*Note: This review is for the initial release version of Pit People on Early Access and Game Preview. A separate review for the final product will be released upon the release of the finished version of Pit People.
Background
The fourth game by popular indie developer The Behemoth, the creators of Alien Hominid, Castle Crashers, and BattleBlock Theater comes a new hexagonal strategy game. Pit People was released on January 13, 2017 to the Xbox One and Windows. It is currently in Early Access with no date currently set for it to exit. Capture the enemy and assemble your team to save the kingdom and stop all the evil.
Story
There really isn’t much to be said for in terms of overall content as of now with it being in Early Access (or Game Preview for Xbox One). But what is playable and available in terms of story progression are exactly what we have come to expect from The Behemoth. Pit People is filled to the brim with humor and wacky antics, and perhaps the best thing is the narrator who is some omnipotent being that wishes for the players first character, Horatio, to just die. The world of Pit People is a world in near ruin, as the planet has recently been struck by a giant space bear corpse, which has broken the planet into little hexagons. Horatio, a humble blueberry farmer, is joined by Pipistrella, the wayward princess, and Josef, the demi-clops, as you make your way to the castle and the Pit. It is very entertaining as well to find out that the narrator isn’t just a voice but is actually a character within the game. There is very little story to go off of, but if the remainder of the game plays anything like the available content then this will be another home run for The Behemoth.
Gameplay
The gameplay is quite simple but clunky and in dire need of improvement. There is no way to tell your units to directly attack one specific enemy if it is near more than one. Units that attack at range such as the archers and the wraiths are difficult to use as you spend most of your time moving the cursor around trying to figure out where they have to be to attack the specific target you want to hit. This is a rather annoying hindrance and this lack of precise unit control is a big setback for any strategy game. When not in battle you are free to roam the open world riddled with hexagonal squares and rogue enemies to fight. Every time you leave the city you can take up a quest to undertake or just go and try and capture some more units. Perhaps one of the most noticeable and energetic aspects of the game is the music, both inside of battle and out, while really capturing the fun feel of the game, it is a very short cycle, which means that it very quickly becomes repetitive and even at times annoying, especially in drawn out battles.
Early Access
With Pit People being in Early Access/Game Preview, there really is not to discuss. My fear for Pit People as with many Early Access titles, is that they may never exit, or take forever to exit the program and see the final version’s release. They are continually making updates and patches and it doesn't seem to be stagnating so we can still keep hope for a final product down the road.
Verdict: 7/10
Fun and full of character, Pit People is a diamond in the rough, with a ton of working potential. The gameplay is fun but not without its flaws, and it possesses the very recognizable Behemoth charm. It is safe to say that they have another hit on their hands and it will be my personal pleasure to watch this game develop into yet another masterpiece.
