Locomoto Review (Switch) – All Aboard
In a world of Gears and Souls and the brutality of damn near every other AAA game nowadays attempting to chase that sweet, sweet Elden Ring dollar, there’s me. A reviewer that cares not for the ongoing struggle of the Tarnished or whatevertheheck, and has done and dusted his time chasing down enough Seeders to start a colony. Whilst I wait the release of Rockstar’s next opus like everyone else, in the meantime I don’t need The Dark Ages, I need nonsense like Locomoto and Camper Van. I’m getting old guys, my trigger finger isn’t what it used to be.
So a game about a cat driving a train and serving passengers along the way seems like something I could most resolutely get into and thankfully, it’s something that particularly resonated with me.
It’s easy to put Locomoto in the category of ‘cozy’ game, and it’s straightforward enough to state the game never really challenges you in any meaningful way, but that’s not really the point. We’ve planted enough carrots in a farm the past few years to feed Floppy for decades, let’s get a train moving and enjoy the coastal views with aplomb.
I should stress I’m checking this out on the Switch 2. There isn’t an official Switch 2 version of the game (yet), but a fundamental part of my launch week with the system was playing this over Fast Fusion and Mario Kart World and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Locomoto is just a pleasant experience, that’s all that needs to be primarily focused on really. It revels in its innocence and delights in bringing to life a world full of characters that have simple needs in simple villages. An early mission has you and your trusty train taking a resident who is ill to a nearby hospital, balancing out the calmness and serenity with a little bit of danger allows the game to expand beyond what I expected of it, but at its core it remains a game that isn’t going to stress your faculties all too much, and that’s absolutely fine with me.
So you’ll be keeping the train moving by learning how to drive it and thankfully, this is a fairly simple process. You won’t be tearing your hair out like you do in Train Sim World trying to find the ‘open right door’ button as you’re slowing down to perfectly place your train at a stop. Here it’s delightfully straightforward, with the added joy of grabbing coal and filling up the engine with it to keep it moving. The train doesn’t ask an awful lot of you, but thankfully there’s still a fair amount to be getting on with whilst the train is in motion.
And what’s a cozy game without crafting? Locomoto allows you to build new pieces for the train – after foraging for parts or buying them using the tokens you earn by conversing with passengers or completing tasks – and you’ll find yourself with a cupboard full of useful items that will aid you along your journey. The crafting is pulled seemingly directly from Minecraft, where you’ll have to place certain items in certain places in order to complete what you’re wanting to build.
There’s a huge amount of joy to be had with a game as zen as Locomoto. It’s one of those ‘turn off your brain and enjoy’ experiences that has more depth than you’re probably expecting, with enjoyable characters you meet along the way full of life and willing to help you progress through the campaign that I found delightful.
Be sure not to miss your stop for this one.
Locomoto is available now on Nintendo Switch (review platform) and PC via Steam.
Developer: Green The Digital
Publisher: Amplifier Studios
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
If you enjoyed this article or any more of our content, please consider our Patreon.
Make sure to follow Finger Guns on our social channels. Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Spotify or Apple Podcasts – to keep up to date on our news, reviews and features.