I’m a huge fan of rotoscoped movies and games, so while reading through the upcoming Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire, I was intrigued about the game’s real-time story setup and the sort of medieval sci-fi setting, but what really sold me on the game was the rotoscoped designs and the tactical, turn-based guerrilla warfare combat.

Based out of Canberra, Australia, indie developers Whale Hammer Games have announced that their interesting new turn-based RPG called Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire is set for release on August 31st, next month for the PC and Mac via Steam.

Peter Castle, the lead writer at Whale Hammer Games, commented in the press release about the upcoming title, stating…

“With tense strategic battles, gorgeous environments, a musical score unlike any in gaming and complex characters, Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire will take the player on a captivating cinematic adventure” […] “If you love tactical turn-based combat or engaging story-telling, Tahira was made for you.”

Players will take on the role of the young Tahira, a princess leading a rag-tag group of mercenaries and soldiers against a massive invading army. The group uses guerrilla tactics as their advantage to fight genocidal invaders who outnumber them greatly. Check out the trailer below.

The game takes place over the course of a single night, so it can be completed in about 10 hours. Players will have to think fast, use their wits and strategically make the most use of their limited supply of troops.

The combat and setup looks very similar to a mix of The Banner Saga and Xenonauts. If you’re familiar with either of those two games you will likely feel right at home with Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire.

Setting up the premise to be gripping and tense is what I think makes Tahira seem like an interesting title. It’s not often that players get to take control of a leader while an invasion is happening and sort of find ways to work through those circumstances in a somewhat real-time manner. It’s cool.

But most impressive to me is the game’s rotoscoping. They have a few videos on the Whale Hammer Games YouTube channel showcasing how they put the animations together as well as what the finished product will look like in action. Check it out below.

Makes me long for more Ralph Bakshi films. It’s a lot of work tracing over real life images and getting the animations to look consistent, so I’m always willing to tip the hat off to developers utilizing this particular art-style to bring their game to life.

Nevertheless, mixing in stealth tactics with guerrilla warfare, isometric gameplay and RPG elements seems like Tahira might be a decent strategy game for people looking for a XCOM or Banner Saga experience but contained within a 10 hour game.

You can learn more about this indie title by hitting up the official website.