Completed Let's play Tyranny, a classic old-school cRPG -- Blind LP -- Make Terratus Great Again!

[Zanzoken]

I have decided to attempt an LP of Tyranny, the weird little cousin of Pillars of Eternity that was made by Obsidian's second-string developers and released back in 2016. The game is currently free on the Epic Games Store, which is the only way I was going to obtain a copy because in my estimation up until now, it wasn't even worth pirating.

Of all the cRPGs that have ever been released, Tyranny is certainly one of them, so I am hoping this being a blind LP -- along with my attempts to spice things up with a bit of humor -- will be enough to keep myself, and maybe a few fellow esteemed Codexers, mildly entertained. However I reserve the right to abandon this run with extreme prejudice in the likely event that this game turns out to be complete shit.

Table of Contents

Prologue
Chapter 1: The Phoenix Rises From The Ashes
Chapter 2: An Urbanized Settlement of Unwed Mothers
Chapter 3: Thriving in Modest Insignificance
Chapter 4: An Irresistible Force Meets A Movable Object

Act One
Chapter 5: The Eagle Has Landed
Chapter 6: Pressing the Nuclear Button
Chapter 7: Can't Make An Omelette Without Breaking A Few Skulls
Chapter 8: Heroes Don't Get Captured
Chapter 9: Uppercut To The Babymaker
Chapter 10: Rapists, Sellswords, and Other Very Fine People
Chapter 11: The Patriarchy Strikes Back
Chapter 12: A Meteoric Rise, A Devastating Fall

Act Two
Chapter 13: The Court of Autism
Chapter 14: Tangible, Solid, Beautiful, Artistic
Chapter 15: The Art of the Rut-Fight-Kill
Chapter 16: Another Lightweight Bites the Dust
Chapter 17: Release The Crickets
Chapter 18: The Sun Emperor Brings the Dawn
Chapter 19: Fire and Fury and Library Books
Chapter 20: Too Stoned To Breathe
Chapter 21: Lightning In A Bottle

Act Three
Chapter 22: Crying Out In Pain As He Strikes
Chapter 23: The Deplorables
Chapter 24: Impeachment, Part Deux
Chapter 25: Make The Tiers Great Again

So what is Tyranny? Well, the main premise of the game is that you play on the side of the bad guys. The evil empire you serve is led by Kyros, an extremely powerful, mysterious, non-binary overlord of unknown pronouns who is bent on conquering the world of Terratus. The empire just about has this thing in the bag, having subjugated all but one last small peninsula in the Western part of the continent called The Tiers.

Since Kyros is mysterious and stuff, he/she/they/xir has a gang of henchmen to do all the dirty work, the principals of whom are shown in the screenshot below.

The fellow in the middle is Tunon the Adjudicator, who is the second big cheese next to Kyros. The faction on the left is called the Disfavored, a group of square-jawed ballbusters led by an old silverback named Graven Ashe. And the faction on the right is called the Scarlet Chorus, a motley crew of joggers, riggers, communists, and other assorted ne'er-do-wells led by a sneaky Jew spymaster called The Voices of Nerat. These leaders (along with a few others) are commonly referred to as Archons.

Our character is that of a Fatebinder, a sort of Judge Dredd type chosen one who is responsible for executing Kyros' laws across xir domain. That means Tunon is our direct boss, and we have a lot of power and latitude in resolving disputes between Kyros' various pawns.

That's about the extent of the game's introduction, so let's go ahead and jump into chapter one.

 

[Darth Roxor]

in

 

[rashiakas]

man I wish they spent their money on tranny/tranny 2 instead of pillars 2

 

[Zanzoken]

Chapter 1: The Phoenix Rises From The Ashes

Spoiler

Since Tyranny is supposed to be a game where you play as the bad guys, I figured who better to take the starring role than the outgoing US president, arch-tyrant of our time, Public Enemy No. 1, literally Hitler if not worse – Donald J. Trump!

Having served honorably in his post as President of the USA, the God Emperor has moved on to greener pastures and decided to try his hand at fantasy evil empire building. The character model lacks his idyllic orange glow, but other than that I'm quite happy with his look.

First up is our background reason for joining the army. Noble Scion is the obvious choice, with references to deal-making that may as well have been written for the Master of the Deal himself.

We choose a primary weapon talent of Dual Wielding, to properly own the libs under a relentless flurry of 4D chess inspired moves.

And for secondary skills, we go for Shock magic, to pay homage to Trump's uncanny ability to shock the delicate sensibilities of very serious people all around the world.

Trump adorns his proper colors and banner to prepare for battle…

... and after dispensing with the stuffy American title “Mr. President” (yuck) adopts a new style more appropriate for his level of majesty.

I can’t be fucked to learn what any of these attributes do, so we'll just put some where the game says to. And since I’m pretty sure this is the same “balanced” system from Pillars of Eternity, it doesn’t really matter anyway.

For skills I throw some points in primary and secondary weapons, as well as a hefty investment in Lore so we can properly role-play our hero for the stable genius that he is.

The game now wants to know if we want to play through Kyros conquering the Tiers, or just do a quick start. My impression from the intro was that conquering the Tiers is what this game is about, but I guess not?

Might as well take the longer approach and see what happens.

 

[Darth Roxor]

dis gon be gud

 

[ValeVelKal]

Ohh it starts nicely.

I recommand the long approach yes. That's indeed what the game is about.

 

[Zanzoken]

Chapter 2: An Urbanized Settlement of Unwed Mothers

Spoiler

The prologue starts off with more exposition. The art style on these vignettes is a bit cartoonish, which clashes with the grimdark tone.

Also notice the insertion of Nazi eagle iconography on Kyros' battle standard. A bit too on the nose don't you think?

Looks like we’ll be going through some pre-game C&C to set the stage. I am assuming there will be callbacks to these events once we start actually playing the game, but by then it's unlikely that I'll be able to remember any of this.

We start off in a place called The Bastard City, which sounds like a colloquialism but apparently is the place’s actual, legal name.

Another reason why this game feels amateurish to me: names like "The Voices of Nerat" and "The Bastard City" sound like something a 13-year-old would think is super cool, but it's rather implausible that people or places would actually be called that.

Anywho, the game plops down a couple of miniatures and gives us what appears to be a branching choice. We can choose to Infiltrate the Tiers, or square up to the Gates of Judgment. They don't seem very different on the surface though.

Trump would never miss an opportunity to be front and center, so we go with the latter option, which leads to a decision whether to side with the Disfavored or the Scarlet Chorus.

It’s an easy choice. This is a man who has repeatedly tweeted out “Law and Order” after all, which basically makes him the Wyatt Earp of our time.

And it’s a win for the visiting team.

Now we can rename the city to something better, like Trump Taj Majal City. Beautiful!


Next we’re faced with another branching choice, this time whether to feed the army or pass judgment over captured enemies.

Feeding the armies sounds boring and Trump’s not really known for being a details guy, so we’ll deal with the prisoners.

It’s another dilemma of whether to support the Disfavored or Scarlet Chorus, but this time our fearless leader has a flashback to all the times he fell prey to the Jewish trickery of evil chancellor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and makes the unfortunate decision to side with Antifa.

Record low Black unemployment!


I thought we already finished beating up the Bastard City, but apparently they aren't out of the fight yet.

Another decision path, but it’s a little spicier this time because our choice will also reward us with a new ability.

Warrior’s Respite seems like the best fit for Trump – you can knock him down, but he’s never out – so he manages to shake his head clear of Jew magic and join the Disfavored for a triumphant assault.

I guess now the Bastard City is truly captured, and the renaming ceremony can begin soon.

We’re faced with a new choice – to attack some place called Apex, or check out what’s happening somewhere else called Lethian’s Crossing.

This prologue section is interesting, but quite lengthy. It'll take at least two more chapters to finish it up.

 

[ValeVelKal]

The prologue is worth it.

Maybe, given this is Trump, make it as a interview/testimony of Trump when he is under trial by the new liberal Legislature. "We now want to talk about what you did during the Siege of the Bastard City"

 

[Zanzoken]

The prologue is worth it.

Maybe, given this is Trump, make it as a interview/testimony of Trump when he is under trial by the new liberal Legislature. "We now want to talk about what you did during the Siege of the Bastard City"

You will definitely be hearing from him directly at appropriate points in the story!

 

[SoupNazi]

Well, that saves me from trying to do a playthrough myself. Bon voyage.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Record low Black unemployment!

 

[frajaq]

Everytime I tried to play this again I fall off during the second act

 

[abnaxus]

 

[baud]

I also got the game, but that saves me the hassle of playing it

 

[Zanzoken]

Chapter 3: Thriving in Modest Insignificance

Spoiler

The God Emperor has grown a bit tired of winning battles, so he decides to head to Lethian’s Crossing to monitor the situation there.

There's not much to this place at first glance, but its importance derives from the fact that it is rich with iron ore, which is vital to our new pals the Disfavored for their shiny weapons and armor.

It’s essential that we ensure the military-industrial complex is on our side, especially after Voices of Nerat managed to conquer the area without a fight. No doubt he is a master of Jewish trickery just like son-in-law Kushner – we must tread carefully.

We have an option to boost weapons and armor production, or to resolve a dispute involving another new main character called the Archon of Song.

Normally Trump is all about the economy, but a character called the Archon of Song sounds like a good opportunity for fan service. Here’s hoping for a pair of Stormy Daniels sized anime tiddies.

But not the horseface!

Of course this is modern-day Obsidian we’re talking about, so instead we’re greeted by some weird looking genderfluid thing. Apparently she is bewitching soldiers from the Disfavored and enticing them to join the Scarlet Chorus, and we can’t let that fly.

Our decision to put a stop to her DEI seminar results in a silent hissy fit from the songstress, and puts the Chorus on the verge of a chimpout. But justice is swiftly done as her cult of weak-minded sycophants is hunted down and dealt with.

Next up we’ve got what looks like more drama involving the Chorus, or figuring out some kind of ancient aliens mystery.

Trump has always been more interested in making history than studying it, and drama only makes him more powerful. So let’s go rustle some more jimmies.

The Scarlet shitheads are trying to steal personnel again, this time one of the Disfavored’s smiths and all of their trade secrets along with it. How very China of them… and you know how we feel about China. And to make matters worse, production has slowed to a standstill.

Luckily, all we have to do to resolve the matter is declare that the blacksmith is now a slave, and force him to return to his old post. Economy = saved.

And let me tell you, he’s doing an absolutely wonderful job, just amazing work. The best we’ve ever seen, in fact!

Even more factional drama ensues. Our boss Tunon has finally had enough, and decides that someone’s got to leave the settlement.

Easy choice, and kind of lazy on the developer’s part, given that by this point most players will be consistently siding with one team or the other.

Our budding alliance with the Disfavored has grown stronger, and with Lethian’s Crossing now firmly under their control, it’s time for us to move on. For our next stop, we must choose one of three possible options.

Azure, a peaceful looking agricultural place where we can meet another main character called the Archon of Stone...

Vellum Citadel, a mysterious looking place that supposedly holds goodies...

... or Stalwart, where we'll most certainly find ourselves in another glorious battle.

Trump is popular with farmers, a big fan of treasure, and has a well-known penchant for giant walls. What do?

 

[Darth Roxor]

"The most formidable realm"? Stalwart it is. When you wanna reach high, you gotta aim high.

Also these assorted names, I swear. STALWART. AZURE. VELLUM. Though my favourite thus far is definitely the complete stupidity that is TERRATUS!

Also2 five bucks says these choices won't matter for shit lol.

 

[Zanzoken]

The writing is really something else. It's not quite as laborious and dull as Pillars of Eternity, but the whole presentation just screams "young adult fiction" to me.

I think it's a consequence of the world not really being fully fleshed out, so it relies on fantasy tropes instead of an internal consistency. Compare to something like Morrowind, which is just as fantastical on the surface but somehow manages to also feel like a real place with history, culture, etc.

 

[ValeVelKal]

I propose to rebrand "the disfavored" as "the deplorables".

Apart from that, OF COURSE you need to build a wall. Or whatever, wall related.

 

[baud]

I'd say go grab some goodies

 

[Butter]

This game's art shits all over Outer Worlds. What if Leonard Boyarsky was a hack fraud this whole time?

 

[gurugeorge]

I keep glancing at the title of this thread occasionally and thinking it says "Let's play Tranny."

 

[Zanzoken]

Chapter 4: An Irresistible Force Meets A Movable Object

Spoiler

The God Emperor instructs his servants to pack his bags and prepare for the journey to Stalwart. The only way a great wall is going to be allowed to stand on our watch, is if it’s emblazoned with a Trump insignia.

Upon arrival there are a couple issues needing our attention. One regarding the Commie Chorus “appropriating” some supplies, and another that involves finger-pointing after a lost battle.

Trump doesn’t really want to associate with losers, so he decides to focus on the supply issues.

Turns out the Chorus was planning a mostly peaceful protest across the countryside in order to provision their gang of freedom fighters, but the residents of Stalwart already scorched the earth ahead of time.

The Disfavored had the basic common sense ingenious foresight to establish supply lines ahead of time, and now the Chorus has resorted to stealing from their own allies.

Trump is about to lay down some law and order, but then recalls a conversation he had with Kushner, where son-in-law was talking about how important it is to remedy income inequality to secure the black vote and after all, isn’t private property just a social construct anyway?

The Disfavored are predictably disappointed.

But my approval rating with the Scarlet Chorus jumped from 3% to 5%. Big win!


Next up we have the Chorus pioneering a new questionable tactic, and some kind of suicide wave hitting the army to the south.

An epidemic of suicides among soldiers is old hat for a former US president. Trump is more curious about what kind of monkeyshines the reds are up to now.

In a fantastic example of art imitating life, it turns out that the mages of the Scarlet Chorus have figured out how to exert mind control over a horde of simpletons called the Beastmen, and want to bring them into the fold to use as cannon fodder.

Trump knows from experience that these sort of tactics are remarkably effective, but he already cucked once on this campaign and doesn’t want to risk angering the Disfavored any further.

The end of the conflict is in sight. Our legions are kicking ass and have routed the opposing army, forcing its leaders to retreat and hide in their castle.

Given the preceding events it probably wouldn’t take long to starve them out and capture the fortress intact, but Kyros is getting impatient and therefore issues something called an Edict to speed things along.

According to this handy tooltip, an Edict is a magical scroll that Kyros can whip up whenever it’s time to wreak some serious, Ten Plagues of Egypt level havoc.

While this helps explain why Kyros is the boss and everyone is quick to do xir bidding, it raises the question of why we would bother fighting a conventional war with these people and then, just as we reach the cusp of victory, launch a nuke that will completely obliterate everything we just fought to obtain.

Anyway, for some unknown reason we’ve been given a three-day window to read the Edict, and it’s up to us to decide when to drop the hammer.

The idea that either of our armies would give a shit about this seems out of character to me, and the people of Stalwart are fucked either way. So we’ll just go with what the Disfavored want and build some more rep with them.

Stalwart gets blown all to fuck, and is newly christened with the equally fan-fictiony name “Blade Grave”.

It’s still nicer than the south side of Chicago!

And with that, we are finally done with the prologue.

 

[Infinitron]

"The most formidable realm"? Stalwart it is. When you wanna reach high, you gotta aim high.

Also these assorted names, I swear. STALWART. AZURE. VELLUM. Though my favourite thus far is definitely the complete stupidity that is TERRATUS!

Clearly an intentional choice to go for these sort of simple, elemental names - perhaps to emphasize the more "earthy", gritty nature of the setting? Chris Avellone might have been the one who came up with this FYI.

 

[Azira]

You're still barely in the intro? Shit hasn't even begun.

 

[Darth Roxor]

"The most formidable realm"? Stalwart it is. When you wanna reach high, you gotta aim high.

Also these assorted names, I swear. STALWART. AZURE. VELLUM. Though my favourite thus far is definitely the complete stupidity that is TERRATUS!

Clearly an intentional choice to go for these sort of simple, elemental names - perhaps to emphasize the more "earthy", gritty nature of the setting? Chris Avellone might have been the one who came up with this FYI.

TERRATUS!

also you really dont have to shill for every obsidian game everywhere you know