The ideological successor of the Syndicate. Overview of Satellite Reign. Briefly about the gameplay
A hacker in a respirator, with a rifle, an Uzi pistol and a fire support drone, in a matter of seconds, breaks into the bank's territory. Bypasses the surveillance camera and two patrolmen, nervously slips along the wall. He takes the elevator to the terminal, again conjures over the control unit, and the spotlights of all nearby cameras go out.
Then he enters the bank almost unhindered, from where he leaves with a noticeably replenished account. It is chosen not in the most obvious way - along a narrow staircase leading to a cramped uncomfortable nook, where, however, you also have to tinker with protective electronics. Having already found himself in relative safety, the hero decides to secure a nice bonus for himself and breaks into an ATM.
Initially, the robbery involved the participation of soldiers of three other specializations - equally skilled, well-equipped and hardy. But in the end, they waited for a colleague outside. It was that rare case when everything went smoothly and not a single shot was needed.
Laws of Cyber Ethics
Civilians treat you indifferently, but one shot can sow panic in the area.
Screenwriting and aesthetics Satellite Reign operates exclusively with familiar images. Four depersonalized clone troopers, as in . Complementary specializations of heroes, like we are talking about Commandos. A rainy neon dystopia from a cyberpunk classic.
The plot is the story of a corporate war without much fuss: one company is trying to weaken the city's Dracogenics monopolists, not shunning dirty methods. Yes, and the soundtrack - moderately calm, moderately disturbing electronic melodies - is such that it can easily be overlooked; at least, having finished the game, you are unlikely to remember it.
But artless and unpretentious Satellite Reign hard to name. It's not with its intricate mythology, but at least the scenery here is curious. The city resembles a maze of mist-shrouded neighborhoods, wide, futuristic-looking streets, and heavily fenced areas controlled by the Dracogenics.
The moment for hacking must be chosen carefully, otherwise you will quickly get caught by someone.
The world is static, pedestrians and vehicles move aimlessly back and forth, and even creepy advertisements on huge wall screens do not really enliven the landscape. But as an interactive cyberpunk museum, the game has its own charm, the whole rather big map is modeled in some detail, and if, for example, you leave the controls alone for a while, the isometric camera in smooth motion will produce shots worthy of Blade Runner or Minority Report.
It seems that the authors deliberately reduced everything to the recreation of genre clichés - under the conditions they set, it is easier for the player to focus on the mechanics. Almost from the very beginning, a “sandbox” is open in front of you, where no one decides anything for you. You have to choose the order of the missions (a dozen orders can hang in the work mail at the same time), and the equipment of the squad members, and how exactly to act within the framework of each operation. Tasks, like the scenario, are emphatically simple: steal, kill, bribe, hack, and so on. Another thing is that in the process of sabotage themselves, the original plans will have to be corrected many times.
Popular Mechanics
To open some doors, you have to break into several terminals at once.
With the organization of the group, everything is simple: there is a soldier, a scout, a hacker and a support fighter; everyone has a set of weapons (you can buy from special points), everyone knows how to develop their skills and modify themselves with the help of implants. Augments are few at first, but over time you can buy at least mechanical legs, at least an intracranial interference suppression system, at least a biochip that allows you to hack enemy drones. The scope for experimentation is huge.
But even in the traditional arsenal, there are enough bright examples - like a plasma revolver and a laser submachine gun that can easily break through shields. The team receives weapon prototypes as a result of missions or acquires them on the black market (like implants and equipment), and it is better to immediately send them for research and production - the same gun during the operation may well be needed by several members of the group at once.
It is necessary to actively act on enemy territory, including for the sake of experience, which significantly helps in advancing through missions.
The preparatory part is followed almost immediately by the decision of cases. There is little interesting on the streets (the easiest way is to use fast travel on the map), but in the areas fenced with metal fences, where we are sent in almost every task, you can always get hold of something or at least seriously annoy your competitors.
The example from the introduction is just one of hundreds of possible scenarios. Sometimes you burst into the Dracogenics loudly, bombard the cameras in spectacular fashion, release the drone and rush to the target under heavy fire, losing fighters one by one. Sometimes you try to act quietly, but after ten seconds everything goes awry: a patrol notices you, you begin to dodge among ladders and boxes and frantically figure out escape routes.
It also happens that your squad inexplicably lures a whole army of enemies who do not get rid of you even after the retreat, and you have to drop your tail almost like in GTA- by intricate maneuvers on city streets.
Literally everything works for dynamics - from the absence tactical pause to the impossibility of saving the game on enemy zones and the well-thought-out architecture of locations, which involves an active search for solutions. The tension in each planned raid (for example, on the police headquarters) is greater than in the movie of Michael Mann: you never know what means and victims will be managed this time.
The death of clones is not a particularly significant event - they quickly respawn at the nearest point, after which you can try to complete the task again.
True, from time to time attempts to act tactically stumble over AI. Enemies sometimes look at your squad point-blank and hesitate to shoot. And the heroes themselves often run into obstacles and do not always predictably respond to commands. Although the point here is also in the interface, which becomes somewhat cumbersome with the development of the squad: it is not always possible to quickly navigate the secondary weapon selection menus and the ability icons of each clone.
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As a result of the Kickstarter campaign 5 Lives Studios(which includes some of the creators of the cult Syndicate) managed to raise a little more than 700 thousand dollars. For comparison: the authors Shadowrun Returns received almost two million.
A small review following the results of familiarization with the pre-alpha of Satellite Reign. I tested version 0.2.7-0.2.8. On this moment the game has a rather poor interface (and there is also no tutorial), but let's try to figure it out. Once again, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the review is in pre-alpha! The end game may differ significantly, I'm only describing the current state.
The first thing you immediately notice in Satellite Reign is the city sparkling with neon signs. One gets the feeling that they decided to create the game not from the gameplay mechanics, but from the city. Among all modern isometric games, Satellite Reign has the most beautiful and technologically advanced picture. There are also reflections, and bright special effects (explosions), and detailed figures of residents, and neat futuristic cars (which, by the way, can be used). In general, the picture even in pre-alpha looks very decent.
Everything else is not so rosy yet and there is a lot of work to be done before the game starts to match the description on the Steam page. What the developers promise:
"Satellite Reign - class-based strategy game in real time. You control a team of four agents, each with different and unique abilities, who together fight for control of a "living" cyberpunk city.
Yes, there are 4 classes, each has its own interesting abilities, but only the strategic element in the game is currently missing. All tasks are reduced to the usual assault on the next “point of interest”. After the 3rd mission, you don’t even read the description, and of course there is no point in giving a bribe for additional “insider information”. Firepower makes the difference. And it’s even easier, just run in a crowd to the right door (the essence of the task, as a rule, is to get into certain room in a closed area). If someone is killed along the way, it doesn’t matter, in a couple of seconds he will come to life at the last open lighthouse. If at least one agent reaches the desired “ping point” and enters it, then the task is considered completed.
The “strategic” feeling of capturing the city, which is mentioned in the description, is definitely not now. There are some strange groupings. But what is their influence or your influence is unknown.
“The game world gives you the tools and freedom to play the way you want. You can create strategies and scenarios that we never even planned!”
Well, if in the final game it will be so. A hacker has, for example, the ability to take control of a random resident and distract the guards with his help; the support agent can scan the area and detect device connection schemes, etc. But in pre-alpha, the idea is still in its infancy, since the most obvious scenario with a run to the right door I described above. Other scenarios are simply not thought out right now.
"Upgrade your team's equipment and abilities to take out the enemy head-on, or by stealthily hacking and manipulating their infrastructure."
An opportunity for implants a la Deus Ex was noticed in the interface Human Revolution. You can also conduct research on various weapon prototypes. I am writing weapons, since in the pre-alpha in the first task it is necessary to research a laser pistol, and non-lethal weapons are not excluded. What will be the opportunities in final version one can only guess, but there is a backlog.
“Will you use brute force, espionage or sabotage against your enemies? Or maybe propaganda? Influence the inhabitants of the city and overthrow the controlling structures"
Sounds great, but I haven't noticed anything like this in pre-alpha yet.
“The governments of the world are controlled by mega-corporations. Society is structured in favor of those in power. The poor exist in the gloomy lower part of the city, while the rich enjoy luxury in the upper tiers, and the vast middle class values peace and comfort too much to see the world as it really is. Corporate police patrol the streets, brutally maintaining the status quo under the pretense of keeping people safe.
The time for change is now as a mysterious organization rises from the slums of the city. They will have to bribe, steal, hack and kill to overcome the barriers that stand between them and their ultimate goal... but what are they trying to achieve? Free people from the corporate grip or take everything under their control? The decision is up to you."
There are some more beautiful words, which, of course, are still far from reality. The pre-alpha shows the Red Light District. From his description it follows that this is the most gloomy and impoverished part of the city. However, for some reason it looks very fashionable and you won’t even meet a single homeless person on the streets. And where are the patrols killing citizens? And such flying spy bots will not interfere. Well, instead of colorful signs with bald women, there should be propaganda, of course!
The total is what happens. Today, Satellite Reign is something like a beautiful city layout with some outlines of future gameplay. There are interesting ideas and there is time to implement them.
Satellite Reign is an action game developed by 5 Lives Studios for the PC platform. The environment in the game belongs to the style of fantasy, and the following features can be distinguished: cyberpunk, strategy, science fiction, real-time, indie, action, tactics, open world, top view, stealth and others. You will have access to such game modes as "single player", "multiplayer" and "joint play".
Globally, Satellite Reign is distributed under a one-time purchase model by publisher 5 Lives Studios. At the moment, the game stage is launched, and its release date is 08/27/2015. It is impossible to download Satellite Reign for free, including via torrent, since the game is distributed according to the one-time purchase model. The game supports Russian.
MMO13 has not yet been rated by Satellite Reign. Metacritic rates this game 7.5 out of 10. The game is distributed in the Steam store, where users rate this game with their reviews 7.4 out of 10.
The official description of the game reads:
Satellite Reign is a class based RTS set in a cyberpunk city with a life of its own. A group of 4 agents under your control scurry through the rain-drenched and neon-lit streets. Shooting, robbery, sabotage - all methods are good to bring down the most powerful corporation of all times and peoples!
William Gibson in the famous novel Neuromancer”described a world in which large corporations took control of the country, and the civilian population actively uses various cybernetic augmentations (implants). Ordinary people those who dared to take to the streets were under the scrutiny of the militarized police, those who dared to oppose the total control of corporations embarked on the path of war and fought for a better future. It is impossible not to notice how some of the described things come true in our time, which can hardly beat off the love for the cyberpunk genre. Even a cursory glance at Satellite Reign” allows us to conclude that the development team “ 5 Lives Studios was inspired by the canonical works of this genre of science fiction. " Satellite Reign"can be called the ideological heir" Syndicate”, which was released back in 1993. Thanks to the efforts of the Swedish studio " Starbreeze Studios", The next part of the series was released in 2012, however, fans of" Syndicate" were hardly satisfied - the project changed the genre to " FPS"and in every possible way eschewed the tactical roots of the series. Command " 5 Lives Studios"has experience working on projects of various genres, and therefore, it was perfect for creating the successor to the famous series. 
Plot
tie storyline"Satellite Reign" is simple enough - corporations have taken control of the world government, which has led to the outbreak of a full-scale class war. Corporations take advantage of the poor, thereby giving the rich an almost endless life. All events take place in full view of the public, honest people are struck by indifference and fear, and the upper strata of society are inactive. The protagonist is the leader of a new group that has set itself the goal of changing the power structure of the city.Briefly about the gameplay
In terms of gameplay « Satellite Reign» quite distinctive - looking at the screenshots, you might think that the project is a step-by-step, tactical game. In reality, the game can be described as a real-time tactical simulator. The plot throws the player into an open world and forces them to make decisions, being responsible for their consequences. Of course, the player will be given some guidance to begin with, but after completing a short tutorial segment, main character free to make decisions.
Classes and abilities
At this stage, the project has implemented four specializations - Soldier, Support, Violator and Hacker. Each class has certain abilities that create variability in the passage of missions. For example, if a support soldier scans the environment, the locations of electronic terminals can be identified, then the hacker can deal with the security panel without raising an alarm. It is worth noting that the option of a simple assault through the main passage is also possible, in this case it is necessary to destroy the security cameras, which will exclude the challenge of enemy reinforcements. The use of civilians is also possible - a hacker can briefly take control of an NPC and use them as a distraction. AT " Satellite Reign» Each class has 7-8 abilities that can be upgraded. Development can make a squad member more efficient with weapons, give access to remote-controlled drones, etc. Choosing a development branch can radically change the style of combat. For a hardened squad with good equipment and weapons, entering through the main door is probably the easiest option. A team that specializes more in silent infiltrations will probably be more suitable for a different approach - silent assassinations and hacking security panels.
Money
Money rules the world - Satellite Reign This truth has not changed. Money is needed for almost everything - weapon development, bribing a guard, implants, weapon modifiers, equipment, etc. Luckily, cash can be obtained in several ways. The option with the least risk is to install a special device on ATMs, bank robbery is also possible, but it is very difficult to implement it.Combat and AI
Combat and the ingenuity evoked by the game are at the heart of the gameplay" Satellite Reign". The isometric view of the game certainly resembles the original " Syndicate". The level of detail is, of course, an order of magnitude higher, but what is more important is what is under the neon shell of the game. Combat system in real time is based on the use of numerous covers, however, the absence of a pause precludes any attempt to use tactics, except for the initial positioning. For example, an intruder sniper rifle with a silencer in an elevated position can be a good help to the squad in clearing the area. Unfortunately, the game is very weak artificial intelligence , in particular, the search for a path to the goal leaves much to be desired. Characters, both party members and opponents, regularly get stuck in the environment and often get lost, forcing the player to look for the hero all over the map. While the guards will unsuccessfully beat their heads into the corner, the player, for example, will be able to successfully raid the corporate headquarters. However, when the advantage is on the side of AI, one should be wary of a very fierce confrontation. The guards will come in from the flanks, call for reinforcements, fire from different points and suppress the detachment of violators.
world of the universe
Team " 5 Lives Studios managed to realize a very unusual and attractive world of the universe. The city never falls asleep and is constantly on the move, the locations are almost completely devoid of restrictions, and the player can immediately after training go to storm any corporate base. Unfortunately, only a few city objects are interactive, and interacting with them leads to almost nothing and is a waste of time. Finally, one more distinguishing feature world of the universe - the large size of game locations.Outcome
« Satellite Reign"is not devoid of obvious shortcomings, however, the project of the studio" 5 Lives Studios"is one of the most curious games of recent times. The combination of a tactical combat system and an open world in the spirit of " Deus Ex". Sneaking through a fortified enemy base unnoticed is always an exhilarating experience; if things don't go according to plan, the game has a fairly large number of combat options with which to experiment. Failure does not always mean defeat, survival and adaptation in difficult conditions is an important element of the gameplay. The next robbery will most likely not break through the armor of monopolistic evil corporations, but will give the player unforgettable emotions in the process.
for the site GetRand.ru
Keywords: Satellite Reign, 5 Lives Studios, cyberpunk, role-playing game, Real-time tactics, rpg, rtt, description, artificial intelligence
Increasingly, the style of a dystopian future ruled by mega-corporations is reflected in both major games from famous publishers and little-known indie titles. Among the first, of course, I would like to highlight Deus Ex: Human Revolution and soon to be continued Mankind Divided , but the indie sector can also please sophisticated gamers.
Satellite Reign- an unusual real-time strategy, the action of which takes place in the old-school metropolis of the future. Unlike Human Revolution, the future in the project from 5 Lives Studios looks deliberately “old”, as if it had just descended from the pages of one of the works of the cult William Gibson. Acid neon lights, expressive and grotesque signs on buildings and huge plasma panels broadcasting colorful advertisements throughout the city.
However, Satellite Reign can hardly be called a full-fledged RTS, because only four agents of various classes have to be controlled - a soldier, a support, an assassin and a hacker. Each of the classes has an extensive skill tree and can use a whole line of abilities. That is, it is rather a mixture of RTS and tactical role-playing game.
But if the role-playing part is generally familiar to games with a tactical bias, then the very concept of passing is extremely unexpected. The fact is that in Satellite Reign there is neither a full-fledged base where we would get between missions, nor, in fact, the missions themselves in their classic form. Instead, we have a huge city divided into four main districts. It lives its own life, everything here obeys logic: residents scurry back and forth during the day, at night giving way to the streets to gangs and detachments in the service of private companies, and a variety of technical devices are scattered at every step, starting with street lamps and ending with complex security systems.
AT open world found a place for several factions. By completing tasks for them, you create a reputation for yourself and define the range of your capabilities. For example, by helping scientists, you will greatly advance in the technologies available to the detachment, and working for private security companies will significantly expand the arsenal of weapons. Of course, you won’t be able to choose everything at once, since helping one spoils relations with others.
The combat part is made neatly, but without frills. Its biggest drawback is the lack of variety. The ideal tactic against any group of opponents is quickly groped for. Often it is enough just to sit in cover and carefully use all available abilities, and due to the lack of procedural generation, city runs turn into a series of similar combat encounters, which after a while begin to bother.
But if you like to try different tactics, even if not the most effective ones, then you will not get bored with the game soon, since it has long been in early access and has enough content for a long and enthusiastic pastime, so it's definitely worth the money.
In the material: Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Satellite Reign
