Either I delete it or the holidays will come early because this exciting Steam mix is ​​going to be my downfall. This summer’s tapado is called Cataclismo – Cataclismo.

There is no greater gift in the world of video games than to approach a new proposal with a raised eyebrow at 5pm, only to turn to the window five minutes later and realise that night has fallen. I have been living in the same situation for two weeks now Cataclysm and, as happened last year with Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew around the same time, its curious mix once again makes for a great cover this summer.

Valencians Digital Sun They break the mold again after the success of Moonlighter, offering a cocktail of ideas that seem like pastiche on paper and that, when you keep your hand on the keyboard and mouse, end up being the perfect combination for lengthening summer nights. I didn’t think it would be possible to mix RTS with constructions LEGO and tower defense (a genre I enjoy, by the way) could have become a threat to my productivity before the holidays.

A cocktail I can’t wait to drink

But let’s take it one piece at a time, because there are ultimately more mechanics and ideas here than meets the eye, and while I want to finish as soon as possible so I can get back to the game, I think it’s worth stopping to talk properly about what’s behind the Cataclysm. It’s not exactly easy to grasp that there are puzzles of exploration, building structures, and managing units and buildings; and that everything works in unison, like a Swiss watch. So let’s start at the beginning.

Far from being a classic excuse for the opening and closing cinematics, I was surprised by how great not only the weight of the narrative is, but also how well it is executed. In a world shrouded in fog that turns into horror those who dare to enter it, humanity has fled to the highest mountain peaks, from where it fortifies itself to fight the monsters that seek its destruction, trying to conquer the positions of the damned cloud.

And that’s basically what you’ll be doing in every game. Explore the world, commanding small armies of archers and other units in search of resources, use wood, stone, and minerals to build structures that serve as defenses, and thrive in your settlement to keep the wheel turning while you stop the hordes of enemies that besiege you, especially at night.

From this point of view, as a premise, Cataclysm It already looks good enough to be curious. And it was this idea we discussed in the July releases video that prompted me to give it a chance, despite being the opposite of what you would consider a tower defense fan. What I was about to discover was that there was depth to this premise, which was solid enough to be a cool game, that could surprise and engage in equal measure.

Big Surprise Cataclysm

For exploring the environment, moving small groups of troops, clicking around the scene waiting to find out what the fog is hiding, it would probably be enough to have four groups of enemies scattered around, as well as a handful of wood and rocks as a reward.

However, you’ll find that to access them you often have to go a little further, expanding your control over the stage with beacons that allow you to build outside your boundaries and, in a menacing gameplay twist, having to overcome building puzzles to access certain areas.

Nothing too complicated, but a generous and rewarding pastime that, with physics influencing the structure of your constructions, makes you think twice about the need to create a bridge that doesn’t collapse, using the limitations that, due to the space and structure on stage, require a little more effort than simply dropping four stones into the water and calling it a day.

This is the first spark that made me understand what was behind it. Cataclysm This was more than just another tower defense, or another real-time strategy, or another management game. It wasn’t just about building a wall, gathering wood, and training your bomb throwers to automatically deal with the hordes. It was an added freedom that was meant to be both challenging and fun.

Cataclysm is to PC what bicycles are to summer

The structure of the games doesn’t deviate too much from the original formula, neither in the campaign missions, nor in the challenges, nor in the endless mode: here you have a scenario with some ruins waiting to be used. Accept it and start building. And do it fast, because night is coming.

Hand in hand with all the details you could include in a LEGO set about castles waiting to be attacked, building walls that get higher and stronger is the best way to stop the hordes that, remembering less than expected, are billions of them, but following a similar premise, it can destroy your defenses in seconds if you’re not careful.

Fortunately, the game is aware of how much we have to suffer, but also to enjoy, so with the help of a heroine with abilities that gives meaning to the story, we can go back in time to restructure our defenses or even pause the situation at any time to destroy and rebuild where necessary. If, of course, there are no enemies nearby.

With hordes that dictate where they’re going but can easily get out of control, I really appreciate being able to pause the game to build bridges that speed up control of my units, form new passages that can withstand the damage each of them can deal depending on their height, or build structures that buffer their attacks while I queue up new units.

Everything under control? Well, jump right into the night and watch the hordes start to arrive. Or hit the fast-forward time button, because let’s face it, no one wants to see that bar keep growing, waiting to give birth to another archer or build a little house. Oh, right, haven’t we gotten there yet? Yes, there are more houses, and that’s where Cataclysm In the end, he won me over completely.

Cataclysm – Summer 2024 Cover

Those of you who know me already know that there are few genres that make me happier than playing house. Give me Oxygen not Included or Anno 1800 and you’ll hook me like a fucking sick person for hours. But because of the complexity of its economy and the difficulty of combining it with the flexibility and creativity it promises CataclysmI thought I’d find something much simpler here. You can’t be in 20 places at once and do everything well, right?

While it doesn’t go for crazy depth in terms of resource and unit management, Cataclysm It really takes the time to try to bring its own special touch to everything you do, creating the foundation of the walls inside. It also does this by trying to take advantage of everything that the other mechanics imply to create, mince words, incredible synergy between them.

Because to get resources in a remote area, you first have to explore it and clear it of enemies, then you have to build up the appropriate defenses and make it easy for your units to safely deliver their resources to the nearest warehouse. But you can also take advantage of what is made for playing with heights, either by building houses into walls as if they were the hanging houses of Cuenca, or by raising the population above possible dangers, while using the heights to generate oxygen. Why would you want more?

I wouldn’t be surprised if at this point you find yourself as confused as I was when I really realized how deep the rabbit hole went. Cataclysm. A surprising and addictive mix that ended up taking up far more hours of my sleep than I expected, and will no doubt be one of the games I turn to on these summer nights when it’s hot and I just need to switch off. Hopefully, its launch will be just the first stone of a game that can grow even bigger.

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