14 DAY TRIAL // Three opponents are near, one of them in overwatch, the other two close to one of my fully armored companions. He has a big axe and uses two of his actions to quickly eliminate them. Anton, the leader of this group, uses a shot from his gun-axe to deal with the third. The others push forward, using two of their three action points to scout and reveal new opponents.
They call for reinforcements, which was expected. My sharpshooter eliminates one of the visible ones and the rest settle into pistol-powered overwatch. Five enemies come running in and one of them charges, although he is not nimble enough to actually drive his melee attack home. I expect to slaughter everyone in one turn, even without pushing to become the Beast.
BEAST: False Prophet is developed and published by False Prophet. I played using Steam on the PC. The title is in Early Access and offers a solid take on turn-based combat and a narrative that takes players to an alternate version of history.
Anton Sabbados is a veteran of the struggle against the Ottomans, returning to his home after ten years in captivity. He now has to gather a warband, walk the land, and find a way to end the troubles that plague it. This is Eastern Europe during Medieval times but not entirely as we know it.
The prophet is king, and fanatics are everywhere. Our hero harbors a dark secret, a Beast that he can call upon if enough violence is enacted. He becomes a creature that has enhanced combat power but the price for enhanced performance might be his very soul.
BEAST uses its first few missions to set its story up and teach players the core mechanics. All player-controlled characters have action points, which can be spent on movement, attacks, combat abilities, or item use. There’s no grid, which means players are relatively free to seek cover, attack from the flank, or simply position their characters for the next turn.
Other genre conventions, like overwatch (almost everyone carries a ranged weapon) and attacks of opportunity, are also present. The idea is to evaluate enemy threats and then combine the abilities and attacks of the player’s party to eliminate them with minimal loss of health. The Beast mode that Anton has access to delivers a significant offensive boost for players who are comfortable with extra killing.
Outside of the battles, players will engage with their warband, customize characters, and decide how they will navigate this alternate history universe. False Prophet’s systems work well, even in their Early Access state. Combat is enjoyable, although environments could use extra variety, and the narrative is engaging, although the edginess sometimes feels forced.
BEAST: False Prophet is gritty and aims for a mostly realistic look, despite its alternate history elements. The animations aren’t perfect, and I suggest toning down their frequency. The interface is good, showing off character abilities and making it easy to make changes to characters and the party. The soundtrack is good and the effects showcase the violence of combat.
Conclusion
I like the tactical combat, which is easy to understand and offers a lot of variety. Players can be very cautious, focusing on overwatch and ranged strikes, or they can seek to awaken the Beast and strike hard and fast. BEAST: False Prophet has an intriguing world and strong core ideas, and it will be interesting to see what the 1.0 will offer.
Preview key provided by the developer.
