Phoenix Point Review
A phenomenally unique strategy game.
It saddens me to say, but exploding a crustacean’s arms into smithereens is no longer an option.
At first, it was one pinpoint shot from a sniper rifle, converting their crab-like heads into pulp; then it was lacerating their legs with a sleuth of bullets from assault rifles, immobilizing the barnacled creatures; and after that it was desperate, frenzied attacks at their arms, anything to get rid of their ability to launch grenades.
Although I’ve expressed it with a large dollop of hyperbole, this is what XCOM founder Julian Gollop’s new turn-based, tactical combat game wants you to do. It implores you to fight enemies in a different way, to try and mix up your playstyle and, like the enemies you face, ‘evolve.’
Set in the near future, humanity is facing an extinction-level threat in the form of the Pandoravirus – whose origins are unknown – which spread quickly across all life, infecting and mutating everything it touched. This is the world Phoenix Point (a task force challenged with combatting the virus) has inherited. It’s not a pleasant one.
Each mission, whether it be protecting supplies, people or raiding a Pandoran nest, will generally be against the humanoid, crayfish creatures which do ‘evolve’ over the course of your many excursions fighting them.
It’s not as noticeable as you might think. For example, if you keep shooting the Pandoramons’ left arms, after a few missions they’ll start to appear with armour on that part of their body so you’ll reactively switch up the areas you’re targeting. It’s not exactly an organic process but it still forces you to adjust the way you play, trying to stop you from being boring.
Aside from the usual turn-based systems (moving and shooting, spending action points and hiding behind full or half cover) there’s a surprising lack of a ‘dice roll’ mechanic. Instead, players are given more control over combat with a reticule which shows the area your bullets will be unleashed in. Snapshot games have essentially thrown in a static, first-person shooter segment into their strategy game and it works phenomenally well. Plus, it’s nowhere near as painful as missing a shot in other games where you’ve had a 98 percent chance to hit.
The downside to this system, however, is it clashes against the cover system. Often you’ll look down the iron sight only to find the big chunk of concrete you’re cowering behind blocking your shot, even though you should really be able to shoot around it.
Phoenix Point has a fair few issues like this which create niggles to the overall experience. Particularly with being unable to switch friendly fire off and a UI which feels a bit overbearing.
Like many games of this ilk, there’s resource management and base building which is fairly bog-standard. You’ll construct the required buildings when you have to (whether they’re medical bays or research labs) and maybe switch power off on one thing to fuel another. The bases do get exciting, however, in the context of factions.
Scattered across the increasingly mist-covered world (which acts as an overall campaign countdown – too much mist and it’s over, baby) are havens. These are settlements formed by one of the three factions in the game which have their own simplified versions of your bases. This allows you to trade certain resources and hire new soldiers from said bases, but what will really get your menacing mandibles chomping is the ability to raid the base, claiming resources and research alike.
With an apocalyptic event happening you’d think the world would come together – hang on, I just remembered global warming is a thing – but alas they don’t. Instead, they split into three main groups.
First, there’s the faction headed by a billionaire businessman who has a plan and everyone should trust their plan because they have money and so people do trust them. Second, there’s the faction that wants to build a new world where everyone is equal (which is an atrocious idea, I personally love wage and living disparity). And third, there’s the faction who said: “What if we evolved and became the crustacean nation?”
And, you know what, it adds a well-designed layer to the game with a surprising amount of voice acting, and a fair chunk of dialogue. Snapshot Games has created a system with an incredible amount of depth, making your Geoscape choices really matter. Some of the objectives the factions get you to do kind of jump from zero to 100, though. Like, mate, can we have a cup of tea or something before you ask me to commit genocide?
While Phoenix Point has flaws, technical hiccups, needs a bit of polish and some of its systems feel dated, there are some genuinely exciting mechanics and world-building to this experience. The monster evolution system isn’t as revolutionary as you might want/be expecting but it’s executed to a point where it does force you to change your playstyle and gives a nice sense of thematic presence.
Overall, if you like Julian Gollop-designed experiences, experimental strategy games and gun-infused crabs, Phoenix Point is a must.
[Reviewed on PC]