TheRetroArcade
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The debut title from Lost Lake Games also lets you switch between turn-based combat and real-time action.
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I'm not sure I've entirely got my head around Vaunted, the latest game to emerge from the stable of Hooded Horse, PC gaming's hottest publisher. Revealed at last week's Xbox Partner Preview, Vaunted is a sci-fi tactical RPG where you control a motley crew of thieves and mercenaries forced to do the bidding of a criminal syndicate after an ambitious expedition goes horribly awry.
I understand the bones of Vaunted well enough, though, I do have some questions. The game involves assembling motley crews of miscreants and leading them into battle in a run-based format. A key gimmick is that Vaunted lets you switch between turn-based combat and real-time third-person action. For example, you can deploy specific abilities and plan manoeuvres in your fixed turn, then switch to real-time to move a character into cover or dodge incoming projectiles.
I can see how that would work, though I'm intrigued to see how developer Lost Lake Games stops this from giving the player a massive advantage. Where things get particularly intriguing (and confusing) is how Vaunted approaches narrative.
Vaunted's story revolves primarily around three characters, the mercenary Genril, the lizardlike thief Dyse, and the warlock Kyvaath. Each of these characters has their own perspective on how the story plays out, and if a hero dies, you can rewrite the tale from the perspective of a different hero.
At first I thought this was some sort of fancy rewind function, like Call of Juarez: Gunslinger's "No, that's not how it happened" segments, only dynamic, with the death of a character pushing them into a different branch of the story. But since Vaunted is a run-based game, this wouldn't make much sense. Instead, it appears to be more of a way to spice up those individual runs, with losing characters becoming an opportunity to explore different viewpoints of those who remain.
However the storytelling works, Lost Lake Games says that "Every conversation you have, and every decision you make—and who you make it as—can change how things play out, for better or for worse." There's a roguelite element involved too. As characters progress through a run, their stories gain "credibility". When they die, you can spend that credibility to unlock stat upgrades, making them more likely ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
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Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
I'm not sure I've entirely got my head around Vaunted, the latest game to emerge from the stable of Hooded Horse, PC gaming's hottest publisher. Revealed at last week's Xbox Partner Preview, Vaunted is a sci-fi tactical RPG where you control a motley crew of thieves and mercenaries forced to do the bidding of a criminal syndicate after an ambitious expedition goes horribly awry.
I understand the bones of Vaunted well enough, though, I do have some questions. The game involves assembling motley crews of miscreants and leading them into battle in a run-based format. A key gimmick is that Vaunted lets you switch between turn-based combat and real-time third-person action. For example, you can deploy specific abilities and plan manoeuvres in your fixed turn, then switch to real-time to move a character into cover or dodge incoming projectiles.
I can see how that would work, though I'm intrigued to see how developer Lost Lake Games stops this from giving the player a massive advantage. Where things get particularly intriguing (and confusing) is how Vaunted approaches narrative.
Vaunted's story revolves primarily around three characters, the mercenary Genril, the lizardlike thief Dyse, and the warlock Kyvaath. Each of these characters has their own perspective on how the story plays out, and if a hero dies, you can rewrite the tale from the perspective of a different hero.
At first I thought this was some sort of fancy rewind function, like Call of Juarez: Gunslinger's "No, that's not how it happened" segments, only dynamic, with the death of a character pushing them into a different branch of the story. But since Vaunted is a run-based game, this wouldn't make much sense. Instead, it appears to be more of a way to spice up those individual runs, with losing characters becoming an opportunity to explore different viewpoints of those who remain.
However the storytelling works, Lost Lake Games says that "Every conversation you have, and every decision you make—and who you make it as—can change how things play out, for better or for worse." There's a roguelite element involved too. As characters progress through a run, their stories gain "credibility". When they die, you can spend that credibility to unlock stat upgrades, making them more likely ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?