Adorable and Brutal aren’t words you’d normally find strung together in the description of a common noun. Neither are Tactical and Simplicity but a quick glimpse of Bad North hints that it can be done.
From the fog that has settled on a seemingly idyllic kingdom of modular 3D tile-sets emerges an invasion; a band of Vikings keen on sending the descendants of a slaughtered king to the bottom of the ocean.
As one such descendant the onus of survival falls upon you, prince, with a horde of your home’s bravest at your disposal. The future is rendered bleaker however when told that Real-Time Strategy & Procedural Generation are your only means of defense.
The adorability ends where the deceptively cute shuffling of the participating warriors’ feet does, hobbling blood-stained under enemy barrage that progressively turns the holiday backdrop of ocean-green to shades of massacre-red. Real-time dramatic weather effects included, as the trailer illustrates.
Sometimes rushing headlong into battle with naught but courage and determination can win the day.
But only sometimes… pic.twitter.com/6pfttkQyrp
— Bad North (@BadNorthGame) December 2, 2017
The brutality meanwhile lies in the fact that despite the seriousness of your undertaking, the only control you’re given as commander-in-chief is over the broad strokes of battle. Meaning Bad North has players specify where exactly they’d like to place units of swordsmen, archers or fire-troopers leaving its programmers do the rest.
With each level procedurally generated by one Oskar Stålberg (previously Ubisoft, UsTwo and more than a little familiarity with procedurally generated demos), winning-strategy lies in identifying spots of advantage/disadvantage and overcoming them with positioned units.
Sort of like placing levees to stave off a flood, I’ve heard Stålberg explain of the A.I’s path-finding and simulation mechanics. Constant success attains upgrades and recruits over the unravelling campaign, balanced out by elements of rogue-lite that take away slain commanders for good.
We also updated the website with a bunch of cool new art and gifs, so head along to https://t.co/pat4CrZCUj to check them out! pic.twitter.com/5Bv9AelxXw
— Bad North (@BadNorthGame) December 1, 2017
The goal then seems to be accessible complexity, and it helps that backing the entire premise is a soundtrack reminiscent of a Braveheart or Apocalypto set piece. That’s Martin Kvale I believe, who alongside Stålberg and Richard Meredith (previously LittleBigPlanet, Little Nightmares) make up Plausible Concept.
Summer 2018 is the date set for this Raw Fury-backed premise and although it can be wish-listed on Steam, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch and Mobile releases are imminent.
