It’s as if money is everything.
Vostok.inc is back on the all new Nintendo Switch, the play anywhere, anytime with anyone gaming system. Many games make collecting money its sole goal. You probably have a phone, and as such have probably played AdVenture Capitalist or games of that ilk. Imagine if those games did not bore you senseless by being solely about forcing you to pay real money for fake money? I know it’s hard to do thanks to the capitalistic nature of our human existence, but give it a try.
That small spark of hope you just conjured is Vostok Inc.
Defining Vostok Inc. into one genre is a difficult task. Part idle clicker, part twin-stick shooter, part 80’s space game; there are plenty of plates which need spinning. Those of you who love your idle phone games may find love in this, as its main strengths are in the shooter and idle clicking aspects. But the game seems to have something for everyone thanks to juggling multiple genres so well.
You are pitted as an unidentifiable individual in the depths of space with one purpose in life: Making money with the help of your 80’s influenced stockbroker. Remember this, as everything you do revolves around this one goal of generating Moolah.
Yes, the money is really called Moolah.
The bulk of you coin generation is through the idle clicking world of making buildings. Fly to a planet in one of several solar systems and build one of several buildings. The more structures you place and the more you upgrade them the more money you’ll make per second. But doing so also increases the cost of placing more buildings. Standard stuff, but made marginally more interesting thanks to enjoyable animations.
While your money is generating you will be off killing anything that flies too close to you. Doing so gains you more money, which is a common theme here so assume everything you do generate you money. The movement and shooting is a bit floaty, but really works well, drawing off games like Geometry Wars and making sure you never feel too comfortable in any fight. Combat happens organically, and you can escape most combat if you feel underprepared. But combat is less about being prepared and more about dodging fire.
There is so much content in this game, it’s difficult to discuss it all. Boss battles are probably the only thing you will really be working towards, although there is an achievement system for you sadists out there. There are races which will require a lot of upgrading to punch through. You can design your own weapons from a variety of different attributes. You can collect executives, which can increase your moolah if you feed and bribe them right.
The game does not hide its desire to keep you playing through a constant small stream of dopamine highs. That should not be something to be ashamed of. But this means that the game still falls somewhat for the idle clicker game cycle. It starts fast and slows down slightly, and there is a high chance of you putting this game down and just not picking it up again because it will be a while before your next moolah milestone.
The Nintendo Switch debut hails a brand new planet, Pluto, not to be confused with Disney’s, Pluto, and in all honesty, there feels like there is more additions to the game, I just can’t put my finger to it, maybe its the play anywhere function, which is awesome, as this game is so addictive.
Vostok Inc. juggles a lot of styles, and manages to pull them all off well just above average. The sum is not always greater than its parts but in this case the sum is much greater. If you find some spare coin, and want a game about making coin back then Vostok Inc. is for you. As a game, it pulls in a solid 8.
Vostok Inc., is available to buy now from the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch for an SRP of £12.99/$14.99/€14.99.
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