Born from the desire to combine the story-motivated depth of a strategy game with the mechanics of a tactics game, Cantata has brought together style and substance.
Gameplay
Cantata features a few different game modes with campaign, skirmish, and multiplayer alongside a map editor for us to play with. To keep things simple, this review focuses mainly on Cantata’s campaign.
Built as the first Grand Tactics Game, Cantata’s gameplay blends strategy and gritty tactics, delivering an engaging experience that stands out in the genre. On any given turn, you could be building units, attacking the enemy, crafting infrastructure, or collecting resources. With a mix of short and long-term objectives to juggle, it is concerningly easy to disappear into Cantata for hours at a time.
I fell absolutely in love with the design and gameplay of Cantata. If you like the idea of classic RTS gameplay with tactical combat and strategy added in, alongside an art style akin to Hades crossed with pixel graphics, then you’ll fall for Cantata, too.
The tutorial describes it best. Cantata is like a large board game, with players taking turns to move units, build, and attack on the map.
A Universe Worth Exploring
In the enigmatic world of Cantata, the planet Shoal is far from ordinary; it’s a colossal lifeform, a sentient entity with formidable powers. Its nature remains an enigma, straddling the line between good and evil. For centuries, Shoal has known peace, but now, it serves as the battleground for the climactic conflict between humanity and machines.
Canta offers a diverse array of experiences within the campaign. Each chapter is seemingly designed to offer a unique, self-contained sci-fi story, complete with distinct music, units, and terrains. In one chapter, you might come across a large-scale battle with several fronts to fight on, whilst in others, you’ll need to focus on small tactical encounters managing stringent resources.
The Music of Cantata
I’ve mentioned sound design often in previous reviews. Maybe I’m just weird, but for me, sound design is just as, if not more important than even gameplay. Good sound makes or breaks a game. Cantata falls firmly on the making side! On launch, we’re hit straight away with a genuinely addictive synth-wave main menu theme.
Creatively titled CANTATAMAINMENU, this track is just the first score we’ll hear throughout the game, but somehow remained my favourite. CANTATAMAINMENU really sets the tone for the gameplay that’s about to follow. You’ll genuinely feel like you’re about to set off on an epic journey into the unknown.
“The music of Cantata is the only thing that knows what’s going on.”
The story of Shoal is as strange and mysterious as it is psychedelic in art style, and Cantata’s music matches this. If you do happen to pick up a copy of Cantata, I highly suggest treating yourself to the Soundtrack DLC as well. Each of the 46 scores captures a thematic element from the game, tying the narrative of all nine chapters together.
OcUK’s Ultimate Mixtape: Our Fave Gaming Songs
Cantata PC Requirements
| Component | Minimum Specs | Recommended Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | 5th Generation Core i3 or equivalent | 5th Generation Core i5 or equivalent |
| Memory | 4GB | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Intel HD 4600 | Intel HD 4600 |
If you’re thinking about picking up Cantata, you won’t need a crazy gaming PC! Thanks to the games, highly stylised graphics, the recommended PC specification for Cantata is pretty reasonable. However, if it’s time for some more RGB, Overclockers, UK has you covered with a whole host of PC components. If it’s time for a whole new system, we’ve got you there too. Our range of customisable or pre-built gaming PCs are the perfect choice for AAA gaming.
OcUK Gaming Radiance Frosty MK2 – Intel Core i5, RTX 3060 – Powered By Asus Gaming PC
- Intel i5 11400F CPU
- NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU
- 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM
- 500GB M.2 SSD
- Windows 11
Ready To Take on Cantata?
With a brilliant campaign, stunning sound design, and an awe-inspiring pixel art style, Cantata blew us away. Will you be picking up a copy of Cantata?
- 4 min read
Robert Mullane
Author
When not working, you'll find me in VR or losing in bottom-tier Valorant matches. I write about all topic's tech and gaming with a particular focus on representation in gaming, virtual reality, and LGBTQ+ themes. If you're still not fed up with me, you can also catch me over on the Overclockers UK TikTok and YouTube accounts.
Read More >>