![]() So, our goal was really to translate this two-layer notion into the FPS genre. Of course, now, there are other games like that, but not a lot of first-person shooters. What of XCOM has been brought to Void Bastards?įor me, XCOM was the defining game that created the notion of a strategy game where you are in charge of the execution of the strategy as well as the high level planning. It has a lot of classic PC strategy game elements: resource juggling, a limited but rich set of choices to make each turn, and a palette of information to support those choices that try to highlight and pull out the relevant factors.īlue Manchu says the game’s campaign will last around 12 to 15 hours. It’s probably more influenced by PC strategy games. Is the strategy element of Void Bastards also influenced by tabletop games? You clearly love card games and board games. ![]() So the strategy is deeply entwined and doesn’t just live in its own mode. In terms of time, it’s probably 80–90% action and 10–20% strategy, but the action element also involves a lot of tactical planning. What’s the balance between action and strategy, would you say? Or I could just say “Nah, I won’t bother today.” There’s a lot more to think about than just pure optimisation of combat. Or I could wait until his back is turned and sneak in. Or I can employ a more indirect weapon – for example, I could throw down a kittybot to distract him while I run in and use the security terminal. I can play a typical shooter-type game where I dodge back and forth trying to shoot him in the head while dodging his shots. Say I’m heading to security module to shut down the security system and I see a screw (a prison guard – very tough) patrolling around in there. Killing enemies is one way of getting what you want – but you can also choose to avoid combat or avoid the situation entirely. ![]() And, importantly, the main focus of the game isn’t killing everyone. Of course, we have a lot of different guns and you spend a good amount of time shooting enemies in the face, but you also have access to a lot of other ways of dealing with hostiles. Void Bastards is really much more in the lineage of System Shock 2 than other shooters that are much more gun-focused. How will Void Bastards’ FPS elements differ from other shooters? There’ll be times when running – rather than shooting – is the better tactic. It’s a deep, systems-based title with all the promise in the world – and a sense of humour to boot, with Douglas Adams a source of inspiration for Void Bastards’ general outlook on (space-)life. The stylised visuals bring to life a world in which the player has to navigate the titular illegitimate ones out of the Sargasso Nebula, choosing where to go, what missions to take on, what supplies to acquire, and what tactics to employ along the way. ![]() It is, on the face of it all, a first-person shooter, but dig a tiny bit deeper and Void Bastards reveals itself as much more. If you’re not excited by that mix, you may need to check you’re still breathing. But it’s still a jumping off point for the project, and Void Bastards combines the hallmarks of the classic strategy-action of the alien defence simulator with a host of intensely creative, exciting elements, as well as touches from Chey’s historical dabbling in the likes of BioShock and System Shock 2. So is Void Bastards a righting of this particular wrong? A way in which Chey can bring us the game we were meant to have before the jam-coated hands of publisher interference smeared their sticky obfuscation all over XCOM’s FPS attempt? Well… no, not really. It released years later to a seriously muted reception, and lived up to very little of the initial promise it had shown early on in its life. See, the team is headed up by one of Irrational’s co-founders, Jon Chey, a man who headed up the project that eventually became The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, a game that was not only a huge missed opportunity for the franchise, but one Chey didn’t see through to the end of its production, leaving 2K Marin as he did during the game’s development. There’s a sense of unfinished business to Void Bastards, the latest from Aussie indie studio Blue Manchu.
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