by theygamesBefore the Yakuza or Like a Dragon series truly blew up in English speaking countries with 2017’s Yakuza 0, its creators at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio branched out into a different style of game. The result, 2012’s Binary Domain, is an excellent venture into science fiction that swaps out the fist fights of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for the third person shooting of a Gears of War, presented with the same knack for storytelling that Rya Ga Gotoku’s known for. And if you, like too many, have missed out on playing it for yourself, the good news is that it’s on a steep discount right now through Steam.
Binary Domain is, on its surface at least, very similar to other action-adventure games of its era. Its cover shooting isn’t too different from a Gears 5, Uncharted 4, or Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, but it’s given a twist through a squad command system and robotic enemies that satisfyingly come apart in explosions of metal and sparks during firefights.
Most importantly, though, is the game’s character work and plotting, which provide the same kind of propulsive, often melodramatic (but still deeply compelling) narrative effect of the best Yakuza/Like a Dragon entries. Despite the shift in genre to a sci fi story with a well worn premise not unlike Blade Runner’s, its creators work just as well in exploring the future of artificial intelligence as they do when focusing on the world of organized crime.
Binary Domain is discounted by 80% on Steam from now until Thursday July 11, bringing its price down to $2.99 USD / £1.99. Grab a copy right here.
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