6 ways Clustertruck & The Final Station will test your 'driving' skills
This truck's going places
The two latest additions to the SHIELD TV’s growing library of games both feature unique takes on vehicular fun. Now available to download, Clustertruck is a frenetic action platformer where you navigate levels by jumping on top of fast moving big rigs. On the other end of the spectrum is The Final Station. This brooding adventure lets you drive a train through a desolate post-apocalyptic world in search of survivors and safety.
Here, we look at some vehicle based skills that will help guarantee your success in each title. With our help, you’ll be able to tackle the chaotic levels in Clustertruck and navigate the zombie-filled wastelands of The Final Station at full speed yet still arrive at the finish line in one piece.
Proper Acceleration and Braking
Ideally, you never want to stomp down on either the gas or brake pedal while driving, as that can cause the car to jerk forward or come to a screeching halt. You’ll also want to exercise that sort of control while playing Clustertruck. The game lets you freely move forward or slow your roll as you hop from truck to truck, but it’s important to maintain control at all times. Suddenly rushing forward or slamming on the ‘brakes’ can cause you to over- or undershoot your target and fall to the ground. Sure, the game helpfully lets you restart each level quickly, but don’t let a rash decision bring the momentum of a good run to a grinding halt.
Perform Regularly Scheduled Maintenance
Keeping your vehicle in tip top shape is critical for proper performance and avoiding costly repairs down the line. The same holds true in The Final Station. When you’re not scouring buildings and underground structures for loot and survivors, you’re travelling aboard your locomotive. There are sections in the rear, middle, and front of the train that slowly break down over the course of your journey, requiring actions like adjusting the venting system and managing the power system to keep things chugging. This is just one of the many RPG inspired details in the game that adds to the overall immersion and sense of investment in The Final Station’s epic journey.
Look Before You Change Lanes
As we noted above, the main goal in Clustertruck is to get to the finish line by hopping along the rooftops of a caravan of speeding big rigs. Things move fast, so you have to move faster, but as is the case in driving, moving without looking is a recipe for disaster. Carefully plotting your course and only moving to the next big rig when it’s safe is one the keys to succeed at the game. The fast paced action may fool you into thinking that you should react first and ask questions later, but taking the time to (quickly) consider the safest course of action will increase your chances of climbing up the leaderboards.
Everybody Buckle Up!
You should drive carefully no matter what, but good habits are especially critical when you’re transporting passengers. In The Final Station, you will eventually run across a number of fellow survivors during your journey. They’ll join you aboard your locomotive, and ensuring their comfort and safety will become one of your main concerns during the train-based segments. You’ll have to keep an eye on their health and hunger levels. The good news: your train has food and first aid kit dispensers that you can use to keep their energy levels up. You can also talk to your passengers, and the conversations you have adds a wonderful sense of depth to the game’s experience.
Customize Your Ride
Whether it’s an all out conversion kit or something simple like a pair of fuzzy dice hanging off the rear-view, customizing your vehicle is a great way to make it an extension of your personality. Clustertruck embraces the idea of customization, offering players a wealth of abilities that can dramatically alter your experience. For instance, the self-explanatory Double Jump ability lets you hop a second time while in the air, which can be a literal lifesaver. Freeze Trucks also has the fairly obvious effect of bringing the moving trucks to a halt for a short period of time. Each ability is perfectly designed to give you a fighting chance without making the game easy. This kind of tight design is a hallmark of Clustertruck, and a huge reason why it’s so addictively fun.
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Recalculating Route
Global positioning systems (GPS) proved how important good routing can be to ensuring a productive journey. Most of us have dedicated GPS units or apps on our smartphones to help us along, and the designers of The Final Station brought that tech into the game. Your train is equipped with a map that pinpoints the locations of all the train stations you can visit during your trip. Some stations are manned by fellow humans who you can interact with. Other stations are mysteriously quiet, so there’s no telling what you’ll find when you arrive. Exploring stations is one of the key elements of The Final Station, offering you opportunities to find loot, buy items at shops, and uncover more elements of the game’s lore. Thankfully, the built in GPS system makes it easy to chart your course into the unknown.