Back in May 2019, developer Blue Manchu released a roguelike first-person shooter game called Empty bastard A thought provoking name for a thought provoking game. Empty bastard Received much love from both critics and fans upon its release in 2019, and five years later, Blue Manchu is back with another vibrant roguelike adventure, but while… You savage bastard It retains the same style and tone as its spiritual predecessor, with just a few major differences when it comes to gameplay.
In summary, You savage bastard It's a roguelike first-person shooter game. Empty bastardBut there is an additional layer of turn-based strategy that its predecessors lacked. This makes You savage bastard The feel of the rhythm is very different, and while it may disappoint some fans, there are still many things that are worth watching, if not all. You savage bastard' The elements create a pleasing impact.
Wild Bastards is an engaging sci-fi story.
After a brief introduction You savage bastard' The main story has been revealed and it's a classic sci-fi/western tale. Aboard the mysterious, sentient ship The Drifter, players will travel across the galaxy and collect the souls of their deceased former crewmates, hoping to eventually reach the Promised Land, a safe haven for robots, mutants and aliens.
You savage bastardThe story is simple but effective, and provides players with a strong motivation to continue their journey across the galaxy. There are also some fun little tidbits of sci-fi gameplay mechanics explained, such as The Drifter's sense of purpose behind the game's roguelike loop. You savage bastard' The main campaign takes around 9 hours to complete on Normal difficulty.
You savage bastard There’s also a procedural campaign mode, challenge mode, and Iron Man mode if players want a more challenging experience. These are nice additions that help the game feel like a complete package, but the mod doesn’t change the core gameplay too much.
Wild Bastard's repetitive gameplay bites off more than it can chew
You savage bastard Throw players into the deep end and don't be afraid to let them struggle for a while from the start. You savage bastard The game has many overlapping systems, and players often have to figure things out on their own from the start, making it feel unnerving from the very first play.
But after one or two rounds, You savage bastardThe initial obstacles begin to fade, and engaging gameplay emerges. Players will fall into a rhythm of warping into new installments in search of new villains to unlock and begin the lengthy process of rescuing them. Once in the new installment, players will have to chart a path through the stars, each providing crucial upgrades along the way. Once above a planet, players will beam down to the surface, and that's where the You savage bastardNew turn-based strategy elements will come into play
Players travel to planets that are built like a board game, with major points of interest scattered along a linear path. Players are allowed a certain number of moves per turn, and the general goal is to grab as much loot, upgrades, mods, and valuable resources as possible before a powerful boss comes along and forces them to leave their planet empty-handed.
In addition to upgrades, resources, and useful tiles that restore the player's movement or health, You savage bastardThe board game-like planetary map is filled with combat encounters such as checkpoints and enemies. Reaching these encounters will put players in challenging first-person combat, where they must shoot down enemies to advance.
This main loop will repeat for You savage bastard' Overall, however, it remains fairly interesting due to the game's many overlapping progression systems and evolving mechanics. With each new game, players will encounter at least one new gameplay mechanic, which may be a permanent upgrade, such as Aces, Tonics that give players ways to heal team members, and a Pal/Feud system that causes the player's Outlaws gang to either fall apart or become random friends. These mechanics are fed to the player in small increments throughout the game, giving the player a sense that progression is worthwhile, which is important for a roguelike game, but it's not perfect.
One important point is You savage bastard' The gameplay cycle is such that while unlocking these mechanics feels instantly rewarding, some don't really have a huge impact on gameplay. The Pal/Feud system is perhaps the best example of this. At first, the system seems very in-depth, with players being given a big chart that explains who's feuding with who and who's friends with who, represented by lines that connect the icons of the Outlaws.
Early in the game, it matters which characters are in conflict, as these characters cannot attack simultaneously. But once the player unlocks six or more Outlaws, this mechanic is forgotten entirely, as these characters almost always have a satisfying partner, no matter who they're in conflict with. This means that Beans resources are rarely necessary, as the player rarely needs to use them to maintain conflict. This criticism extends to many You savage bastard' A gameplay mechanic that many people find fun to unlock, but ultimately lacks the depth needed to keep the game interesting throughout.
Unfortunately, this lack of depth You savage bastard' The gameplay loop can start to feel repetitive after a few hours, especially if players don't enjoy the turn-based nature of the game's planetary maps, which take up the majority of the game.
The Wild Bastards outlaws are a fascinating group of villains.
As its name suggests, most You savage bastard' The story and gameplay are based on the Outlaws characters. Throughout the game's main campaign, players will unlock a total of 13 playable Outlaws, just like its spiritual predecessor. You savage bastard' The unique cartoon-like art style gives each of the game's 13 Outlaw characters a unique identity, while the game's voice acting also helps to enhance the characters' personalities.
In terms of gameplay, each Outlaw has their own unique weapons and abilities. In theory, this means that: You savage bastard Offering 13 different gameplay modes, however, things aren’t as good as they seem. In reality, You savage bastard'13 Outlaws is a mixed bag, at least in terms of gameplay. While You savage bastard It is home to a variety of useful characters with a variety of powerful weapons and special abilities that are very satisfying to use, but there are still a few characters that are not worth bringing into battle.
While opinions on specific Outlaws vary depending on what playstyle players prefer in a first-person shooter, there are some Outlaws that are noticeably weaker than others. Smoky's flamethrower looks awesome but is incredibly weak, and its reload time is far too long. In a standard FPS, for example, these traits might not be a major issue, but You savage bastard It's a tough game where every match matters. There's no room for a weak Outlaw. A weak Outlaw means a quick death, and death means an abrupt end to the story, the need to start over, and a deep frustration that quickly overshadows the entire experience.
But unfortunately this leads to You savage bastard' The roster feels a bit unbalanced, and about halfway through, players will find a set of four Outlaws they like and potentially neglect the good parts of the roster. Things are improved, however, with the game's Ace upgrade system, which grants powerful stat-boosting and new abilities to the Outlaws. These Aces go a long way toward making the weakest Outlaws in the roster a bit more durable, but they still won't convince players to switch out their four favorites.
Wild Bastards hit more than they miss, but it's a lot of suspense.
You savage bastard It’s a vibrant and ambitious game that tries its best to add new gameplay mechanics and playable characters. But while the effort is certainly admirable, there’s no denying that many elements don’t quite make the impact they deserve. There’s still plenty of room for fans to have fun with it. You savage bastardBut that time will not be without confusion, frustration and a little boredom.
You savage bastard Available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant received a PS5 code to use in this review.
