Cild The Snail is a top-down, twin-stick shooter starring a grumpy, boozy anthropomorphic snail. Set in what appears to be a post-apocalyptic world in which humans — i.e. the Giants — have become extinct and animals have reclaimed the earth. Well, I say animals, and sure, they are “technically” animals but not the ones we’re used to seeing.
Clid the Snail has a sort of Redwall by way of 90s Nickelodeon vibe to it. It’s light-hearted and weird and goes all-in on building its world and characters. And it mostly succeeds. The world of Clid the Snail is a place you’ll enjoy visiting, however, it’s probably not one you’ll be dying to get back to in a hurry.
These guys live in organised societies housed inside citadels. These citadels are homogenous and only cater for one species each. So, Clid comes from the Snail citadel but there are also Grasshopper, Rabbit, Beetle, Gecko and Turtle citadels among others.
After being voted out of his Citadel for crimes against snail kind, Clid sets out to survive on his own in this bizarre and dangerous world. Unfortunately for Clid, all slugs everywhere have become murderous and violent for unknown reasons. Barely escaping with his life, Clid heads to the nearby Grasshopper Citadel in hopes of some answers and maybe a pint or two.
From here, the blueprint for the game is laid out. Clid goes out on a mission to assist a group of animals, battles his way through a linear level, fights a boss and heads home. Rinse and repeat. Along the way, Clid meets a colourful cast of characters, makes some friends, comes out of his shell (hurr hurr) and becomes the hero he was always meant to be.
On arriving at the Citadel, Clid’s run of luck continues when he discovers Ska the mouse burning the entire place down with a flamethrower. After defeating Ska, Clid joins a group of outcast animals in their own Citadel and begins working with them to solve the slug crisis.
Clid The Snail’s worldbuilding is its best asset. It’s really easy to get pulled into the bizarre universe of animal societies and all of the eccentricities that go along with it. However, like the homogeneous citadels, the gameplay in Clid The Snail is one note.
From start to finish, you’ll be doing the exact same thing in Clid The Snail. Each level is essentially linear and as you push forward, you’ll fight waves of enemies until you reach the boss. There’s some slight variation in enemy types but not enough to make a considerable impact on how you play. Similarly, while Clid has access to a range of weapons, they don’t offer much in the way of varied gameplay. Instead, they simply change the animation and deal slightly different damage numbers.
Aiming and shooting does feel pretty good though. You can aim with the right stick or press L2 to fine aim. The addition of fine aiming adds benefit to combat, especially when you’re facing down a swarm of enemies or fighting one of the game’s many bosses. Fine aiming doesn’t come without a downside though. When pressing L2, Clid’s movement slows to a crawl, so you’ll need to make every shot count or become overwhelmed.
News Summary:
- Clid The Snail (PS4) Review – What does this gastropod’s name mean?
- Check all news and articles from the latest Gaming News and updates.
Be the first to comment