Augmented Empire Review: VR/MR Turn-Based Combat

Augmented Empire Review

Game developer CoatSink's Augmented Empire previously saw life on the Oculus Go in 2018. Coatsink will release an updated version of the game on November 19. Virtual reality gamers who own a Quest 2, 3, and 3S will now be able to experience this turn-based, VR/MR, RPG strategy game.

The year is 2058 and it takes place in the dystopian city of New Savannah. Savannah is a divided city. As the mysterious X, you lead a team of criminals and misfits in an attempt to overthrow the authoritarian government. You do this from your secluded hideaway through the use of augmented reality.

This augmented reality gives you a tabletop view of the city. The game now uses the MR capabilities of the Quest headset, thanks to a recent update. The game allows you to set up the game world as a resizable diorama that you can place in your real world. This way you can place the game on a coffee table or other furniture. Or if you prefer, you can have the game world float directly in front of you, floating in the air. Personally, I prefer my VR games to be entirely in VR. Fortunately, there is a VR/MR setup that allows you to choose between the two.

In addition to the MR aspect of the game, you can forego the use of controllers and play through hand tracking. It makes sense that Coatsink would take advantage of the latest features of the Quest headset to make the game more attractive to potential new players.

Look mom, there are no drivers

Additionally, hand tracking is an interesting VR utility. In theory, one could believe that eliminating the need to use controllers to interact with a game would increase immersion. In my case, the opposite happens. While it's cool to see your hands tracked accurately in a virtual reality space, the lack of touch is disconcerting. Controllers may not be able to capture the dexterity of a person's hands and fingers, but they do provide haptic feedback. Even if it's just a simple rumble. It's an illusion, but for me it's superior to seeing your hands in a virtual reality world.

The art in Augmented Empires is excellent. There are 60 cyberpunk environments ranging from street sections to bars, subway cars, junkyards, docks, museums and much more. The creators meticulously designed each of these cyberpunk environments. Some of my favorites are the museum and the bar. As with all environments, they have many small details specific to their location.

The museum has pieces displayed, both on the floor and on the walls. The bar has, of course, the bartender area with all the drinks and a large mirror behind it. There is a stage sticking out of the ground. In the corner there is a piano with a player. Customers sit at tables spread throughout the bar. Each area is lit appropriately for its purpose. The lighting in the museum is brighter than the dimly lit bar.

The map of the city of New Savannah is a three-dimensional model from which you can choose destinations to travel to. This allows you to choose the order in which you progress through the story. To a large extent choose your adventure. The further you go into the story, the more destinations become available. Once you arrive at a destination, you can choose two views. One is a more distant table view. The other is a closer three-quarter isometric view.

The Augmented Empire has colorful characters

The character models are too small to make out facial details, but each one has a unique appearance. Their clothing is unique and each of them has individual touches that reflect their personality. My favorite touch is the feather that Archi, one of the fighter class characters, sports in his hat.

You start the game as Willa, a disillusioned young socialite. Disillusioned, not by the authoritarian government, but by her tense relationship with her mother. Willa discovers that her mother has not intentionally ignored her for work reasons. No, his mother led a resistance movement. Surprised, Willa ends up continuing her mother's crusade.

Willa's backstory and relationship with her mother highlight the game's core strength. Each character that enters the story has a personality. Especially those who end up joining the team. As the story unfolds, missions require acquiring new skills to complete them successfully. Willa is a fighter and is good with weapons. Joining Willa is Archi, a grizzled, grumpy veteran who is also a fighter whose sniper skills complement Willa's.

Another aspect of the game that really makes the characters stand out is the voice acting. The cast of this game is top notch. You've got Jennifer English, Kate Mulgrew, Nick Frost, Garrick Hagon and Chris Jarman to name a few. They all deserve maximum recognition for the work they have done. They all really make each character come to life.

It's all about teamwork

Overall, the team consists of six characters who have talents such as runners, programmers, and thieves. Together, your team will face up to ten hours of gameplay across twenty-six missions. Missions cover a variety of objectives, from recruiting new members, stealing items, and gathering information. To complete the missions, you must choose the right team members and equip them with the right perks and equipment.

When you complete quests, your characters level up, which unlocks more skills for each character in their skill tree. The turn-based combat is the least unique thing about the game. Combat takes place in line of sight. You will use the cover provided to map out your defensive and offensive strategies. The plus side is that the VR user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. As it should be to support manual tracking. The difficulty of the game is not too high. The game's hints are well designed and clearly guide you through the next steps.

Augmented Empire is a solid game that deserves to be exposed to a wider audience than when it was first released. If turn-based strategy games with great production values ​​and an intriguing story and characters sound appealing, then you should definitely check out Augmented Empires.

***Publisher provided a meta key***