I’m not the biggest fan of the blocktacular voxel art style that’s all the rage these days, largely due to a) simplicity and b) the looming influence of games like Minecraft, but Enemy‘s got me reconsidering my stance. It’s hardly the most attractive game on the block, but it adds complete environmental destrucitibility and random generation to a classic-X-Com-inspired turn-based combat system. Oh, the possibilities for those willing to think outside the box. But, you know, still inside a series of bigger boxes, because if you’re hoping to find any other shape in this game you will be sorely disappointed.



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I’m a little worried by how heavily this one seems to lean on its nostalgia factor, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find parts of this (by which I mainly mean the second) really enticing:

“Every time you start a new game, the game procedurally generates a new world, using decades-old video games as its building blocks. The result is a collision of genres, where haunted swamps, tropical war zones, and peaceful mushroom villages all stand side-by-side. You’ll build up your own custom squad of retro game characters, with a mix of skills ranging from mental health and reaction time, to the use of blasters and the ability to jump five times your own height.” “Enemy is built on a turn-based combat system closely inspired by the original X-Com and Jagged Alliance. You’ll devise strategies based around the unique set of abilities you’ve chosen for your team, and then execute them step-by-step, all while responding to counter-moves made by the enemy. It models the stress of battle on your heroes, who can flee or go berserk if things start to go too wrong. Additionally, everything in the game is destructible. If you damage the supports of a building in the middle of a fight, the whole structure can come crashing down on you. Inadvertently starting a small fire in the wrong place can lead to being caught in the middle of a massive inferno. Combat is dynamic, and easily spirals out of control.”

Enemy already managed a successful Kickstarter, but it’s now positioning its itsy bitsy block centurions around Steam Greenlight‘s outside perimeter. You can give it a quick shove in the right direction, if you’d like.

What do you think of Enemy? I’m of the opinion that it could definitely still use some polish, but the ideas are interesting enough that I’d like to at least have a go at it. I very much like the idea of dropping a tree onto somebody’s tiny voxel anthill home, for instance. The tactical possibilities surrounding that are delicious, and also I’m just a really big fan of dropping trees on stuff. I’ve got a shirt and everything.