Developer: Membraine Studios
Publisher: Membraine Studios
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Exodus Wars: Fractured Empire – Review
Table top games are popular still. A fact that a bunch of developers must have picked up as there’s a trend of digital versions releasing from most popular table top games. There’s a lot of ways a developer can make the transition. We’ve seen completely different playstyles in digital versions whilst there are also very authentic feeling ones. Exodus Wars: Fractured Wars is, as the name might suggest, based on miniature war gaming table top game Exodus Wars. Let’s take a look at which direction developer Membraine Studios took.
Story
The story of Exodus Wars is one that feels familiar. A bunch of factions battle it out for supremacy where in Fractured Empire you can control two: The Guild and The Royal Empire of Man. Background lore about the Exodus Wars is offered in the form of some readable pages inside the menu. It serves its purpose to create a certain atmosphere but sadly doesn’t create a real incentive to keep playing through the campaign as no real story is offered there.
Graphics
Over the years, we’ve come to expect a whole lot from visual entertainment concerning graphical quality. Most movies and series are now shot in Supercalifragilisticoespialidoso HD and some games can now be run in 4K and 5K. Exodus Wars: Fractured Wars is a great example of how games don’t always have to be cutting edge on the graphical side to be visually appealing. The way it looks just allows you as a player to feel like you’re truly playing with miniatures. Less appealing however are the maps. While there’s a variety of terrain types, the way the maps are filled with assets just doesn’t feel very consistent. Also there are only 3 different kinds of maps.
Sound
To my own surprise, that thing that I noticed most trying to think about resemblances and differences to the table top version, is sound. When sitting around your board game, you’ve got your units and map but imagining the sounds units make is probably the hardest part is of immersing yourself into the non-digital Exodus Wars’ universe. The developers did quite a good job of bringing everything to life using these sound effects. Units firing is probably the most satisfying aspect of the game, certainly with heavy units and that is thanks to the distinct firing sounds.
Gameplay
Exodus Wars: Fractured Empire is a turn-based strategy wargame set in a sci-fi universe. Besides offering a tutorial mode, which is welcome but could’ve been a little bit more detailed and interactive, there are two main modes to be found. Skirmish mode is what you would expect it be: you pick a side and map after which you make a selection of what units to play with. A battle is then won by destroying all enemy units or controlling all control points. Campaign is a collection of battles. You also start off by selecting a side, the only real difference between the two available factions is the array of units you can choose from, and then set off to fight a number of consecutive battles.
So what makes this game unique? It’s definitely the way turns are handled, after all Fractured Empire is a turn-based strategy game. However the way turns are divided is a bit different than what you might be used to from convention games in the genre. Going into great lengths detailing the system wouldn’t do it justice but a system of momentum and random numbers is used. That number will determine who starts the turn, whether you keep momentum (allowed to command another one of your units), whether your unit receives your order and how much damage you deal. Your unit not receiving your order can be particularly painful as you also lose momentum and your opponent gets to make a move. The impact this whole system has on the way battles play out is immense. Things can turn quite quickly which can be very fun but very frustrating too which will beyond a doubt remind experienced table top gamers of how things can turn out.
Disappointing is the lack of units. Both factions combined have about 12 unique units while the original game boasted a lot more. Also the lack of story in the campaign makes it quite hard to really get involved into the game without spending time researching the story yourself within the game’s lore overview or online.
Conclusion
Exodus Wars: Fractured Empire is a tasteful tribute to the 6mm turn-based table top games. While it lacks environmental variety and needs wider array of playable units, the way you need to think about turns and how quickly battles can turn around due to the use random numbers can be exhilarating.
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