Take ‘Lancer Tactics’ RPG For a Spin – Grab the Downloadable Demo and BackerKit
Lancer Tactics, the video game adaptation of Lancer, is a love letter to the RPG with a downloadable demo you can play today.
Lancer is an RPG that everyone should give a try at least once. And for now, you can dip your toes into the pool even just a little bit thanks to an indie crowdfunded game that brings the best of Lancer to an upcoming video game. We’ve talked about Lancer Tactics before and how it’s targeted at me, personally.
But if you missed it, Lancer Tactics is a game of mech combat out on the frontier of Lancer’s own setting. Lancer is set in the distant, distant future. After Earth has collapsed and humanity has proliferated out into the stars. Where they do battle with giant mechs all in the name of finding a post-capitalist society where folks can live free without having to die hard.
It’s a game about hope and giant robots existing at the edges of Utopia. Because while Union might be the haven of all civilization, it only really applies to the central planets. Out on distant worlds, especially worlds under factions like the Karrakin Trade Baronies, life takes a much different turn.
Enter the Lancers, groups of heroic pilots dedicated to fighting tyranny in the name of justice. And all that’s just taken from the intro.
Lancer Tactics – Downloadable Demo and BackerKit Info
Which is what makes Lancer Tactics look so incredible. In the demo, you take on members of Albatross and can pick a squad from up to 6 different mechs to take on your missions. Though, if you’re unfamiliar with how all the systems work, you’ll want to play the tutorial mission.
And even if you aren’t, you’ll want to anyway so you can meet Granny. And Nessie. Both of whom are clearly the heroes of the game.
After that, you’ll get an intro to the basics of Lancer’s mechanics in video game form. The engine handles the intricacies of Lancer’s combat pretty well. Though for the early prototype build, you won’t find the full set of mechanics. However, you get enough to play around with. Between tech attacks and missiles and a few core powers that act like “ultimate abilities” you’ve got the makings of a complex squad.
And you’ll get to see Lancer’s combat design in action. This is great because Lancer solves the D&D problem of everyone going nova on their first turn quite handily. But you’ll have to see it to believe it.
And you can! Over at designer Olive Perry’s itch.io page. There you can also grab yourself a copy of the game through BackerKit if you missed the initial crowdfunding campaign. Both the demo and the game are well worth checking out.
Lancer Tactics is in development right now, with an estimated September 2024 release date.
