Satellite Reign Achieves Kickstarter Goal

[Andy Chalk]

Satellite Reign Achieves Kickstarter Goal

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Satellite Reign, the "spiritual successor" to Syndicate that hit Kickstarter last month, has crossed the finish line.

5 Live Studios, an Australian indie outfit, rolled Satellite Reign out on Kickstarter on June 28 with a funding target of £350,000 ($550,000), a lofty goal for a studio nobody had ever heard of. I was doubtful that it would make it, which makes me doubly happy to note that it has - and rather handily, too.

Satellite Reign didn't blow the doors off like, say, the Double Fine Adventure, but it crossed the line with four days remaining, meaning there's still time to hit at least the first stretch goal, which will bring original Syndicate composer Russell Shaw to the project. The remaining stretch goals - translations into other languages, destructible environments, the addition of new enemy factions and more - are a little further out of reach but still possible with a big push at the end.

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The studio has revealed three agent types since the Kickstarter began - Soldier, Hacker and Support - and plans to unveil the Assassin Agent soon, along with PayPal pledging and a few other "surprises." Meanwhile, there's still time to get in on the action: The Satellite Reign Kickstarter [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/5livesstudios/satellite-reign] runs until July 28.


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[Erttheking]

Well this should be pretty interesting. I got the original Syndicate on the GOG.com summer sale, I really should get around to playing it.

 

[ASnogarD]

I was all interested in this Kickstarter, I loved the original Syndicate (not so much Wars though) but the lost me when they talked about agent types...

I was like there was no types in Syndicate, there were all the same except where you made them different with upgrades and weapons, in effect I had the Guass Gun Type, the Mini Gun Type, the Persaudertron Type and the Flame Thrower type agents.
Why do I need specific types or classes ?

I'll keep an eye on it but I am not really expecting much, I get the idea it will be more Syndicate Wars than the original Syndicate, and Wars was, if I recall correctly, too fast and more action than strategy and catered to players who didnt want to waste too much time with this thinking nonsense.
The first game with its isometric sprites was more slow paced and let you look at the overall picture and act, I just remember Wars just grouping your agents in a pack with the best weapons and have them mow down everything until a mission success box popped up, and the graphics were actually pretty bad as 3D was still in development and was all blurry textures and bright light effects.

Hope it turns out more Syndicate than Syndicate Wars... but at least its a step in the right direction, its not a FPS.

 

[1337mokro]

Between this and Shadowrun Returns, I'll have my cyberpunk needs met for the next half-decade. Very happy to see a return to this genre and game-style.

Did you really just forget about CYBERPUNK itself? Being developed by CD RED?

I like this game idea allot. However the problem here to me is that I have sort of turned on syndicate in later years. The interface is unbelievably clunky and ancient. Whilst at the same time it was what gave the game so much extra personality. That feeling like you were really a guy floating in a space ship literally joystick controlling your puppets on the ground, which was what the story actually told you.

I fear that it's a feeling you won't be able to recapture and that it will end up more like Cyberpunk or Shadowrun where you are the agent or rather a team of agents rather than the controlling mastermind behind everything pulling the strings of puppets who pull the strings off other puppets who have puppets that they can pull to make them pull other strings attached to more puppets with more strings. PULL THE STRING!!!

Basically the short version is, I don't think they can capture the same feel anymore because technology has advanced so far that clunkiness has ceased to be a viable gameplay element. Now it's just bad design or a failed attempt to hide bad design behind artistic choices.

It won't stop me from supporting it though because by god do I love top down strategy games.

 

[JamesBr]

Between this and Shadowrun Returns, I'll have my cyberpunk needs met for the next half-decade. Very happy to see a return to this genre and game-style.

Add Project Eternity to that and have your isometric, tactical rpg needs met for the next decade. ^^

I'm seriously enjoying this return to older game design with modern production values.

 

[Ukomba]

I'm getting a bit of a SWTOR feel off the concept art.

 

[JarinArenos]

It should be noted that the stretch coals can still be reached after the kickstarter closes, as they'll be moving to ongoing paypal donations or the like, as many other kickstarters have, but using the kickstarter funds to get the development ball rolling.

 

[Rituro]

Seriously? "Mission Accomplished"? For a self-proclaimed "spiritual successor" to Syndicate, I expect no less than "WELCOME TO THE DAWNING OF A NEW EMPIRE".

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

happy days, really looking forward to this, i was an early backer.

as somne one has said, cyber punk and isometric needs are getting serviced a lot at the moment

 

[LordMonty]

Support this one, looks good to me

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

syndicate wars was really good, but the last couple of levels totally went off the rails with you controlling 4 teams at once.

I'm hopefully though, looks like they cribbed a lot of the visual style from the xcom remake which is awesome. Course I'm not hopeful enough to invest in the kickstarter but I'll certainly buy the game when it gets released.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

Well I know it may not be an RPG, but this game really looks pretty good and I am looking forward to playing it.

Between this, Shadowrun Returns tomorrow and Cyberpunk 2077 in 2016, my cyberpunk needs are satiated thus far.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I have to admit, between the loft goal and the Kickstarter being in pounds I wasn't sure this would make it.

I'm glad to see I was wrong.

 

[Agayek]

Wow, I didn't even know this was a thing. Thank you Andy, now I know to go back it.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Sort of irritating when you start up your own little indie game set in a cyber punk universe and then they start cropping up all over the place... and they're an Aussie dev too.

But then having some nice flashy concept helps for the sell for a lot of people. Me personally I'd rather have some gameplay functioning to reassure backers it's going ahead. Surprised most people aren't turned off by the amount of flops turning up latley from really successful kickstarters.

 

[SweetShark]

I am so happy about this news, I cretaed a Image list to celebrate their success

http://www.listal.com/list/satellite-reign-series-gallery

 

[Teoes]

How did I only just find out about this? 27 hours to go, in the nick of time for getting in with a pledge.

I lurve me some Syndicate Wars from back in the day and bought it the instant GOG made it available, to give it another modern-day playthrough. So chuffed this is happening. From the video they've got it looks like the art style will be really faithful. The use of light, wet surfaces and reflections look yummy so far. I wasn't too sure about the agent types at first, but reckon it could work quite well, so long as they're not your only four agents. Part of the appeal was being torn between the detachment of controlling your agents rather than being your agents and having a number in reserve back in the cryovats; yet thinking "Hmm, I spent a ton of cash on those implants - I'm not being too keen on chucking them away willy-nilly". Seems also bank robbery will still be an option, so that's a bonus.

I hope they keep a similar voice for weapon selection. CATACLYSMMM..

Backed.