Bionic Dues - if you like turn-based tactical combat and customizing mechs - this is highly recommended. Here's my review of it:
I stumbled upon Bionic Dues in a gog.com sale on April 8, 2019, where it was on offer at an extremely low price. After perusing a few customer reviews, I purchased, downloaded and installed it - only to be greeted by a black screen upon starting. Investigating online led to the discovery that this was a consequence of the Unity engine, and that there was a simple work-around, which I applied via a shell script. My efforts to get the game working were amply rewarded.
Bionic Dues is a tactical, turn-based combat title in which the player controls four heavily armed bipedal machines ('exos') against an army of robots, in a series of missions which culminate in an epic battle to protect one's headquarters against the final enemy onslaught. The story is minimal but nonetheless sufficient, and the game offers a choice between six pilots, each with their own background and bonus, (I chose Genji for my first playthrough, though I'd recommend Rey as well for new players). There are also a number of difficulty settings, and extra options for those seeking more of a challenge.
The shining centre of Bionic Dues is its gameplay, which is comprised of three main components: tactical combat, exo customization and strategic mission selection. Each deserves to be explained in some detail.
The game's turn based combat sees the player controlling a team of four exos through a grid in top-down view. Only one exo may be active at any one time, but one can easily switch between them (though this takes one turn). Beyond moving and firing a wide variety of weapons (not just on enemies, but also on obstacles, minefields, fuel tanks, etc...), one can also:
i) Set up turrets that fire on foes in range.
ii) Lay minefields.
iii) Take over enemy robots with computer viruses.
iv) Hack into locked doors and computers.
v) Enter stealth mode and sneak around undetected.
This aspect of the game alone would suffice to justify recommending it - but there is so much more.
Getting stronger in Bionic Dues is not achieved through collecting experience or equipping new weapons: it is accomplished by obtaining better parts. Each exo has at least a dozen slots, split between its various systems, (Shields, Reactor, Computer, etc..), into which various parts can be affixed to provide local and general bonusses. Parts are received as rewards for successful missions, can be found during missions and may also be purchased (and sold) at a store (one also acquires cash by destroying robots). Early on, one is delighted to fill up the empty slots with whatever parts one has; later on, the careful selection of parts becomes paramount.
The third component of the gameplay is an excellent layer of strategy. Bionic Dues is set in a city battling against a robotic uprising: the task of the player is to strengthen himself and weaken enemy forces prior to the final defence of his headquarters. To this end, there's a wide variety of missions shown on the strategic map. Completing one opens up others, whilst failing a mission results in damage to one's headquarters, the complete destruction of which leads, of course, to game over. Furthermore, different missions provide different benefits in terms of rewards, effects on the robot army and indeed, effects on one's own forces. With the robot army increasing in quantity and quality with every passing day, (each mission takes a day, although there is one that can be used to bring the last battle forward by five days rather than one), the selection of missions becomes increasingly important in determining the odds one faces - particularly at the end.
The game's graphics are by-and-large adequate, the main highlight being the excellent explosion animations. The developers at Arcen games seem to have concentrated on designing a clear and easy-to-use interface, and their success in doing so assists the player greatly. One other feature that turns out to be most useful, is the continuous zoom function on the tactical map. That said, the maps themselves could have done with a greater variety of backgrounds, rather than the standard pure black one.
Bionic Dues has lovely audio, (with the exception of the title song; if Arcen makes a sequel they should get a German thrash metal band to provide a suitable one). Different music accompanies the strategic and tactical modes of the game, and the soundtrack for the latter is particularly inspiring - I had one riff ringing in my head long after I'd finished playing. The sound effects are quite good, (especially the combat ones), though I think there should have been more of them. Surprisingly, for a game about machines, Bionic Dues has a fair amount of voice acting. While the narrator is not bad, it's the hilarious comments of the robots - such as 'Why was I programmed to feel pain?' - that truly stand out. Humour is also present in the description of many of the parts, and makes the game all the more charming.
To sum up, I found Bionic Dues extremely gratifying and thus, highly addictive. If you like turn-based combat, you will as well.
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Star Crawlers is another excellent turn-based RPG.
Sunless Sea is not a bad game either, provided one has an interest in exploration and trading.
Post edited June 27, 2021 by MacHertz
