REVIEW – The city of Riveton, from The Naked Dev and Alterego Games, was available on Steam in early access for a few months. Last week, the game moved to 1.0 status. As is often the case, the concept is good, but the execution is lacking, resulting in a game that falls short and may cause disappointment.

It’s yet another game that no one is talking about. The audience hasn’t really appreciated it so far; it has only 32 reviews on Steam.

The first page of the story

It must be said that CoS is a rough game. Although there are no bugs that make it unplayable, it could have used more quality assurance before its 1.0 release. The world is large enough, and visually it’s not weak. Some may argue that the missions aren’t strong, but that’s not entirely true. One might have expected a silent option for dialogues, but all of them are voiced. Robots can be customized to a degree, and stealth has no strict time limits. However, robots are slow to acquire and upgrade, forcing players into heavy grinding through side missions and loot collection.

Opponents seem overpowered, with abilities that damage all robots, target nearby ones, disable armorless units, or knock out shielded ones. Preparing for this is tough, so spamming damage often feels like the only solution. Enemy robots appear in more types and with more abilities than yours, and your skills are far too limited. Many deal only weak area damage. A defensive approach sometimes helps, but rarely enough. Bots can be modified, though it often feels like only one combination is viable (Fire Rate + Swarm or HP + Hammer strongly recommended). The biggest frustration: enemies frequently one-shot you. That makes CoS irritating. At least the robot types are varied and useful — Shield units are solid, Chain Gun bots are decent, and Swarms boost damage or serve as fodder. It adds some strategy, as you must balance HP and healing. But when enemy mortar bots wipe yours in one strike, you’re left questioning the point of it all.

The second page of the story

Animations are clunky — the jumping and patching motions are particularly bad. Some are unskippable, meaning teleport and helicopter animations quickly grate on you. Enemies also respawn in cleared areas, which is frustrating. At least the animals add some levity; one mission even has you chasing chickens. Luckily, missions are usually near elevators or key objects, so you don’t need to watch the mini-map too much, though it does look stylish. Bot unlocks and character upgrades use separate currencies. Bugs aren’t numerous but still present. Grammatical errors exist too, oddly only at the game’s start. Still, it’s worth remembering: this isn’t a €50–70 game. On Steam, it’s under €8.

The city itself feels empty. Some NPCs get stuck in walls, and repetition is frequent. Sound effects often seem missing. Perhaps they’ll be added later, but for now, it feels off.

This city is best forgotten ASAP

City of Springs lasts about nine hours. Subtitles are distracting — plain white text with no outline, and no indication of who’s speaking. In the end, the game earns a 6/10. It has some good elements, but it’s ultimately a forgettable experience. Expect to see it pop up on PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium or Xbox Game Pass soon — though judging by Sony’s recent announcements, it might hit PlayStation Plus Essential instead.

-V-

Developer: The Naked Dev, Alterego Games
Publisher: The Naked Dev
Genre: Action-Adventure, RPG, zzz
Release date: August 18, 2025