8.0
TheIndieJar: Kenshi Preview
Samurai are pretty cool; they have awesome swords and go on exciting adventures. This is a game where you do just that. The catch is – everyone else is an awesome samurai too and they could probably kick your ass.
That isn’t entirely true; one of the main ideas in this game is that you are not the centre of the world, and what happens to you wont make a jot of difference unless you work for it. That means that all the other characters in the world (very large, about 400km2) have long term goals, allegiances, skills, and can do everything you can. You can combat this by hiring people to join your ‘gang’ and as you get better you can find more money, better weapons and eventually a base which you will actually be able to place in the world with buildings and walls. The base lets you house your expanding army while researching and crafting better weapons and armour. It gives you a place to trade from where other groups will come to buy from you.
The gameplay is very similar to that of Dragon Age; real time strategy with groups of people that you command to do things, but you can pause to set up more complicated strategy. You can gain levels and depending on what weapons and skills you use, they will improve too.
There is plenty more to it than that. You can trade and make muchos shiny stuff in the process. There will be highwaymen along those trade roads though, perhaps some paid muscle will keep them off you, perhaps not. And what then? Kenshi has an in-depth damage engine so if you’re lucky enough to not get killed you might lay unconscious for a while before limping your way to the nearest town.
Let’s hope they’re with a friendly faction, eh? That fight may have had your eye out which will be reflected in your stats, and even after you stop limping from that broken leg it may reduce your effectiveness at a later date. Your guard also made it out alive but he was unconscious, so you bravely carried him to safety. After all that it might be time for revenge. Train up by fighting bandits (who also might be able to take you apart), buy better weapons, stronger friends then go get even!
It may interest you to know that this game has a fund raising page here, and Lo Fi Games are looking for a humble $40,000 to make Kenshi even better. Fortunately, even if the funding doesn’t succeed the game will be completed anyway! Take a good look at all the levels of funding and see what takes your fancy. If you don’t feel like that’s your bag, perhaps just buy a copy of the alpha from lofigames.com and you will get all of the future updates including the full release!
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