14 DAY TRIAL // Faced with a potential bomb threat should a team of cadets, with limited field experience, attempt to disarm it or simply evacuate the area? How can the same team deal with losing people they like? Can you find the best way to get information out of them while maintaining team cohesion? And what’s behind the growing unrest threatening supplies of the most valuable material in the universe?
Destiny’s Sword is developed by 2Dogs Games Ltd and published by Bonus Stage Publishing. It is currently in Early Access on Steam, with the full version set to arrive in the spring of 2023. The title delivers a narrative-driven science fiction tale with a focus on dialogue.
Players take command of a group of cadets, called to respond to unrest on a planet called Cypris. It supplies the Galactic Government with Lucidium and it seems nefarious forces want to disrupt its supply. There’s a ton of writing in the game, focused on managing characters' emotional states and forging tighter bonds between them.
Destiny’s Sword uses gameplay to make players feel like leaders. Players have no direct control over operatives during missions. Instead, gamers will make the big choices and see how they play out, affecting both the world and the cadets. It’s not always clear how their own characteristics affect the outcome of a given situation, but the system has potential.
Once a mission is done, the commander needs to talk with those involved, see how their personalities drove their reactions and how he can shape their outlook and feelings. It’s an intriguing take on squad management that features a lot of dialogue. The game also features a medically focused mini-game that feels a little automated.
Destiny’s Sword uses a pretty classic science fiction look, all bright colors, and clean surfaces, but don’t expect a ton of detail. The dialogue sections are well-designed, allowing the player to quickly move through the conversation if he wants to. The sound design is unimpressive.
Conclusion
I can see it delivering a tight, character-driven story with big choices, but it can also become repetitive and annoying. The developers plan to involve the community in decisions about what they will add to Destiny’s Sword in the coming months.
Preview code provided by the publisher.
