Encased’s top-down isometric tribute to Fallout is pretty rad

If Fallout met Balder’s Gate

Remember when a game mostly consisted of dialogue, and shooting was sort of the other thing you did some of the time? With Disco Elysium and The Outer Worlds having just thunderously arrived in front of everyone’s screens, it seems we all suddenly have. RPGs people! They never went away but now they’re back!

Encased has just been released into Early Access on Steam and it’s exactly the kind of old RPG we’ve all not forgotten about. In Early Access players get access to the hero’s adventures in the prologue and a section of the open world map. Player’s are cast in this RPG as a participant in a project researching a lost civilisation. According to developers, you can play whatever kind of hero you want, as the narrative is shaped depending on your actions and dialogue with other characters. Alongside the campaign there is also some turn-based combat for those that like to hack and slash after they’ve really thought it through.

While perhaps not as stunning as the artwork of Disco Elysium, this science fiction setting is instantly intriguing. While the protagonist remains a blank canvas, the backdrop has tones of personality to explore, whether its the cold panels of a factory or the dry desert outside. There’s definitely the feeling of Fallout in the post-apocalyptic narrative, but also that of XCOM in the meticulous combat system.

Encased is receiving positive reviews on its Early Access stint so far, and it will no doubt only improve as the team at Dark Crystal continue to work on it. We’re excited to see how the title develops.