5 hours with: Satellite Reign

The cyberpunk subgenre is one that I absolutely adore. I’ve read countless of books and short stories, all of them leaving them with that bit of childlike glee after reading it. It’s actually really strange, I’m really attracted to this genre, with all of its weird quirks. Blade Runner is, aesthetically, one of the most visually enjoyable movies I have ever seen. Shadowrun novels pile up on my Kindle and I quickly chip away at them one by one. The works of Philip K. Dick and Gibson are inspiring. It’s not like I’d like to live in this dystopian take on the future, it just fascinates me.

Satellite Reign hits the nail on the head for this genre, it’s the perfect blend in aesthetic, story, design. Everything meshes beautifully together. Now, you won’t be getting the complex storylines like the ones in the recent Shadowrun games (which are excellent! Check them out of you haven’t yet) but they’re serviceable. Doing just enough to keep you invested. The combat and mechanics in Satellite Reign are top notch. There is a dynamic feel to combat that I feel is really difficult to achieve in other games. Stealth is challenging, rewarding, and most importantly, perfectly doable in an era where isometric games, for all intents and purposes, frown upon the use of stealth. Yet, the actual gunplay is satisfying and doesn’t make you feel like you copped out instead of playing it properly and sneaking in. There is no ‘correct’ way to play. Every choice is up to you and matters in ways that other games fall flat on. This game praises combat choice, which makes for fun and dynamic combat encounters. The choices do not just involve dialouge wheels and branching narrative paths.

This isn’t that game.

This is a complex, brutishily hard isometric strategy RPG. There’s something about the combat here that doesn’t feel like X-Com which is really refreshing. A lot of tactical strategy games are adopting the X-Com method because it worked. Satellite Reign isn’t interested in that. It wants you to make decisions that affect your play style. Through my hours of play I died multiple times yet never once did I feel like the game was cheating. Each death was my fault and I learned from those mistakes and adjusted my play style accordingly.

I’m so excited to play more of this game. It’s incredibly unique in both atmosphere and combat. Every model and asset is detailed, making this game like particularly stunning. I’m loving this game so far. I can’t recommend it enough. Please do yourself a favor, if given the chance, but this game. It’s definitely worth your time and money.

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