17 years later, action RPG Steambot Chronicles still has scope to impress with its eclectic mix of robots, music and a dash of Vanilla

Many games are described as 'ahead of their time', but that's exactly what quirky action-RPG Steambot Chronicles was. An open world with abundant side-quests and a protagonist you develop through dialogue choices? On console, in 2006? 

Somehow, yes. To this day, few games have successfully dabbled in as many elements simultaneously as this steam-powered JRPG. Those elements may not always be the most polished, but they're there and not one of them feels shoehorned in.

Mechanical mastery

There's a hunger mechanic which means listeners will walk away from you mid-performance if your stomach growls. You can design your own license plate for your Trotmobile (your customizable battle mech and vehicle), as well as chop and change between weapons, wheel types, and even windshields. There's a stock market. The community will give you a nickname – probably unflattering – based on your most recent antics. You can rent a house and fill it with furniture, decide to take to the streets in only your swimming trunks, or delve into an optional dungeon in order to bring back precious stones for women after your affection. Maybe you want to put the entire plot on hold and dedicate time to becoming a billiards pro or winning the fighting tournament. The charmingly odd and surprisingly open industrial world is yours. 

The two main strands threaded through the game are fighting in and with robots, and being part of a traveling band. They're both given enough time and detail to make it hard to say either is a subplot of the other. Steambot Chronicles goes in bigger and bolder on its rhythm elements than most rhythm games, breaking each of the original songs down into its different parts and giving each instrument its own gameplay mechanics. It may be more standard button pressing for the piano, but the accordion will see you swerving the analogue sticks to imitate the bellows.

The visuals are understandably dated, but the cel-shading and detailed settings breathe life into its anime-style world. It's surprisingly intricate for something that doesn't have the poly count to put items everywhere. Even the gratingly MIDI instruments are easy to forgive when the soundtrack, including the cheesy yet catchy original songs, is so good. It's still easy to sink a lot of time into the game after all these years when, as well as having so much available to do at your own pace, it's nice just to be there. One of Steambot Chronicles' standout strengths is its handling of protagonist Vanilla. You're flooded with dialogue options to shape his character, and yet they're all fully voiced. Additionally, characters' responses are varied so it doesn't feel so much like you're maintaining a mere illusion of free will in interactions. 

From saluting every person you meet to giving up and joining the bad guys, Vanilla feels like your own creation, despite his set name, voice, and design. While it's fun to joke about this being a gaggle of minigames in a trench coat, the criminal-thwarting, country-saving main story isn't anything to scoff at. Although traveling across the land with the band and fighting bandits may not seem all that impactful at first, of course it is. It's dampened by a weak late-game twist, but who cares? 

There's so much else here. You can forgo the end of the game completely and live out your life as a busking, robot-battling, stocks color billionaire who bulk-buys croissants. And isn't that the dream? In an era when Stardew Valley rules the roost, it might be time for JRPGs to tap back into this mosey-worthy energy. 

Steambot Chronicles is rewardingly ambitious as it is, but it's hard not to lament the canceled sequel, which was announced way back when for the PS3. Interviews have revealed that Kazuma Kujo – previously a lead at the game's developer Irem and now chief of Granzella – still wishes the follow-up could go ahead, as do many players who loved the original. With Disaster Report 4, which was canceled at the same time, having since been released, perhaps there's still hope for Steambot Chronicles 2. Until then, the first one remains worth a look.

This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine - Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.