by theygamesWe’ve already seen the brutal world of Mad Max realized in an open-world game, but what if those themes of survival and vehicular combat could emerge in a different form? Say, a top-down survival action game with RTS elements and a future sci-fi twist? Oh, would you look at that. Machine Mind has just been announced, and it fits that bill perfectly.
Now, let’s get one thing straight – Machine Mind isn’t quite as gnarly Mad Max. There isn’t the same volume of growling engines, flame-spewing exhausts, and spiked bodywork. But there are still similarities, so hear me out. Instead, you play as someone who has been taking refuge high above the Earth in a space station after nuclear war ravaged the planet. Down on the surface in this new action strategy game, the only ones that lived through this nuclear annihilation have split into tribes of raiders.
However, one day you come crashing down to Earth, and while your physical body has perished, “your personality was preserved in a special consciousness module thanks to an experimental programme,” developer Chudo-Yudo Games explains. The only way to survive in the sandy wasteland that you find yourself in and move about as this module is to attach yourself to one of the space station’s rovers and essentially become a sentient vehicle.
You’ve got to trundle around the devastated Earth looking for resources that you can use to build new weapons and modules for your rover. Resources can also go towards building up your base and its defenses, or to build other rover units that can come to your aid or automatically gather resources for you.
Over time, your humble rover will turn into a roaming war machine, with turrets, laser weapons, cannons, bigger fuel tanks, and more. Your makeshift base will also become a fortress. With automated process, unit management, and tower defense elements when you get attacked by radars, there are definitely inspirations from some of the best RTS games here, but Chudo-Yudo generally classifies Machine Mind as an action game.
It’s an interesting blend of genres, and while it’s certainly less dieselpunk than the Mad Max films or the 2015 game, it’s certainly a fresh take on the whole apocalyptic desert survival fantasy.
Machine Mind has only just been announced by publisher Targem Games, so there’s currently no release date or window at the moment. However, you can now wishlist the game here, if you so desire.
For some similar experiences, you should definitely take a look at our best survival games and best apocalypse games.
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