Othercide

Difficulty spikes are common and may be off-putting to some players, but the addictive nature of what is a seriously smart battle system will usually see you determined to persevere, just as the Mother did in times gone by. After all, like Mother, like Daughter. [Issue#179, p.72]

Othercide does not want you to fail. It wants you to learn, to accept loss, to make bold sacrifices. Lightbulb Crew has designed a beautiful game with truly stunning imagery. But just as striking is the attention to detail in its gameplay. This dark, broken world is meant to be tamed by players who seek out the boldest strategies to purge evil forces. Caring for the Daughters, understanding their quirks and randomly generated names and looks will create an inseparable bond that lasts not only for the first run but every subsequent one. There are several secrets to unfold in Othercide but it’s little secret that it is one of the best strategy games to have graced us in years.

Bolstered by sensuous visuals and melodic, elegant heavy metal tunes, Othercide is definitely not the case of style over substance. Both sides of the game support each other in the eternal battle between good and evil. Any fan of tactical combat and challenge should break on through to Othercide!

Othercide is a menagerie of morose beauty and slick turn-based action. You will feel both vulnerable and powerful at any given stage, which is indicative of the dynamic RPG and roguelite elements. And with an unforgettable artistic flair and engulfing atmosphere, you won't want to give up, no matter how crushing the difficulty can become.

Othercide provides a challenge without breaking the player’s spirit. It hits on all the right notes of an engaging turn-based game, accentuated by the integrated roguelike elements, and an artistic beauty. Add in the lore and you have a pretty solid title worth checking out.

Othercide is the most pristine AA game I have played. Its haunting world and grotesque creature design cement themselves as some of the best in gothic horror, whilst the unique, timeline-based combat provides a twist on traditional tactical games. Othercide is far more than just a striking art style and everyone should give one of the most unique games of the year a shot.

The game stands out among the crowd with its immediately eye-catching aesthetic and its roguelike mixture of tactics and horror. It’s an oppressive game that teaches the player through repeated failure, granting new insight to use in future encounters. The game’s mechanics may seem simple, but there is a beautifully crafted battle system with all the tools needed to beat the nightmarish enemies and bosses at their own game. While the roguelike elements add in some repetition and grind, I highly recommend Othercide to tactics fans looking for something different. If given proper time and attention, Othercide is an incredibly rewarding tactical RPG that will push players to their limits. It’s difficult and frustrating at times, but it all pays off in the end.

Despite those unfortunate technical issues, Othercide is still a great tactics game. The variety of classes and abilities make for a wide range of strategies, but no matter your team composition, the Daughters work together beautifully to take down their enemies. Boss fights are by far the most memorable and really showcase the reaction and combo system, but they also feed into the game's unique and engrossing story. While Othercide's maps and missions leave something to be desired, it's still a blast to cut your way through hordes of Others and pull off deadly combos that look cool as hell. With an exceptional story, atmospheric horror visuals, and tense, rewarding combat, Othercide offers a challenge you'll want to rise to, again and again.

One of the year's finest grid-based strategy games, a steely and engrossing work of calculation. [Issue#349, p.102]

Overall, Othercide is a solid remix of the tactical turn-based genre. The early game will feel repetitive, and I wish there was more dynamics to the maps to compensate for the lack of cover, explosions and sightlines the XCOM games use. There are also only a few mission types: escort, survive and hunt. But despite the limited mission set, the visuals, weird world, and ramp up nature do much to carry the game forward. If you’re looking for a fresh take and aren’t afraid of a punishing difficulty, then come along for the ride. Just be prepared to die. A lot.

An impressively original take on XCOM style turn-based strategy that gains in depth and versatility what it loses in accessibility, with some of the best boss encounters of the year.

While they share plenty of the same DNA, Othercide is much more than simply XCOM in eyeliner. Sacrificing warriors to boost the stats of other units proves a compelling and flexible mechanic, while the combat encounters ramp up in difficulty at mostly the right pace. A stunning aesthetic and perfectly complementary soundtrack are the icing on the cake, only occasionally marred by unfortunate technical difficulties.