Initial release date: 2024
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
Developer:Â Blue Manchu
Genres: Shooter game, Indie game, Strategy
Publishers: Maximum Entertainment, Modus Games
Series:Â Void Bastards
Engine:Â Unity
Wild Bastards ditches the huge FPS levels of its predecessor for smaller arenas and more strategy. The new strategic elements of managing an outlaw crew and navigating planets for resources and upgrades in the most efficient way add some nice depth, but the smaller shooting sections feel limited by the bite-sized setup, resulting in an experience that feels more like a genre shift than an evolution.
Introducing Wild Bastards: Strategy Meets Roguelike.
Wild Bastards, the spiritual sequel to Void Bastards, introduces a new level of strategy and management to the roguelike series while eliminating much of the shooting. The end effect is an intriguing tactical space adventure, while part of the appeal is lost in the new bite-sized combat venues. Wild Bastards depicts the bandit gang of the same name as its two remaining members join up with the mysterious Drifter starship to journey across the galaxy to resurrect their fellow comrades. Throughout this, Jebediah Chaste and his crew pursue them around the galaxy, determined to complete the mission.
The adventure is divided into galactic sectors, which are procedurally generated and feature planets and other monuments for you to explore. Across each sector, you can collect various mods that function as equipment, as well as aces that serve as permanent enhancements for the Wild Bastards. If all of your bastards die in a certain sector, you will be returned to the beginning, with a fresh set of planets and landmarks.
When you beam down to planets, the strategic gameplay begins. Each planet allows you to bring two to four outlaws with you, who can move around in pairs. in the planets, you can locate supplies to help you in your adventure, as well as mods and aces. There are also enemy posts scattered across the earth that you can destroy in showdowns, which will elevate you to the first-person shooting level.
Showdowns and Combat: Bite-Sized Arenas Fall Short.
The showdowns display the inventiveness of each Bastard’s many weapons and powers, but they also illustrate the limitations of having such limited battlefields. While the arena layout changes each time and might vary greatly depending on the planet, there isn’t much to them. You must hunt down all of the enemies in the arena while taking as little damage as possible. Many of the adversaries aren’t interested in confronting you front on, which seems like it should bring more strategic components, but instead leads in a lot of running about looking for enemies you haven’t found before. Around the planets, there are several systems you can engage with to debuff foes for showdowns, although these are limited to recruiting NPC allies for yourself or reducing the quantity of enemies or their health.
Fortunately, there is one brilliant component to these battles: the Bastards themselves. Not only does each have a distinct weapon and ability, but they will also obtain a number of passives over time. My two favorites were Preach and Spike. Preach utilizes a minigun and has the ability to heal herself when she deals damage, whereas Spike throws high-damage darts that turn him invisible on kills. His abilities will take over automatic security firearms or create new ones if none are available.
Wild Bastards also does an excellent job of driving you to use different Bastards in varied combinations, as they occasionally disagree with one other and refuse to cooperate. This can be swiftly fixed with a shared dinner, so it won’t be too limiting, but later missions will require you to work in teams. Being forced to shift my squad made me appreciate some of the more unusual character kits, even though I still gravitated toward the same set of characters whenever possible.
Exploring Planets: Strategic Decisions and Chaste’s Children
When it comes to exploring the planets, you have a limited amount of moves per turn, and after a certain number of rounds, the powerful children of Chaste will arise and pursue you. This means you must either take anything you can and rush to the exit before they come, or be prepared to confront them head on. These foes inflict a lot of damage and have enormous health bars, but they lack distinctive weapons and skills to keep the combat interesting on top of being difficult.
At the end of each sector, you will encounter a final planet with an objective to complete, the majority of which are the helixes of dead Bastards that allow you to resuscitate them. Once one sector is completed, you move on to the next, destroying all resources and mods in the process. You can keep any aces you uncover, but everything else is discarded. While it keeps each new sector from being too simple, it also dampens the joy of discovering fantastic gear, because you’ll lose it regardless of whether you succeed or fail.
Speaking of success, while there are more difficult modes to navigate, it is difficult to lose on normal for the majority of the game because you must have all of your Bastards hurt in order to wipe. Because you can only bring a limited number with you to each planet, it may take numerous wipes on separate planets in a sector to lose, reducing the need to carefully evaluate your strategies. The procedural campaign and challenge modes, which are available after finishing the campaign, provide a greater challenge, but you must complete your first run to access them or increase the difficulty level.
Visuals and style: 3D action with comic book aesthetics.
The plot of Wild Bastards is straightforward, but the distinct personalities of each Bastard provide something to cling onto. They all have strong personalities and a variety of suggested and explicit relationships with one another, in addition to their distinct speaking styles. The character interactions and distinctive weapons make each new Bastard joining the crew a thrilling experience, even if they wind up being one of your less used characters.
Wild Bastards use the same art style as Void Bastards, featuring 2D characters in a 3D world, all in a stunning comic book style. There are numerous different-looking foes, and the variety of explosions and other effects shines in the arenas, even when the battle isn’t particularly exciting.
Ultimately, Wild Bastards’ transition from a more classic FPS roguelite to a strategy-focused one harms more than it helps. Planning your course through each planet and sector presents intriguing choices and compromises, but the narrow breadth of the showdowns dulls their shine, especially as you acquire more Bastards to play as. The difficulty also does not keep up with your new aces and upgrades, even as your remaining equipment and resources are depleted in each new region. There’s still a lot to like in Wild Bastards, but if you came for the FPS gameplay in Void Bastards, you won’t find it here.
Review Overview
Gameplay: 83%
Controls: 85%
Aesthetics: 80%
Content: 82%
Accessibility: 78%
Value: 81%
Overall: 82%
VERY GOOD!
Summary: crazy Bastards provides a shamelessly crazy and chaotic experience, complete with action-packed moments and overthe-top gameplay. The mechanics are tight and responsive, resulting in intense combat and fast-paced scenes. The controls are intuitive and smooth, which improves the whole experience. The graphics convey the game’s raw, gritty atmosphere, while they may not be the most visually attractive. The material provides an excellent balance of diversity and challenge, giving a lot of replayability. Accessibility options are adequate, but may be improved for more inclusion. Overall, Wild Bastards is an exciting ride that does not hold back.