The Technomancer

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 150 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 85 out of 150
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 150
  3. Negative: 40 out of 150
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  1. BrettZebre
    Jul 21, 2016
    8
    The most part of professionnals reviews are not fair, clearly bitter. Is it a "vendetta" ? Or maybe "The Witcher 3" have placed the goal too high this last year ? Now, we get blind when something different and smaller appears in 3rd person RPG landscape ?
    Anyway, if you're are familiar with Mass Effect/The Witcher/Risen series (etc...), all 3rd person RPG of last 10 years, you won't be    The most part of professionnals reviews are not fair, clearly bitter. Is it a "vendetta" ? Or maybe "The Witcher 3" have placed the goal too high this last year ? Now, we get blind when something different and smaller appears in 3rd person RPG landscape ?
    Anyway, if you're are familiar with Mass Effect/The Witcher/Risen series (etc...), all 3rd person RPG of last 10 years, you won't be disappointed.

    "The Technomancer" is a good/correct rpg, storyline is complex, all RPG elements are here (craft is still good, like Mars; War Logs), landscapes and armors aesthetics are really great with full of various details (very sensitive), graphics are good (day/night cycle > beautiful screenshots incoming), mood and music works with environments, social/mystical backgrounds, level design is less claustrophobic than "M:WL" (except Ophir...); all parts of the Technomancer "lore" are strong enough to kept you intrigued.
    I've played on hard difficulty (69h = lvl 53), as a full technomancer (first) and full warrior branch, light armor ; good karma, heroic and spiritual experience > It was really spectacular and a real enjoyment, like a "megawatt shaolin monk", airy !!!
    I'm already rerolling has a guardian (extreme) with more shades in my choices (strict military approach), it's a completely different experience !.
    And again i'm not done with this rpg : curious about Rogue combat style and influence of "bad Karma" on the storyline and on my companions.

    Like their previous technomancer chapter "Mars: Wars Logs", same influences are here : Mass Effect (1) or Dragon Age maybe, The Witcher (1/2) games mixed with Mad Max movies and pretty all John Carpenter's filmography. Old school and rough !

    Yes, it's an AA title trying to challenge AAA titles...
    It's clumsy but they almost did it (it's always a matter of time, money and human resources : at this cost, they can keep their freedom of speech).
    For the record : it's a small studio (with a 2010 engine btw), and unlike Bioware/EA or CDPR (at least 200 employees on their titles), Spiders it's 20 people (maybe less) who have worked on "The Technomancer".
    I think they are pretty close to their ambitions...

    This game has is own charm, once you've get over rough details you are mesmerized.    … Expand
  2. Kai82
    Mar 27, 2020
    8
    An enjoyable game that lacks the budget (and polish) to become a hit. It often got compared to Mass Effect with lower budget and I will mostly agree. The setting is interesting. Mars has been settled and the terraforming made the atmosphere breathable. However Earth has abandoned the settlers and individual fractions and companies have taken over in a struggle for domination and powerAn enjoyable game that lacks the budget (and polish) to become a hit. It often got compared to Mass Effect with lower budget and I will mostly agree. The setting is interesting. Mars has been settled and the terraforming made the atmosphere breathable. However Earth has abandoned the settlers and individual fractions and companies have taken over in a struggle for domination and power without contact to earth for many years. The sunlight makes living on Mars dangerous as it becomes deadly and causes mutations. Mutated humans are used as slaves and getting a mutated child gets you sterilized. You play as Zachariah a Technomancer. Technomancers bodies produce electricity that they can use in various ways and have a secret that must be kept away from others at all costs. The story and characters are great. There are good plot twists, many schemes by different fractions and the final reveal is brilliant in way that you (positively) facepalm because it was in front of you all the time (Sherlock Holmes would have guessed it immediately;-). You have of cause multiple endings. The characters reach from O.K to really good. I like their personal quests and stories. There will be conflicts, interesting choices and romanceable companions. If you did a research you already know about the problems of the game. I enjoyed and hate the battle system at the same time. Often while rewarding it lacks precision or lets says the controls are bad. Especially at the beginning you have to use cheap tactics. When you level up and get companions there are no really hard battles. The graphics while not being awful are nothing to write home. Then there are some bugs. I could not end a quest because of it and some small glitches happened. The RPG elements are a good addition to the game. As action adventure I would decrease my rating by far. Overall this could have been a serious rival for Mass Effect with a higher budget, more polish and improvements in the combat system. Bonus tip for saving time: You can save after the final battle and adjust the difficulty. You can beat the game on all difficulties (Trophies) and see all mayor outcomes of the final decision without another playtrough.… Expand
  3. Nunomagalhaes
    Apr 18, 2020
    8
    Cheap Good game,good narrative history,dialogues,good combat,graphics ONLY ok,but have a great quality in performance,environment is good,music is bad,i like the Style but is cheap music,ambient/environmental music is better to this type of games,i don t give a 9 because of music.
  4. Arngrim560
    Jun 12, 2021
    9
    A few words, terrible underrated, is a good rpg and yes, is one of the hard ones.
  5. JayDarbz
    Jan 31, 2020
    8
    So I'm late to the party playing this but I'm in love with it! The first 7 or so hours are brutally difficult but if you fight past it level up your skills and gain new weapons and armour, its pretty easy.
  6. Metashred
    Jun 11, 2019
    10
    Can't understand where all the bitterness comes from. This is one of the finest games i've played and it's loads of fun.
  7. alexmann152
    Jun 28, 2016
    8
    Lets talk technomancer. I give it an 8/10- here is why. I am a sucker for sci-fi anything. In addition I am also a fan of open world RPGs that offer a challenge. So this game is RIGHT up my alley. Also lets all keep in mind this IS NOT A AAA GAME, it is a B title. I believe that what they have accomplished with only a fraction of the budget of other developers is amazing, and Spider shouldLets talk technomancer. I give it an 8/10- here is why. I am a sucker for sci-fi anything. In addition I am also a fan of open world RPGs that offer a challenge. So this game is RIGHT up my alley. Also lets all keep in mind this IS NOT A AAA GAME, it is a B title. I believe that what they have accomplished with only a fraction of the budget of other developers is amazing, and Spider should be commended for their efforts. Let's dive in.

    Performance: The game manages to keep a steady framerate. I also never encountered any game breaking bugs, major glitches, crashes, or anything of the like. But! There are issues- there are slight glitches and the game lacks polish. But with a game this size made on such a small budget, it could be wrose.

    Story/acting/setting: Ok so the story is decent, and has some strong points. There are some cool ideas in there and it is fleshed out well enough. But overall the game just opens up to let you explore and RP and that is where things are great. Now the setting- is AWESOME! I love the Mars setting and the open world is too cool. It reminds me a lot of Mass Effect in that way. There is a lot to see and do here as well. The acting though, is bad. REALLY bad- I have never seen worse voice acting and that is sad. It is a huge issue with this game and had me wishing for a voiceless protagonist.
    Graphics: Graphics are fair-ish. It looks more like an advanced xbox 360 game when compared to a modern game. Again though, I cannot fault them. The size of this game is awe inspiring, and with a game this large made on a budget so small- you kinda have to expect that the graphics will be sub-par
    Combat: I personally like the combat enough to keep playing! It is repetitive and over used, but still fun and deep. The gameplay itself is strong though- and the RPG/loot elements are deep and well done. It is truly an RPG, not a lite RPG, not a FPS RPG, it is a true bllod RPG through and through.

    So ya, there are issues here. They include poor voice acting, repetitive combat, weak graphics, a mediocre story, and an overall lack of polish. However the open world setting, the great world building, and the strong RPG elements make up for these issues and serve to deliver an enjoyable- if outdated experience.    … Expand
  8. AvantGuardian
    Jul 14, 2016
    9
    The Technomancer is by all means a fantastic game. Difficult, but worth the early-struggle.
    My first suggestion is to set the difficulty to easy, as you will find it suitably challenging. Normal is more or less ridiculous, like Bloodborne-level difficulty. Every will two-shot you.
    The Technomancer has a fantastic environment, excellent character development, everything is 100% voice    The Technomancer is by all means a fantastic game. Difficult, but worth the early-struggle.
    My first suggestion is to set the difficulty to easy, as you will find it suitably challenging. Normal is more or less ridiculous, like Bloodborne-level difficulty. Every will two-shot you.

    The Technomancer has a fantastic environment, excellent character development, everything is 100% voice acted, with a great cast. The characters are interesting and likable, and the world is very expansive, while still being small enough that you can get every quest done within reasonable amounts of time.

    The feel of the game is very similar to Mass Effect and KOTOR. Similar gameplay, combat, and the fact that you can talk to pretty much anybody, and they all have stories and opinions on what is going on within the world of the game. While it takes place on Mars, and far in the future, it feels very realistic. Overall, the game is extremely well done, and a load of fun. It's well worth the early challenge. By lv 14 or so, you start to get strong enough to cruise through without too much difficulty.    … Expand
  9. Madrict
    Jul 13, 2016
    10
    Excellent game, I am enjoying very much. I would really give it a 9, but just went with 10 to try and counter balance the morons giving it a 0.

    Cool story, great setting and atmosphere and fun game play. Considering this game was done by a small studio with a limited budget, it is fantastic. There are some minor issues but nothing that stops me enjoying it :)
  10. BananaReviews
    Jun 28, 2016
    8
    The game is well above my expectations, with beautiful graphics and great combat system, the facial expressions of the characters is horrible, which takes some of the immersion, it's not as challenging as I thought it would be is easy, but is really fun and exciting.
  11. WhitelightHBK
    Jul 2, 2016
    8
    After playing the game for about 20 hours I can say that it was a nice experiance.

    While most of the story is alright (not great) the gameplay is where the most fun is. The combat is great, you have three styles of fighting, which means there are pretty different playstyles available. Even though the combat system is enjoyable its *very* basic, and lack of parrying takes much away from    After playing the game for about 20 hours I can say that it was a nice experiance.

    While most of the story is alright (not great) the gameplay is where the most fun is. The combat is great, you have three styles of fighting, which means there are pretty different playstyles available. Even though the combat system is enjoyable its *very* basic, and lack of parrying takes much away from it.

    In conclusion I can't say that I didn't enjoy it, it's really fun, but after 15 hours or so the boredom was rising and rising. I would give this game a 8, really fun but had a potential to be something bigger.    … Expand
  12. SpunkyMonkey
    Feb 20, 2017
    9
    Brilliant. Whilst it hasn't got the polish or smoothness of Mass Effect, it's definitely up there with it for quality RPG enjoyment. What the game does so well is give you that immersive feel to lose yourself in through great music, great environments, and a fresh feeling plot. But it doesn't stop there, that is also backed up by cracking combat (although character build does affect that -Brilliant. Whilst it hasn't got the polish or smoothness of Mass Effect, it's definitely up there with it for quality RPG enjoyment. What the game does so well is give you that immersive feel to lose yourself in through great music, great environments, and a fresh feeling plot. But it doesn't stop there, that is also backed up by cracking combat (although character build does affect that - and playing as a Rogue made my experience a lot more enjoyable) and interesting characters. The missions and whole game feel episodic, and the relationship which you develop between your commanders, companions and other characters become the real focus of the game alongside political shifts, with the missions serving as a great vehicle to bind all that together. It's a criminally underrated game, and personally I've found it to be the best PS4 game which I've played so far. It's definitely flawed, and there are jarring moments which highlight the gulf between this & an AAA game. But they are fairly rare, whereas the "man this is awesome" moments are a lot more common. If you like action-RPGs this is simply a must buy.… Expand
  13. Plain_Sight_Doc
    Jul 1, 2016
    8
    In the world of always online multiplayer only games and unfinished, microtransaction cash grabs, developer Spiders new action sci-fi game The Technomancer stands out. Technomancer is the successor to the forgettable Mars: War Logs. The Technomancer is a game reminiscent of KOTOR and old school PC and console RPGs. Technomancer borrows a lot of aspects from various sci-fi action games andIn the world of always online multiplayer only games and unfinished, microtransaction cash grabs, developer Spiders new action sci-fi game The Technomancer stands out. Technomancer is the successor to the forgettable Mars: War Logs. The Technomancer is a game reminiscent of KOTOR and old school PC and console RPGs. Technomancer borrows a lot of aspects from various sci-fi action games and really makes them fit into this dystopian world. The art and aesthetic is really something I was hoping would be impressive. Hard stone symmetrical old world war structures and totalitarian and communistic symbolism resonate throughout the red planet Mars, the place the game takes place in. Politics cuts deep through the planet and its heirarchical system and general way of life as people struggle to survive the barren planet and the never ending war over water, the planets most precious resource.

    In The Technomancer you take over the role of an aspiring... well Technomancer with electrical powers tasked with the overarching goal of finding a beacon to connect Mars and Earth as well as protecting certain secrets in your faction. Along the way you encounter NPCs that aid you in combat and from what I have played it works quite well when the AI doesn't go in Kamikazee for some reason, apparently at random. Your choices are measured by a meter not unlike KOTOR or Mass Effect's Good and Evil meter. Some actions you take effect this meter and your standing with Group mates you pick up in your adventures. You also get to make forking path decisions that influence one of the games 5 multiple endings and many different character interactions.

    The crafting system in this game however limited, is still very present and fun and surprisingly pretty deep. There are many things to upgrade and many pieces of gear to change.

    The combat is by far the best work the developer has ever created. There are 3 different stances that you can switch between the fly with. Shield/mace, knife/gun, and Staff. All 3 combat variations are just that. They are quite fun to change as the situation arises. Animations are quite smooth upon attacking and hit detection seems to be right on, if not a tad bit harsh. This by no means is an unintelligent button masher. Dodging and striking the enemy in different ways yields the best results. Some enemies are better to take out with the knife and gun for instance. I love shooting insectoid like enemies with the gun. It works and i like the effects of it hitting the bugs.

    The whole game in general is far above any other title Spiders has created. Bound by Flame is a game that was published on PS4 by this developer too and it really looks like they have learned a lot about what makes their games fun. This is by no means a Mass Effect killer or a replacement of some sort. This game is a love letter to fans of games like KOTOR and Mass Effect, Destiny. Spiders really has a gem here. I wouldn't miss it because of the poor reviews. These reviewers who rate this game poorly, if they're even gamers, forgot to rate the game based on its most important quality. FUN.

    Pros
    +Decent Meaty Story Content
    +Good beginning PS4 era graphics
    +Combat
    +Crafting System
    +Controls
    +Unique

    Cons
    -Facial animations aren't the greatest
    -Soundtrack is terrible (can be turned off)
    -Weird shadows sometimes
    -Enemy AI is weak on Normal difficulties    … Expand
  14. AsboXFlemzo
    Jul 1, 2016
    10
    This game is top tier rpg. Beatiful graphics and lighting make for jaw dropping landscapes, great story, characters and choice you make matter. A main character that is powerful in damage yet weak in health work with the plotline immersion. The game actualy make you want to do the bad options unlike most games. More enemy diversity than a mass effect game that allows you to actualy fightThis game is top tier rpg. Beatiful graphics and lighting make for jaw dropping landscapes, great story, characters and choice you make matter. A main character that is powerful in damage yet weak in health work with the plotline immersion. The game actualy make you want to do the bad options unlike most games. More enemy diversity than a mass effect game that allows you to actualy fight non human races. It has flaws in basicaly only human graphics of unimportant npc.… Expand
  15. Civi4Ever
    Jun 28, 2016
    10
    Its Just a Very good game but nothing more
    I love it
    All Elements for a god roll-playing game exists in this
    you can't compare it with ((witcher 3)) or fallout as i said before it's just a very good game but it isn't a masterpiece!
    10/10
  16. Cortelia
    Jun 28, 2016
    10
    Best Game ever. Way better ending than Mass Effect 3 and there is a decent amount of choice so you can create your own story. I love to kick some ass against those Aliens on Mars.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 38
  3. Negative: 7 out of 38
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Sep 6, 2016
    40
    It's ambitious, but there's no real spark of life. [Sept 2016, p.111]
  2. Games Master UK
    Aug 21, 2016
    65
    Inoffensive and enjoyable enough for action-RPG fans, but it does far too little to distinguish itself. [Aug 2016, p.78]
  3. games(TM)
    Jul 29, 2016
    50
    Good for a fight, dull for everything else. [Issue#176, p.81]
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