Introduction
For my 420th review, I could obviously think of no better choice than Weedcraft Inc, another Devolver Digital-backed project which sheds light unto our constantly shifting society without any concerns to the potential controversy it might stir up. A cauldron I shall shake gladly, might I add. Merely mentioning that I had fun in this title, would be an understatement. It’s developer Vile Monarch's 5th project to date, as I observe the pattern for unconventional themes emerging from their past creations. They went further down the rabbit hole with Weedcraft, if you’ll indulge me the metaphor. A management simulator without the boring aspects which are almost inherent for this subgenre. They pulled it off and then some! Here's some fried chicken to go with your special order.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6U92heh-hA
Story
First of all, a disclaimer: I’ve never smoked in my life. No, not even the “regular death sticks” also known as cigarettes or consuming/chewing tobacco under other forms of packaging. I cannot stress enough that my experience with Cannabis until this game, was limited to watching several films which featured it as a fringe subject or some TV series which had sort of a focus on it. “Weeds” comes to mind, as well as the 4th season of Narcos. I was virtually clueless and that makes me, believe it or not, an ideal candidate for running a fictional drug empire. There will be several pop culture references both in-game and here in my article. One of them refers to “don’t get high on your own supply” from a little movie called Scarface.
Breaking Bad is mentioned more than once in Weedcraft and so from it, I shall take Gus Fring’s approach to flawlessly running such a business which does requires a certain degree of finesse if one expects to avoid both incarceration and an untimely death. We’re not peddling in Blue Sky though. Odds are in our favor, as Mary Jane’s gaining social acceptance in recent years so Weedcraft is fortunately giving players a choice between reveling in illegality or actively fighting for a fully legal environment in which the production and transactions relating to marijuana are taxed and regulated.
We’re dealing with a frame narrative structure, as the campaign is divided in three parts which can be enjoyed at your discretion. They’re not connected and thus won’t feature spoilers either, not even from me. The one thing they do have in common, is the mutual desire of surviving and prospering within a cutthroat business which is only on the brink of legality as you embark on those three distinct journeys, each with its own set of colourful characters and locations within the United States of America. No rags to riches, as you start with a decent budget and opportunities to expand if you’re equally smart and cautious about it. Unlike real life, time is on your side.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1863347936
Graphics
A Unity project through and through, there were no issues to observe or report. Performance-wise, Weedcraft scales perfectly to your monitor’s resolution along with your desired frame rate. From a visual perspective, the game mixes 2D (characters and certain HUD elements) with 3D (in the case of the cities or plants). Chromatic aberration & cel shading are two of the more prominent effects you’ll notice while the comic book-style cutscenes and artwork, really set up the atmosphere. Combined, they all give Weedcraft the personality it needed in order to become a premium indie title instead of simply mimicking one. A fake product is the last thing you want when you’re looking to corner the market.
Audio
No competition in regards to the soundtrack either. While not as diversified as I’d like, it still featured an almost obligatory selection of reggae, rap and smooth jazz. I was ultimately pleased with the songs even if I missed not having any voice acting at all, with so much character chatter leading an important role. The OST (shared as the last link for your pleasure) is running at over an hour and a half yet it may still become repetitive if you go all in like it did. Building a fully legal reefer empire takes A LOT of time and cash.
Gameplay
Not to mention greasing the right wheels of progress, lining up certain pockets with funds and endorsements. Ah, politics! Of course, not everyone plays by the rules. “Don’t underestimate the other guy’s greed!” We’re having a true economic simulation here in Weedcraft. Competitors are as ruthless as you can probably imagine, yet the war at home is more concerning. Your own employees can become a bigger issue than the gangbangers which jokingly regard themselves as your rivals. Keep your friends close, okay? Social interaction is nicely represented in an almost visual novel style. You got choices to make and mistakes to avoid repeating.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1867440014
Like it or not, you will have to play “both sides of the fence” until you can finally manage a legitimate business. You want the local authorities in your pocket. Apple’s rotten to the core, you see. Cops, Police Chiefs, Mayors, Senators, you’ll have to please them all if you wish to pass the right legislation and put an end to the uncertainty of sitting on a flimsy throne of dirty cash that’s only a couple of DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) visits away from vanishing into thin air along with all your dreams and freedom. You catch my drift? Bribes are one way of reaching your goals and it doesn’t get much darker than this. There is no violence in the true sense of the word. I’m glad for it, there are enough gangster and mob sims out there. Weedcraft’s going to handle the situation with velvet gloves which may or may not shelter an iron fist.
Players are given plenty of choices in the campaigns which are both open-ended and can accommodate play styles tipping the morality scale in either direction. Perks from the “Shady” and “Decent” spectrum will help in equal measure. Find a balance, extremes are never good for business. There’s an almost RPG layer of complexity in regards to protagonist development as well as its interaction with NPCs. It goes without saying that the actual part involving the growing and selling facilities/fronts is the very definition of customization. The best part? Tutorials abound with information and auxiliary images. You can’t screw it up, no matter how little experience you had in consuming or growing this particular type of herb.
https://youtu.be/ZU-2CEHmOJg
Verdict
Tapping into the right market, addressing the perfect customers for your product, there’s so much to learn and enjoy about this game. Strategy fans will have as much fun as the casual stoners looking for humorous topics regarding their preferences. You really can’t ask for more from such a simulation, I’d have to think long and hard about the things I could improve here. I just hope a sequel might be in the works. More cities, even more options and character interactions. All roads leading to green equilibrium.
Strong Points
+ Replay value.
+ Complex yet flawlessly explained.
+ Pleasant graphics and soundtrack.
+ Steam Achievements & Trading Cards.
Weak Points
- No voice acting.
Rating 90/100This review was submitted for Imperial Reviews through the generous contribution of the game’s developer and the Curator Connect program. Following my Curator Page, will help me keep publishing new reviews as soon as I can. I appreciate your support!
