CLID THE SNAIL : Preview
First of all, a big shout out and thanks to Weird Beluga Studio and Koch Media! I’ve been lucky enough to try out a brand-new title coming as a timed exclusive to PS4/ PS5 shortly and PC later this year!
Weird Beluga Studio won the local Playstation Talents Awards
in their native Madrid, Spain taking home the Best Game 2019 & Best Art
2019 awards. The Playstation Talents Awards help local indie developers build
and release titles on the Playstation family of consoles. Weird Beluga Studios was
founded in 2019 by five mates from college That are ready to show off their new
title Clid the Snail.
Onto the game itself.
Clid the Snail is a top down, twin stick shooter. You take control of Clid, a gruff loner of sorts who is only looking forward to his next drink. Not really fitting in anywhere you set off / get exiled from your home “The Snail Citadel” on your adventure.
Clid the Snail is set in a world devoid of humans. We are
long gone with only the remnants of civilisation left behind. Clid is no ordinary
snail either. Clid has humanoid features, a good mastery of many different
types of weapons and an interchangeable shell full of explodey goodness! The
world is littered with relics of the past. Clid although powerful and running
around on two legs is still only as big as a snail. The world helps you realise
this from the pieces of the past laying around. Running past a discarded
lighter or over a guitar to crawling inside the skull and ribs of a fallen “giant”
the scale of the world that you are fighting in makes itself well know.
Clid is joined on his quest by the ever-talkative Belu, a small firefly that will help you through your journey and from what I have played so far there seems to be a bit of an odd couple relationship forming. When trying to get to your next watering hole you meet up with some fellow outcasts called Alastor. They are all fellow outcasts from their respective tribes and each have different personalities and traits that I am sure we will find out more about as we go on.
I was lucky enough to get a hands-on preview of an early
build on the PC and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. Luckily the build
gave me a bit of an OP Clid so early on in the game and be sure I was kicking
butt. Straight away you get an insight into Clid’s personality. I called it
gruff earlier in this piece but it is a little more than that. Clid is borderline
a bit of a jerk, not in an overly bad way just different, more I am gonna do me
and not worry what others think kind of way. As soon as you leave the Snail
Citadel you are thrust into a vibrant world. I could go into what the overall
of the game is about and I will but I need to fill you in on something first…
Clid was exiled from the citadel and you know where he was
heading? To the next pub… a snail after my own heart.
The world around Clid is a dangerous place, full of enemies
wanting to get in your way and stop you from your first quest. The gunplay here
is on point. I have played a lot of twin stick shooters and this feels up there
with the best of them. Controls are direct and responsive and fell very
intuitive. I like that it is not all about run and gun also. You need to be
aware of your surroundings and also position within the map using the terrain
to your advantage. It’s not all about shooting either with mini puzzles through
that reward you for exploration and you can use your guns to set off traps or
open ways around battles.
Enemies are varied and each posses some good weapons to take you down. The premise of the story is the slugs are trying to take over the world. Destroying citadels of different tribes and causing grief. We were given a little more of an insight of the story but it wasn’t part of this preview section. Some of the creatures you come up against are obviously slugs, flys, these worm things out of the ground and a host of others that present themselves throughout the game.
Visually Weird Beluga have outdone themselves here. Clid the Snails’ world is exceptionally detailed. Everyday human items are scattered around and used to enhance the scale that you really are just a snail in this big ol world. I was very impressed with the lighting elements too. Even though Clid has followed this trend of over saturation in lighting and particle effects it does work and looks good, can be a little over the top at times but like I said, this is an early build.
Overall, I have enjoyed my time with Clid the Snail and while not usually a game I would pick up it is now in my must have list. I want to know where the story goes, how does the relationship with Belu grow and what does this ensemble of weird and wonderful characters bring to the table?
Reviewed: Patrick Clifford (Snoogs)
Platform: PC
Release date: TBA
(EDIT: There is supposed to be about 15 mins of gameplay to
go along with this but due to a HDD crash I have lost everything. I will be
capturing more if possible and will add in soon)