Reco Technology presents its new turn strategy title set in an icy post-apocalypse.
The apocalypse is one of the most portrayed events in futuristic fiction. A catastrophe has decimated life on Earth and humans rebuild a society from the ground up, with very unflattering perspectives and a fragile hope for improvement. The desolate landscapes in which life is portrayed after the end of the world have permeated the popular imaginary: ruined buildings, extreme pollution and an ash or desert climate. But there are new ways to create a story about a society that opens a new chapter from the end of the planet, as happens in 1971 Project Helios. "We decided to go around the desert Mad Max that we all know, and we decided to make freezing weather the main core of our game," says Carlos Rubio, art chief at Reco Technology. The Spanish study is in the final stretch of a strategy title whose personality aspires to make a difference within the genre: 1971 Project Helios, which has the BSO of Xabi San Martín, composer of La Oreja de Van Gogh. Meridiem Games – publishers of titles such as Gang Beasts or Baldur's Gate – Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition – are responsible for publishing this new title that will arrive during the first half of May for PC (Steam and GOG.com), PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch In FreeGameTips we have come to the presentation of this new project and we tell you how the study has sought to give it its own identity that makes it recognizable within the genre.
The eternal winter
We are in 1971, years after a Second World War whose consequences have not healed, in a land devastated by a cataclysm that has plunged it into an eternal sterile winter. The decimated population tries to survive, and they cling to the glare, a new energetic resource, as a new source of energy that keeps society on its feet. For its part, the scientist Margaret Blythe has developed the Helios Project, with which she will launch the restoration of nature and with which the Earth will return from its lethargy. However, her mission will not be simple: a group with different plans for the planet has kidnapped her, and her life will depend on a group of brave people who will go to her rescue, united by a common interest that will prevail over her antagonistic intentions.
“We wanted to give 1971: Project Helios a solid narrative approach, in which history was not an excuse to go from combat to combat,” says Laura Roldán, designer and screenwriter of the new Reco Technology title. Thus, mission to mission, we will follow the story of the 8 heroes who go to the rescue of Margaret Blythe in an adventure that not only focuses on combat: we must explore scenarios in search of resources and documentation with which we will discover the universe that supports to the post-apocalyptic world of 1971: Project Helios. Our involvement, in addition, will outline the story to one of the three possible endings of the game: What heroes we choose in each mission – up to a maximum of 4, what resources we have obtained and the relationships we have built both within the team and with the factions that the territory is disputed. It is estimated that a first game will involve about 6 hours of play and leave the door open for replayability to obtain new outcomes.
Surviving the cold and war
Thus, each mission consists of two phases: free exploration and combat. In the first one, we will go through different scenarios in search of new objectives – turn off a radio signal, find a future partner, etc. – and collect resources and equipment that will be necessary to progress and level up. As soon as we run into enemies, we will enter the battle phase, which combines military strategy, ranged attacks and melee. Overcoming the meetings will require careful planning, in which we must consider the skills of our characters, the coverage behind which to protect ourselves and the position of our enemies. It is also important not to underestimate our opponents, since each unit is dangerous and can cause us to lose ourselves if we are not attentive. In case one of our heroes falls, we can revive them if we reverse glare but, if we do not have reserves of that resource, we will lose and we will have to restart the combat. Also, both in the exploration and in the combat we must be attentive to the visual perspective: the scenario is shown from an isometric point of view, but we can control the angle at will to discover hidden corners that can make us vary in strategy: coverage we had not valued? A room that had gone unnoticed?
The fighting of 1971: Project Helios has a mechanic that, according to Carlos Rubio, was inspired by the decision to set the apocalypse in an endless winter: the cold. At each turn, our characters will suffer the inclement weather that will diminish their life bar, which will make us assess whether to use an action to get warm or wait for the next turn.
A sober beauty
In 1971 Project Helios, neither the narrative nor the aesthetic are accessories to the war section, as described by Laura Roldán: “In Project Helios we seek that the fighting is not the only important thing, we have sought that the narrative has a great importance, we have created a lore deep and a visual section that makes the game visually recognizable. We will meet eight characters with their own story, their talents and skill tree. ” On a visual level, the love in which they have put on each stage is appreciated, where they have sought that there are not two equal levels, within the inhospitality that allows a post-apocalypse of an icy Europe of an alternative 20th century. The characters stand out for their charisma; their physical design, despite the sobriety, marks very well the differences between each one and makes them striking, especially Ame with Ricotta, their adorable canine companion – and the only one that will not be harmed. Likewise, the idiosyncrasy in the discourse of each one of them has been taken care of, which brings great naturalness to the interactions.
In our adventure, we will meet three factions: the Wintersöhne, a militarized society that considers glare the main wheel of its industry; the Kaphirites, a religious sect that is committed to the return of society to the Middle Ages; and the Scavengers, nomads who are dedicated to the collection of glare and who are not bound by unified social norms. Our heroes will find in each of these groups friends, enemies and common allies, according to the story we write with them in an adventure of snow and gunpowder.
