect and clean items from the rooftop to clear some room. The gameplay loop involves gathering things like wood and plastics to build more items – such as a fireplace and a workbench. But to do what? That’s right: to build even more things.
As you discover more of the rooftop, you get more quests telling you what you need to do, such as to “build a bridge” across the roof. This takes a long time, as you need other items and upgrades to get the materials required. Other quests and demands are much quicker and easier to achieve. Soon enough, you are building a hammer attachment for your arm, as well as a saw and a metal screwdriver, allowing you to get more items and break down additional materials.
Satisfying Disassembly and Robotic Legions
Before long, you are fishing, utilising different bait types, as well as cooking up a variety of recipes over a fire. And there are a couple of well-designed, addictive mechanics that I enjoyed which make I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival stand out from the rest of the games in the genre. You get to dismantle objects like kettles or microwaves, which involves taking them apart in detail, all so you can get to the next element, like the coil. You rotate the object and work out what you need to unscrew next, which is very satisfying.
Another mechanic involves unlocking the ability to get an army of robots to do your bidding – such as going on the aforementioned expeditions, sorting out the crops you are growing, or defending you from evil plants that try to take over the rooftop while you sleep.
Visually, I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival has a lovely aesthetic with a colourful world; even the decay looks good. Plant life fills the environments, both good and bad, making the “end times” not a horrid place to spend some hours. The soundtrack also features a mix of easy-listening, breezy tracks that are ideal for slowly building up the world piece by piece.
Whimsical Charm at the End of Days
At first, as is often the case with these type of games, I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival can feel a bit overwhelming. There are so many jobs to do, you are hungry, and you don’t know how to get food. But very soon, once you have unlocked a bunch of stuff, things become easier. Resources are abundant, and that is when the ‘cozy’ side really kicks in and you can relax.
There is an interesting story full of whimsical charm to enjoy in I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival. Who knew that the end of the world could be so relaxing?
Important Links
I Am Future Takes Cozy Survival To The End Of The World – https://www.thexboxhub.com/i-am-future-takes-cozy-survival-to-the-end-of-the-world/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/i-am-future-cozy-apocalypse-survival/9n8h6cz6bn6b
