Before We Leave promises to be “gentle” and “relaxing” city-building game, and it is until you reach its game-breaking bugs. I guess you can’t expect the post-apocalypse to be all fun all the time.
Before We Leave
Balancing Monkey Games · May 13, 2021
About
Rediscover what was lost and nurture your reborn civilisation in Before We Leave, a city building game set in a cozy corner of the universe. Grow, gather and manage resources to help your settlements thrive, and share goods between the hexagonal lands and planets around you. Relax and expand the fabric of your growing societies and create a solar system of happy planets at your own pace. Not everything will go your way, though - use your wits and research solutions to overcome the challenges that your ancestors once faced.
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Critic reviews
- Before We Leave is an extremely pleasant city-builder that gets caught up in its interface and ambitious scope. It is a combination of having limited real estate to display a lot of information, and then picking all the wrong information to show in that space. When you’re not wrestling with it, the actual moment-to-moment gameplay is very satisfying. It looks sharp and sounds fantastic. There are some hurdles to make it over, but it is hard to deny the underlying charm of Before We Leave.
- 7.8You can even play Before We Leave without any threats at all, making it a very chill experience that’s focused entirely on puttering around and building. Without combat or threats, however, Before We Leave is forced to really lean into its aesthetic and mechanics. The result is a little vanilla and a bit repetitive over the long term. It’s a bit like decaf coffee. It’ll do, but you’re gonna miss the kick.
- Before We Leave is as enjoyable on your Xbox as it is on PC, and if you have Game Pass, and are in the mood for something accessible, you might as well give it a try. It’s probably not a game that you will visit often though, but for a different game experience than most, it’s quite nice. The graphics are nice to look at, the sound is cool, and while the game lacks challenging gameplay, it does give you stuff to do that’s cool for a playthrough or two.
- 7.5Overall Before We Leave is somewhat of a middle-of-the-road city builder with some lovely concepts and a relaxing vibe. It doesn’t nail everything it tries, but overall it’s an enjoyable experience. The non-combat approach could’ve been executed better at times, with more challenges thrown at the player.
- I had a wonderfully pleasant time playing Before We Leave. While consoles may never be ideal for simulation titles, if I’m going to check one out with a controller, this is exactly the version I’m looking for. A few performance issues and a lack of variety may make this a game to be enjoyed briefly, but the cozy vibe it gives off feels just right.
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