Rishabh Borde
While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, legendary puppeteer Jim Henson’s ‘The Dark Crystal’ universe has its own cult following of ardent fans. The franchise first kicked off with the 1982 dark fantasy adventure film ‘The Dark Crystal’. The movie was fully puppet animated, using groundbreaking animatronics technology (for the time) and practical effects. Combined with a rather dark storyline, ‘The Dark Crystal’ made for a mature grimdark movie that combined the art of puppetry with a larger than life narrative.
Of course, given the very niche fanbase of the movie, not many expected to see another ‘Dark Crystal’ based film or TV series until Netflix delighted fans with ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ television show earlier in 2019. The show was a smash hit, earning widespread praise from both critics and audiences. Now it seems like good news for ‘The Dark Crystal’ fans just keeps on rolling in with the upcoming turn-based strategy game set in ‘The Dark Crystal’ universe, titled ‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’. Read on to find out everything we know about the first video game adaptation of the world of ‘The Dark Crystal’.
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics Plot: What Is It About?
The plotline of ‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’ very closely mirrors of the Netflix show ‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ released earlier in 2019. The show tells the prequel story to the events of the 1982 film ‘The Dark Crystal’. A thousand years ago the planet Thra was struck by disaster when the powerful Crystal of Truth cracked to reveal two new races – the malignant Skeksis and the kindly wizards also known as the Mystics.
The Skeksis use the power of the crystal to continually replenish their life force and rule the planet. However, this led to the Crystal getting corrupted and putting the planet of Thra on a path towards total destruction. Three Gelfling (the peaceful race of natives indigenous to Thra) Rian, Brea, and Deet discover the terrible truth behind the Skeksis and resolve to inspire a rebellion against their evil overlords and save their planet.
The Steam page for the game describes it as follows:
“In The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, you will lead a fledgling resistance of Gelfling against their oppressive overlords, the Skeksis, across more than 50 unique turn-based tactics RPG battles.”
For the most part ‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’ faithfully follows the show’s narrative, with some minor exceptions in the case of some side missions that expand on the backstories of certain characters. The game also seeks to flesh out the world lore with key insights into the history of the Gelfling clans.
The in-game sprites are specifically designed to simulate the movement of actual puppets in order to provide an authentic ‘The Dark Crystal’ video game experience.
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics Gameplay: What To Expect?
The gameplay of ‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’ is mostly standard turn-based strategy fare with a healthy sprinkling of ‘The Dark Crystal’ flavor. You play as the Gelfling, the oppressed natives of the planet Thra in a rebellion against the corrupt Skeksis, who seek to abuse the power of the all-powerful Crystal of Truth for their own sinister means.
You will also be able to play as the merry Podlings who are native to the untamed Endless Forest and furry dog-like Fizzgigs, which are often kept as pets by the Podlings. The campaign takes you over the course of 70 unique turn-based campaign battles that take place across the regions of Thra.
You have full control over the recruitment and customization of your forces with unique equipment and roles. Since you play as the Gelfling, you are numerically and technologically outmatched by the Skeksis. This means that specific tactics and strategies need to be employed in order to secure victory. A big part of this is the battlefield environments themselves which are subject to dynamic events that can change the tide of a battle very quickly indeed.
‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’ also features a New Game+ mode which unlocks end game difficulty for those players that desire a greater challenge.
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics Developers: Who Are the People Behind It?
‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’ is developed by Texas-based American video game studio BonusXP. BonusXP is a relatively new indie studio comprised of several industry veterans who have worked on games such as ‘Age of Empires’, ‘Sid Meier’s Civilization’, ‘Railroad Tycoon’, ‘Orcs Must Die’ and more.
One thing is for certain – the developers surely have the pedigree to deliver a fantastic turn-based combat experience. The game will be published by En Masse Entertainment.
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics Release Date: When and Where Can I Play It?
‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’ was initially announced during Nintendo 2019 E3 direct with a tentative release date sometime in late 2019. However, the game got delayed and the new release date is now set for February 4, 2020.
‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’ will be playable on a variety of platforms at launch including PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics Trailer:
You can watch the trailer for ‘Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics’ right here.
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