The publisher Toplitz Productions presented us with two of its future games which are part of the "Dynasty" line, which includes Medieval Dynasty, which I had already told you about in two articles: First stones and My life in the Middle Ages. But also Lumberjack's Dynasty (also with two articles presented: A reconversion to consider & I cut, you cut. And Farmer's Dynasty.
Sengoku, developed by Superkami, takes us to Japan, while Wild West, by Poland's Moon Punch Studio, introduces us to the great American West. It doesn't matter if you feel like a cowboy or a samurai, the concept remains the same, mixing survival, construction and history. The character finds himself on his own in a world just waiting to be explored. Very quickly, he was given the opportunity to build a house. Following various encounters, he was led to extend his land and build a village, supporting an entire industry, with its workshops and craftsmen. The main objective remains to found his dynasty, his heritage, which involves the creation of a family. Ultimately, the descendant becomes playable, recovering part of the achievements of its parents, for a game that may never end. From parents to children.
Sengoku Dynasty
The hero has escaped from an endless war, hoping to join a group of peasants, and is trying to live his life in peace, away from conflict. Sengoku draws its strength from its authenticity, based on research carried out by specialists of this period, to offer architecture, clothing and tools in keeping with Japanese medieval history. To help with immersion, the quests are fully dubbed in Japanese (don't worry, there will be French subtitles if, like me, you haven't taken Japanese LV1). A day/night system, seasons, and an impact on cultures and the way of dressing are to be expected.
During the demo, I was particularly impressed by the character animations, far from the rigidity so common in simulation games of the genre. It must be said that the system has just been completely overhauled and offers great fluidity to gestures. The character jumps and runs without any transition, even if he enters combat, sword drawn. It climbs all surfaces as soon as they become too steep. The graphics are also much better than what I've usually seen in Dynasty. Currently developed under Unreal Engine 4, a port on Unreal Engine 5 is envisaged in particular to help a potential port on consoles. But it will remain under UE4 for the time being.
The map size is about six times larger than Medieval, with wide open spaces clear of vegetation to build large communities. One of the major upgrades I'm thrilled about is the ability to move a building even when it's finished and furnished. From now on, it is useless to tear down the walls to rearrange his village. Of course, it's less realistic. But whatever. I'm all for it, because I remember bitching a few times about Medieval when my village grew in size, and the steps didn't line up properly with my main street. And it's not as if the resources were easy to find if you want to avoid clearing the whole map.
Playable entirely in cooperation with up to 4 players, Sengoku Dynasty is planned for the first quarter of 2023.
Wild West Dynasty
The hero has lost the man he thought was his father after an attack by bandits, a tragic event that makes him discover that he was adopted. He finds himself on the trails, looking for his real parents, engaged in a quest for revenge. Offering a quest more advanced than the others, around thirty hours of play will be necessary to reach the conclusion. Wild West also tackles darker themes, while not hesitating to dig into all the myths and legends of that time. Some well-known big names from movies and series will make their appearance, in quests or scenery, without really worrying about realism.
A real reputation system is in place, and that with all the NPCs crossed, in a system of nested relations. Don't they say my friend's enemy is my enemy?
All the emblematic buildings of the Wild West are there: the saloon, the hotel, the doctor, the shops, the sheriff. Economy and transportation are paramount, on a map nine times the size of Medieval. Needless to say that without a good transport system in place, it may take time to recover some rare resources... Survival promises to be difficult, with particularly versatile weather, very cold nights, and very cold days. hot. More than in other games, it will be essential to secure shelter, food and a good fire.
Even if it is planned for this end of the year, Wild West suffers from the comparison with Sengoku in terms of design and, above all, its animations. Our poor gunslinger is stiff as a broomstick and the world seems empty and flat. We find precisely this too stuffy style, so specific to the genre. Moreover, I confess that I regret the absence of trains or stagecoaches. After maybe playing Red Dead Redemption 2 a little too much, I find it hard to envision this era without these activities. Then I could be wrong, but I think the studio is thinking about it internally. Except that the release is getting closer, that there are still a lot of features to develop and delays, and therefore it will not be for now.
