City 20 could be your next favourite survival sandbox title. I was lucky enough to play City 20 ahead of it launching into early access, and from the moment I was thrown into the dystopian, unforgiving world, I knew I was in for something special. Within minutes, I learned that I was truly left to my own devices, free to carve whatever path I wanted – or to succumb to the harsh environment around me.
If you’ve been waiting for a unique and genuinely intriguing apocalypse-like survival game, it’s here and waiting for you.
Not Your Typical End of the World Scenario
City 20 might look a little strange on the surface, but the depth it offers is almost unparalleled. Per the game’s description, you’re free to ‘craft your own narrative’, and as I abandoned my starter objectives and ventured out into a wasteland in search of fame and fortune, I quickly found that claim to be true.
One minute, I was focused on fixing a broken door, and in the next, I was on a hunt for exclusive loot for survivors in a nearby town, desperate to impress them and build a stronger relationship so that I could access better trading options and improve my standing with the settlement.
Not too long after that, I was moving into an apartment in a decrepit block a few streets away, kitting it out with furniture while remaining wary of my neighbours, who I wasn’t sure about. Night fell, and I took to the streets with a torch, coming face-to-face with the predatory creatures that stalked the less populated areas of City 20 in the darkness.
It’s not inaccurate to suggest that City 20 has unlimited potential. Players are free to go where they please, build what they want, make friends with who they desire, and kill anyone they cross paths with. It’s not a true apocalypse, but it’s not far off the mark, with players being left to survive in a city walled off from the rest of the world 20 years after a radioactive incident.
Unlimited Options
City 20 is intelligent. In this game, you’re a catalyst, and you decide how the world unravels around you. For instance, if you hunt too many docile animals, you’ll cause predators to become bolder. If you cause too much trouble in a settlement, you’ll make guards more aggressive.
Every NPC is named and has a purpose. You can form relationships with all of them, trading with them and learning about them through conversations — or if you want, you can run up to them and sock them in the face, wreaking havoc on everyone you see.
What’s brilliant about City 20 is that it’s not overwhelming, despite the choices available. If you’d rather take things slow, explore all the corners of the map, and gently make friends with other survivors, you’re more than welcome to do so. If you’d like, you can retire early, set up a homestead, take to farming, and trade with locals to foster those relationships.
Ultimately, City 20 will have you constantly wondering what you can do next, not what you should do next. Do you want to round up resources and become materialistic and rich, or do you want to become a servant of the people, running endless quests and poking through the wasteland to find rare, long-forgotten items?
It’s up to you – and what’s more, the game is in early access now, so there’s plenty lined up in terms of delivery.
City 20 is available now, exclusively on PC.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Larian’s next game might not come until 2029
Comments