This is probably going
to be the most hypocritical post I’ve made in a while. (Also long.
Strap in.)
Not too long ago, I
went on record saying that games don’t need combat -- swordplay, gunplay, Kid
‘n Play, what have you -- to succeed. Video
games are a medium with plenty of possibilities, and the moment we start to
limit our understanding of what they can do for us is the moment all of us
start to lose. So I advocated a sort of
“alternate universe” Mass Effect as
an example of how you could have a game without combat. Playing as a researcher and exploring the
galaxy in a modern-day, beefy-budgeted adventure game sounded pretty good on
paper; if it were real, it might be a dream come true for some ironsight-weary
gamers. And now my theoretical game puts
an undeniable, almost shameful focus on combat.
Contradictory? Yes. But I wouldn’t comment if I didn’t think it
had potential.
And that is why I
unveil my dream game here and now! Like,
right now, as soon as I finish this sentence -- can you feel the suspense,
knowing that as soon as I add a period to this string of words, I’ll have
revealed to you the game that I’ve had brewing in my heart of hearts for
genera…
Okay, enough hamming it
up. Let’s talk about FM Punks.
Truth be told, this post is kind of
cheating. I haven’t been thinking about
this since the Destructoid prompt popped up; I’ve been mulling it over for a
while. I fancy myself a writer, but I
know I’m a gamer -- and often times, there’s a huge overlap between the two whenever
I have a moment to myself to think (or daydream, or zone out). So sometimes, I’ll think of a story and its
nuances from the lens of a video game.
Is that a good idea? Probably
not. But for the moment, it works for
me.
That said, let’s break
this down bit by bit.
Story Time!
The premise is simple
enough: psychic children deported to a man-made island gather into gangs and
compete against each other for resources, territory, and political power.
That’s the gist of it,
but if you’ll allow me to explain I’ll dispel those dirty looks you’re giving
me. In this AU Earth, children have had
the potential to turn into Espers for a hundred fifty or so years. Some of these Espers are unchanged, and can
go about their lives freely. Others
start going on power trips, and cause damage to suit their fancies (like
getting some cool toys, I’d wager).
Still others lose their grip on reality, and start wreaking havoc
without a second thought. It isn’t long
before a war breaks out, ALL Espers -- regardless of threat, innocence, or age --
are deemed unsuitable to live in tandem with the normal humans (Normals), and
they get socially shafted. Separated
from families, stripped of their rights, monitored heavily by the government…it
all comes to a head in the sixties, when Espers get shuttled from their homes
to Kulitta Island. It starts off as a
spiffy new home for Espers, a place where the children and the Normals can
potentially live in peace.
Unfortunately, the government sticks its nose in a little too far, ends
up starting another conflict, and the island falls out of their control. They still manage to drop Espers off there,
and they can contain them via strict coastal control, but the children own the
island. They do as they see fit, be it
live in harmony, do as children do, fight it out for glory, or campaign to take
Kulitta…and then, the mainland that expelled the children.
There are also subplots
about the original Esper -- a genius pianist -- haunting the present and
playing chess with people, a psychotic butterfly girl, flowers that turn you
into undying ghouls, and bringing music back to Earth without driving Espers
insane. Also, references to Tekken.
It’s…interesting, is
what I’m getting at here. Also
potentially controversial, but when has that ever stopped anyone?
Kombat Time!
Well, that’s enough
story talk. Let’s get to the meat of the
matter, yes?
You won’t be playing as
any space marines today; the story focuses on the 13-year-old Raiz (rhymes with
“days”) Lagarta, an Esper who’s lived on Kulitta since he was eight. In spite of his piddling height, he operates
with a level of professionalism and skill not unlike Solid Snake…though the
same can’t be said about many of the other, wilder characters in the game. Regardless, it’s up to players to take
control of the young esper, and build a gang that can control the entire
island. Why? To make a fighting force strong enough to
take on the mainland’s encroaching soldiers -- an army with aims to wipe out
the Espers once and for all.
How? Through turn-based strategy.
It makes sense. Right now, modern warfare is popular among
the kiddies; this is an opportunity to tap the same vein, but provide a
different spin on it. For example, let’s
take a look at this art from one of the Motorstorm
games.
This is, in a nutshell,
what Kulitta looks like. Some fifty
years of clan-to-clan psychic combat and the abandonment of the island by the
mainland will do that to a place. Urban
decay pervades the entire island, and resources often lie amidst the rubble. More on that later; combat is what you’ll be
focusing on more than spiffy graphics.
Moving your Espers strategically through a map is vital if you want to
clear a mission; you’ll need to use cover, try and take the high ground, hold
positions, or just plain hide. You’ll
have plenty of time to make your moves during your turn, and unless your
enemies are being stealthy you can monitor their positions and act accordingly.
Where things get
interesting is how you use your psychic powers.
Each Esper will belong to a certain class, like the different unit types
from Valkyria Chronicles. Some of your teammates will have strong extra-sensory
skills, letting you sniff out hiding enemies…and if you’re willing to spend
their PSI (their mana, if you prefer), they can actually predict the enemy’s
movements. Others, while lacking in
combat ability, make for some solid support units…usually by brainwashing an
opponent into moving onto a certain space, right into a player-bred
ambush. Or they can take the classy
route and put up some illusions. You
could have Espers that aren’t particularly durable, but make up for it with
extreme movement range -- along with flight to reach extremely high places, and
the power to move along walls as if they were typical ground spaces. You’d have tanks that like to get up close
and personal with opponents, slamming them about with telekinesis, and snipers
to provide long-range support through concentrated PSI bullets.
There’s a caveat, of
course. Each member of your fighting
force has a set amount of PSI for use, and taking certain actions depletes
it. If for some reason a unit runs out
of PSI, they’ll enter a state of exhaustion; they’ll have lowered stats and
reduced movement range. Worse yet, if
they stay exhausted for too long, they’ll konk out -- almost as if their HP
dropped to zero. How do you fight
efficiently, then? When you use PSI,
part of it will remain on the field, and gather at a certain location on the
map (and in some cases, PSI naturally accumulates even without unit usage). Move your units over there, and you can fill
your meter back up -- or have them distribute the energy amongst the team as
needed. Your enemies will have the same
limitations, though, meaning they’ll be heading for those PSI depots as well. Better get ready for a fight, yeah?
Where things get (even
more) interesting is the battles themselves.
Taking a page from Namco X Capcom,
you’d enter a sort of fighting-game mode where you have a limited amount of
time to do as much damage to your opponent as possible. Combos and juggling with your multitude of
psychic skills would help, and the longer you can keep your enemy unable to
attack the less likely they are to counterattack you in the same skirmish. If you have the energy, you can pull off a
powerful super move to try and finish them off.
Or you could save it for later; doing so will allow you to call in
nearby teammates to do even more damage in later skirmishes, and even use a
fearsome team super move. Do well, and
you can rout an enemy before they’re even ready to raise their guard. Do poorly, and your team will get
incapacitated one by one. Why? Because everything you can do, they can do
just as well -- maybe more so, because you’re often outnumbered and overpowered
by stronger clans. Good thing you’re
such an awesome strategist!
You do have one saving
grace, though. Much like Advance Wars’ CO system, in each battle you’ll be able to
choose a leader to take to the field.
You’ll start off with Raiz -- the typical all-rounder, though with a
slight emphasis on long-range attacks -- and earn other, more specialized leaders
as your influence spreads over the island.
You’ll move Raiz across the field just like any other unit, but his
skill set is different from his comrades.
For one thing, he has a special “Command Gauge” that fills up slowly as
he attacks. However, you can fill it up
even faster if you’re fighting efficiently.
How so? Well, one of the special
abilities that only the leaders can use: “F-Impact.” It’s a little like the Rengeki system used in the .hack games; if you catch an
enemy off-guard, or force him into a panic, or just batter him in a skirmish,
they’ll enter a unique state where they’ll be more vulnerable to attacks
(complete with some dope-ass shout of “IMPACT!”). The leaders can take advantage of it, and
blow ‘em away with a very damaging strike.
Doing so fills up your Command Gauge, which offers stat bonuses to your
fighting force (and varies from leader-to-leader; one provides huge power
boosts, while another focuses on speed).
You can spend a little bit of meter to protect your teammates from enemy
attacks -- even during the enemy’s turn
-- and have the leader attack as if he’d initiated a skirmish. But if you wait and fill up the gauge, the
fun really begins.
You can spend that meter
to have your leader enter their “Fatal Mode” -- a souped-up version of their
normal selves, and capable of wreaking some real havoc given the chance. Raiz, for example, whips out an electric
guitar surging with lightning…and is also equipped with a circular saw. With it, he cuts not through limbs and
organs, but enemy PSI -- depleting their meter so they’re rendered unable to
fight. Essentially, he’s a super-unit
for a limited time. Or if you’ve got
your units taking center stage, have your leader use a “FM Burst” -- a buff
that gives your entire team dramatically boosted stats and/or a bonus ability
for a short period of time. If you can
use those skills effectively, you can beat any enemy…provided of course your
leader doesn’t bite it. If your leader
gets K.O.ed while in Fatal Mode, you automatically lose the mission. You don’t have to worry about such a big
penalty if they’re K.O.ed outside of that mode, but there’s a threat that’s
arguably worse. The Command Gauge flips,
and turns into the Panic Gauge; the longer your leader stays out cold, the more
your team starts to suffer. Let it
increase too much, and you’ll face reduced stats, lowered PSI, and even units
that refuse your orders and fight one another.
And if the enemy leader captures your leader, it’s all over. Using a leader -- or anything in the game,
for that matter -- involves measuring the risks and rewards, and acting
accordingly. Use the terrain and your
squad’s skills to your advantage, and you’ll be fine.
Non-Kombat Time!
Even though winning in
missions is important, what goes on outside of them is just as vital -- maybe
even more so. You’ll have a home base
that you attend to between missions, and can explore to your heart’s
content. You can talk with your
teammates to learn more about them; you can find out about their thoughts,
opinions, hopes, and of course what their lives were like before being dropped
on the island (assuming they weren’t born there). The more you converse with your comrades, the
more loyal to you they’ll be -- and the better they’ll perform in combat. Who knows?
You might even unlock some hidden potential…
You’ll also have to
settle disputes both internal and external.
You’ll have to put out fires between comrades when they’re fighting,
which may not only affect their loyalty to you, but the team’s unity as a
whole. You can still boost your overall
approval rating by doing side missions for characters, but the most effective
way is to make sure that they’re all well-kept with resources. Searching areas for resources (and finding
them in battles a la treasure chests) adds to your team’s pool, and therefore
you can keep your home base nice and comfy.
If your pool’s full, life is good and the team will stay happy. If the pool’s running low, people will get
antsy and be more likely to break into fights…to say nothing of their
performance in battle. Beyond that, resource management and
acquisition will affect your relationship with other clans. Need to befriend a rival? Offer tribute. Want to try and hamper a tough opponent? Launch a mission and cut off their access to
supplies. Much like Mass Effect, you’d be able to choose between cooperating with other
clans via diplomacy, or using tactics and aggression to gain more power. Of course, you may have to put those
rivalries aside once soldiers from the mainland -- and threats beyond -- start
stomping around your turf.
Your home base -- and
allied territories, once you have them -- offers more than just a chance to
make war. While you’ll still use your
downtime to develop new techniques and equipment, and manage your units’ particulars
(again, like Valkyria Chronicles),
you’ll also have a bit of time to explore the surrounding areas, look for
resources and clues, sift through the records of the island -- clan history,
skirmishes, backstory, etc. -- and intercept radio chatter from the mainland. Sometimes you’ll get to hear from the army creeping
through your land; other times, you’ll get transmissions from their TVs
(oftentimes hilarious transmissions); you might even get to hear from your
teammates’ families, if you’re lucky. The
idea is to be able to spend as much time off the battlefield as you do on it --
and the more you do, the better off you’ll be once you get in a fight.
And now for what’s
really important some of you gamers: dem graffecs.
Presentation Time!
We’re all aware of the
gritty graphics engines that grip a lot of games. Given FM
Punks’ urban decay aesthetic (for the most part), you’d think that the
visuals here would be the same. I say
thee, nay.
Say what you will about
the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
games (or Naruto in general), but
damn it if they don’t look fantastic.
The colors, the variety, the little details here and there…I’m assuming
that there were some shortcuts taken to make everything look good, but the fact
remains that if an anime tie-in could look convincingly amazing, an original
and well-funded project could do the same.
Only, you know, better. An art
style like that would lend a sense of uniqueness and vibrancy to each character
-- if they’re bound by realism, I’d argue that it’d be limiting their visual
effectiveness. In battle, expect to see
some impressive effects: whooshing wind, splashing water, models that stretch
and warp when moving at high speed, and particle effects that would leave you
bursting with energy. And a punk-rock
aesthetic would pervade nearly every element of the game -- from graffiti and
murals along walls to the very menus you use.
And rest assured you
wouldn’t just be visiting run-down cities.
Coastal towns, complete with splashing cyan waves, sitting right next to
teeming jungles. Rainforests, brimming
with dewdrops after a typical storm. The
remains of battle-worn buildings and towns turned into vine-shrouded
skeletons. Mountain passes and valleys
where only the bravest Espers roam, building their tin-roofed sanctuaries in
some semblance of peace. Snow that
crunches underfoot as you explore a mountain’s towering summit. Caverns deep within Kulitta’s earth, where Espers
and invading mainland forces build camps to mine for rare minerals. The world is vast and colorful, and begging
for intrepid Espers -- and players -- to explore, uncover its secrets, and even
conquer it if they dare.
But graphics are only
half of the equation. Music-wise, I
imagine the soundtrack would run the gamut.
Soft, acoustic guitar pieces would fit when exploring your home base,
albeit with a variable mix; when loyalty is high and there are lots of
resources to go around, the music is happier and more lighthearted; when there’s
tension, the music is sad and slow; when things are at their worst and a fight’s
about to break out, expect some brusque, tense tones. Areas
would also have their own music, of course, and the territories dominated by
other leaders would have their own tunes.
What’s important is that each leader has one instrument that dominates
their songs. Raiz, naturally, has
guitar-based pieces -- soft and mellow when outside of battle, but more gritty
and melodic (and metal, of course) when the fighting actually starts. Ashen, a scheming bigwig on the island, has
violins with a more malicious yet cultured bent. Of course, their themes change in accordance
with what’s going on in a fight. Do well
with Raiz, and you’ll get a heroic swell; have him go into Fatal Mode, and you’ll
get a song that screams “It’s ass-whoopin’ time!” If he gets K.O.ed, the music will get panicky
and desperate…just like you. And it goes
beyond just listening; units can even get damage bonuses if they attack in sync
with the beat.
Sounds awesome,
huh? What, it doesn’t? Well, good thing I have a defense prepared!
Trust Me Time!
Turn-based strategy
games are due for a big comeback. It’s
been years since the last one was on consoles, and much too long since the last
Advance Wars game. I’m of the opinion that sometimes, games
should give players a chance to take things slowly, and assess the situation
before making a move -- in other words, applying strategic principles to their
motions. I’m not so bold as to say a
game like Call of Duty or Gears of War doesn’t involve strategy;
what I WILL say is that the strategy in those games are covert, while the strategy in FM
Punks is overt. Being able to take a moment and think to
yourself “Wait, if I move this unit here, will I be counter-attacked?” or “If I
have this group build a new windmill, will that attract unwanted attention? And do we even have the resources to recover?”
can contribute a lot more to a sense of involvement. With superior planning and cunning, you’ll
not only be able every challenge as they come, but a sense of pride that rivals
no-scoping a n00b.
You’re living in a
deep, immersive world. And more
importantly, the motions you make shape it as you see fit. You’re moving towards a conclusion in a story
full of twists and turns, showdowns and sacrifices, but you can take solace in
knowing that the choices you make mean something -- from forming an alliance
with an old rival to reassuring a nine-year-old boy who misses his mom. Large conflicts spanning the entire planet,
or small squabbles about whether vampires or werewolves are cooler (hint: it’s
the Swamp Thing); a threat of total wipeout, or just being able to play
basketball with some of your pals…you’re living a life that you’ve earned, day
by day, through fighting and friendship alike.
That’s the kind of game
I’d want to play. Wouldn’t you?
Incidentally, if there’s
anyone willing to fund my project…well, you know who to call. (I hope my contract involves a “hot dogs on
demand” clause.)
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