Void Bastards - strategy/FPS from Jon Chey of System Shock 2 and Bioshock

[vortex]

 

[Turtle-Zone 3000]

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

This will probably be better than System Shock 3.

 

[Fowyr]

Story reminds me about Spacewrecked.

 

[Rahdulan]

That dev probably said more informative stuff in one video than most of industry interviews did it in years.

 

[someone else]

Looks good. wishlisted, now I have 201 games on my wishlist.
I wish I can stop time so I have more time to play games.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Looks interestingish, though movement seems slow as heck.

 

[Maggot]

Movement seems to be some sort of forgotten art nowadays with a bunch of these indie games having weightless movement with no acceleration.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Also a short gameplay clip:

 

[Trithne]

I just want to know when the fucking thing is coming out.

 

[LESS T_T]

May 29th. NO, NOT Epic:



https://steamcommunity.com/games/857980/announcements/detail/1601504362742469071

VOID BASTARDS RELEASES ON STEAM WEDNESDAY MAY 29!

On May 29 you can finally experience Void Bastards for yourself! The revolutionary strategy-shooter hybrid from the Development Director of BioShock and System Shock 2 will test your wits as well as your aim. As an added bonus, you won’t even need to fill out form F-28C, Request for Personal Recreation Time, to download and play the game!

Watch the announcement trailer.

Join us on our Discord for giveaways leading up to launch: http://discord.gg/voidbastards

Prepare for rehydration, client.
See you in the Sargasso Nebula on Wednesday, May 29th.

 

[Silentstorm]

Kinda feels like a bunch of roguelites mixed together, just with awkward movement, cel shaded art style(which i like) and the combat seems okay at best, even the levels seem like they will be a bit long and empty, yes, i know it's procedurally generated and all that, but still a bit empty.

I will wait for reviews to come out, but so far, i kinda feel like Immortal Redneck is a better FPS roguelite, at least then you have a cooler theme and you can play as a mummy redneck.

But i will likely play this, i do like me some roguelites and roguelikes, it's just that this doesn't seem like it will be the next big one that will make me addicted to it.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

50 min. gameplay from an annoying retard.

 

[DalekFlay]

Saying it's inspired by System Shock and Bioshock and then it being a roguelike with no real story element and randomly generated levels (when level design was CRUCIAL to the Shock games) is kind of annoying. Also that slow ass movement and shooting action is a big turn-off. I'm sure many will like this a lot, but it doesn't seem like my bag. Which is a same since I like the look of it and am desperate for more "immersive sims."

 

[RolePlayer]

Another FPS with nerf guns?

What happened to the days of being able to do carnage with a gun in video games?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

OT: Another rogue-like, City of Brass, will be free on the EGS in a couple of days. It was also made by ex-Irrational developers.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

https://www.gameinformer.com/review/void-bastards/scavenging-the-fun

Void Bastards
Scavenging The Fun
by Matt Miller on May 28, 2019 at 11:00 AM
Publisher: Humble Bundle
Developer: Blue Manchu
Release: May 29, 2019
Rating: Mature
Reviewed on: PC
Also on: Xbox One

Strip away the thematic concepts and storytelling, and a game like BioShock focuses on creative problem-solving. How do I confront and control a space through the use of unusual tools, stealth, and outright assault, and come out the other end better for the exchange? Void Bastards explores that core dynamic with a procedural loop, focusing on opportunities for strategy and improvement, and eschewing characters and story with an almost nihilistic abandon. The result is a relatively pure flow of discovery and mastery for many hours, diminished only by an eventual sense of rote.

Mirroring the darkest corners of Douglas Adams’ sci-fi vision of outer space overwhelmed by bureaucracy, you play a smattering of mostly minor criminals who have been “dehydrated” into snack-sized bags of powder. When a hazardous nebula turns a transport’s crew feral, a mindless computer rehydrates you to get the ship out of danger. The relatively simple task is complicated by inane jobs set by the ship, like the need to laminate an ID card to authorize shipboard control, so it’s off to explore the wrecks of nearby ships (and their mutated crews) to find the requisite supplies.

Borrowing elements from the roguelite genre, each prisoner rockets off with the same crafted weapons, armor, and tools left behind by your last unfortunate expired protagonist. You manage food, fuel, and wandering spaceborne threats like pirates to avoid certain death in the void. Instead, you face certain death onboard the ships on which you’re gathering supplies. If you’re lucky, you return with the parts, only to face another bureaucratic hurdle. The dark absurdist humor shines through, even as the repeated deaths mostly lose their sting, since you’re still consistently progressing broader goals regardless of who you are controlling.

Each ship you visit is a strategic challenge, filled with perverse enemies, helpful supplies, and stations you can work to solve the puzzle. The helm has a map of supply locations, but you need to turn on the power generator in a different room first. The drill you need is in the Hab unit, but you need to deactivate the gun turret in the security room to reach it. Everything is interconnected, and I enjoyed learning the many ways to manipulate the varied ship configurations encountered through the smart procedural generation.

Along the way, the insane and mutated ship crews stand in your way at nearly every turn, each spouting incoherent ramblings that not-so-subtly jab at modern-day society. Matronly supervisors berate you for being late to your shift. Scrambling short-statured “Juves” gleefully scream profanities to see if they can shock you. Spooks sneak up behind you and disappear from view as you begin to attack.

Enemies each offer their own challenges to avoid or defeat, and further complicate the riddle of navigating any given ship. Environmental factors like radiation, fire, and oil slicks add yet another layer of complexity. On top of it all, just as you master one enemy type or ship setup, you progress to more potent challenges. On that front, I appreciate the adjustable difficulty; roguelites can sometimes feel calibrated to only welcome hardcore players, but Void Bastards can be customized to welcome anyone from casual to veteran.

A thoughtfully imagined crafting system provides minor player-set goals in the midst of the set tasks that push the adventure forward. With enough recycled materials, you can create different weapons, protective armors, and other helpful equipment. From the shotgun-like stapler to the clusterflak gun, the weapons and explosives are silly and fun to use, even if it’s frustrating to be low on ammo for the weapon you currently need the most.

Void Bastards’ biggest dilemma is in the sense of repetition that emerges after several hours. Even with smart procedural generation, ship layouts eventually begin to feel too similar, and enemy configurations feel like frustrating road blocks rather than meaningful encounters. And while the storytelling does its job of reinforcing a sort of anarchic and cynical view of how meaningless life can seem, that theme doesn’t do any favors to helping a player feel invested over time.

Even so, there is an ending of sorts, and Void Bastards seems to recognize that it’s running out of steam within a few hours after the tedium kicks in. Even in those final hours, I was still impressed by the consistent tone, smart mix of stealth and action, and the tension of managing your characters’ lean chances of survival. Void Bastards is funny, misanthropic, and yet still fun to play, and even after arising from some pretty clear inspirations, manages to feel like its own mutated beast.



Inspired by System Shock 2 and BioShock, Blue Manchu's hybrid of action, shooting, stealth and strategy offers a darkly comedic adventure worth exploring.


8

Concept Scrounge and scavenge derelict spaceships while employing stealth, strategy, and shooting
Graphics Colorful comic-book aesthetics are juxtaposed with grotesque mutant designs to create a memorable visual style
Sound The ambient voices and sound effects stand out, helping to inform the way you approach an encounter
Playability Controls feel tight and responsive, and the wide variety of weapons and tools are intuitive to use
Entertainment Void Bastards provides a clever twist on the gameplay model popularized by System Shock 2 and BioShock, now with a procedural element to aid in long-term engagement
Replay Moderate

 

[PrettyDeadman]

Is it GUD?

 

[Ivan]

Love the artstyle, will prob pick it up during the Summer Sale. I wonder if Steam is doing the whole Spend x to earn x amount of dollars again.

 

[PrettyDeadman]

25% discount for system shock 2 owners NICE.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

 

[you know what time it is]

Well it's fairly polished and well thought out, but it's very much a roguelite, don't expect any depth or real challenge. It's like a very primitive version of Prey.

Movement is floaty and so is aim. Overall I can't help but feel a little disappointed with games like that, potential is definitely there, but it's just so casual and streamlined that I can't bother playing em for more than an evening or two.

 

[Zombra]

1.8 hours in, definitely not going to refund. Early game is fun, nice and tense with crap weapons. I like the FTL-style star map where you choose what type of ship to raid and what kind of spoils you're likely to find. Procedural generation feels very appropriate and the scrambling of simple elements works very well. Deciding whether to strip a ship to the bone or get in, get out is a real decision as sometimes elements combine to make 100%ing unprofitable. Gear progression is very palpable and it's always exciting to see what I can upgrade after swiping the unique loot from a given target. Managing simple resources (food and fuel on the strategic map and oxygen on missions) is motivating. Managing hit points long term is a huge deal as there is no healing except a little bit between missions, meaning I am starting every mission already wounded. Brief missions provide a "potato chip" experience: snack on a couple real quick or settle in and eat half a bag. The British narrator/dispatcher guy is a little on the nose and I found him annoying at first, but once you get past the tutorials he gains some charm as a more occasional background presence. Looking forward to more of this.

 

[Avonaeon]

Completed it after about 12 hours. I thought the levels where gonna be procedurally generated, but seems like it's just the ship parametres/enemies that are. They do have a lot of templates for the ship layouts though, but you'll definitely see the same ships after a while.

Overall, pretty good.