Steambot Chronicles

Plot

Steambot Chronicles begins with a personality quiz, answers to these questions affecting the personality of the character and how others will react towards him. Afterwards, a young male named Vanilla awakes on the shore of Seagull Beach, a seemingly cheerful girl named Coriander (shortened Connie) beside him, and currently suffers from amnesia due to a shipwreck nearby that occurred before the events of the game. The player learns that Connie is picking herbs for her bed-ridden mother, Rosemary, who lives in Nefroburg, and after this, Vanilla spots a vehicle on a nearby cliff that shoots a long range cannon, trapping the two in Seagull Beach. It is inferred that Coriander (Connie) is using the herbs as medicine for her mother.

Connie must get home to Nefroburg on the last bus, but cannot because of the fallen boulder blocking her path. They go to a nearby cottage that, the player finds out, holds bad memories for Connie, evidence of this being her in a picture with two unknown figures. The two stumble upon an old run-down Trotmobile resembling a bipedal automobile, which they use to leave from Seagull Beach. Connie discovers that the bus already left minutes ago, and offers Vanilla a request to take her to Nefroburg (no matter what decision the player chooses, Connie will come with Vanilla).

On the trip, the two encounter a hoodlum from a gang known as the "Killer Elephants", who challenges Vanilla to a duel. Whatever option is chosen (standing up for Connie, offering Connie to the gangster or bribery), Vanilla will still battle the gangster. After defeating him, the two encounter Marjoram, one of the members of the Garland Globetrotters (a band in which Connie is the lead singer), who lives in a plateau; Vanilla will have to find Basil, another member of the band, and take him back to Marjoram and Connie.

The four later head back to Nefroburg. On the way, they encounter a humongous quadruped mechanical fortress (operated by the "Killer Elephants"), and Vanilla must destroy it before they officially head to Nefroburg, where they encounter yet another member (Fennel, who is suspected of firing the bazooka as Connie and Vanilla have a conversation). After attending a concert at night, the player may choose to change the plot and Vanilla himself.

Characters

Additional voice actors in the game include (only in English version as it is officially unknown who voiced in Japan), Liam O'Brien, Johnny Yong Bosch, Lisa Ortiz, Greg Ayres, Hillary Haag, Trina Nishimura and Mona Marshall.

Trotmobiles

The mechs, or "Trotmobiles" as they are called in the game (Trot Vehicles in the original), encompass most of the gameplay. They are introduced before the player gets to the first town, and function for transportation, trading minigames, and battles. They can be modified with dozens of parts, which can be purchased, found, or crafted. They range from small and speedy but frail, to large, powerful, and sturdy, but slow. Categories by ( Heavy and Strong but Slow ) or ( Light and Frail but Fast ) but there are trotmobiles which is perfect in all term ( Light and Strong and Fast ) for example Schneider's and Elder's trotmobiles at which they are both the top 1st and 2nd Gladiator in the game ranked S, it's left for player to discover and customize their own trotmobiles.

Music

Music also has a large part of the Steambot Chronicles storyline. Vanilla is at first a solo musician on the street, until he is invited to join the Garland Globetrotters. With each successful concert, Vanilla earns tips and posters of the other Globetrotters, as well as sheet music for new songs. The sheet music allows Vanilla to practice songs solo. If he plays well enough, he will be asked to manage the band.

There are several instruments in the game, each with different control schemes. Vanilla starts out with a harmonica, and can later acquire the trumpet, saxophone, violin, string bass, accordion, drums, and guitar as well as play church organs and pianos found in bars or colleges. The main reward for playing music is tips.

There are six vocal songs, four that Coriander performs during the main story, and two which can be unlocked through sidequests. Nadia Gifford wrote and performed 5 of the songs for Coriander:

The last song in the game is sung by Ryan Kerwin as Fennel:

In an optional side-quest, Vanilla can acquire an electric guitar and join Fennel's 'Fennel and the Blue Lightning' band.

Reception

The game received "average" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one nine, one eight, one seven, and one eight, for a total of 32 out of 40.

Hyper commended the game for its "huge amount of freedom [and] clever musical rhythm games" but criticised it for its "slowdown [and] load times".