E3 Recap: The Technomancer

Jul. 16, 2015

E3 Recap: The Technomancer

Our E3 trip focused on checking out upcoming RPG titles. One of the games that we took notice of is Spiders Studios’ (Bound by Flame) Sci Fi RPGThe Technomancer:a title to be released on PS4, Xbox One and PC sometime next year. We were given a demo of the game by the development team at E3, and the following is a bit of information about the game from that demonstration.

The game takes place on the planet Mars, at a time when colonists suddenly lose contact with Earth. As supplies stop coming in, the demand for water quickly surges, and a conflict within the two companies emerges, as they fight for complete control of the planet. You begin the game as aTechnomancer, an elite soldier in a water company’s army, with the power to wield lightning. Mystery surrounds you as you strive to unlock your own power and shed light on the obscure past of the Technomancers while trying to survive the harsh conditions on Mars.

The two warring water companies have grossly different doctrines: The first is a highly religious organization, that has a hierarchy not unlike western religions, and they believe that mutants should not be allowed to exist. The other is a socialist organization, that was modeled after Russia, that is extremely militaristic and employs Technomancers as a means to an end. You can ally with either of these factions and the choices you make will determine who your enemies are within the game, and the decisions made by the player in the game will change the course of the plot. There will be at least 5 different endings depending on choices made.

The setting of the game is the futuristic looking cities on the planet Mars. Humans and Mutants of the future have colonized and created a society on the barren planet. The cities are dark and metallic, built into the rocky landscape. The game has a dark atmosphere and portrays a very hopeless and bleak outlook for the populous of the planet. I get the feeling you will be forced to make the “lesser of two evils” type decisions quite frequently.

The character design and style of their attire is reminiscent of the movieDoomsday. Often wearing rags or very worn clothing, people get by on what they can find or salvage. It can easily be seen that although there is a civilization on the Red Planet, it is in chaos. Enemies have pipes, knives, guns, etc. Anything they can use as a weapon they will. It is all about surviving now that water is in short supply and that means looking out for yourself and acquiring what you can, by force if necessary.

The combat in The Technomancer reminded me a bit ofThe Force Unleashed. I couldn’t help but see the similarities between the two games, but I am also reminded of the combat inBound by Flamegameplay videos. That is to say that, for lose comparison, it lies somewhere between the Souls franchise and action games likeDarksiders. The combat appeared loose and slightly clunky. I didn’t get to play the game, as it was a hands-off demo, but I found myself wondering how the “feel” of the combat was.

Players will be able to attack with a variety of weapons like maces, staves, guns, daggers, etc. Then there is also the Technomancer lightning abilities (which is what reminded me ofForce Unleashed) that looked really cool. I didn’t get to see all the attacks you can perform, but if you remember the Emperor in theStar Warsmovies, you’ll get some idea of the attacks I saw. Picking your preferred weapons/style will be a huge part of the game. It was even stated that it’s entirely possible to complete the game using only stealth attacks if you want to play that way (the stealth take-downs looked awesome).

As you play through the game picking up quests, slaying enemies and bosses, you will acquire companions. How these companions interact with you will be based upon choices made in the game and depending on what you do you can have a relationship with them or even cause them to leave if you piss them off too much. You can have up to 2 companions with you while you are out exploring the planet and doing quests, but I believe you can switch them (similarly toMass Effect).

As stated before that decisions made in the game will impact who are your enemies and who are your friends, creating replayability and a unique gameplay experience. You’ll be able to craft both weapons and armor and change the appearance of existing items. There are 3 different fighting styles in the game to go along with 4 different skill trees, allowing for complete customization of your character. I’m excited to see how these play out as gameplay footage is released.

The Technomancer has all the makings of a solid RPG on Next Gen (we can never have enough right?). It has consequences, customization, crafting, companions, and mystery. Time will tell if this Sci Fi RPG has what it takes to hang with the triple A titles, and consideringBound by Flamewas met with predominantly mixed reviews, I’m going to stay a bit skeptical for now. I will however, keep my eye on it and keep you guys posted with further info when more becomes available.