Whalenought Studios has announced that it’s working on a cyberpunk RPG called Copper Dreams. The plan is for it to launch in 2016 for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Previously, Whalenought created and released Romanian mythology turn-based RPG Serpent in the Staglands, but it says that Copper Dreams and its future game will have new mechanics and systems.
Copper Dreams takes place on the island of Calitana, which is where humans are drafted in order to ease the overcrowding on Earth, and has since become a place of “unbridled corruption and lawless syndicates.” As Calitana was made to ease the population, it’s highly stacked with tall buildings, meaning that the game’s isometric open world will have a notable verticality to it – you’ll be able to vault through windows, grapple hook up decks, and jump from building to building.
The combat in Copper Dreams is turn-based but it has a time-based element too. In short, you have to consider how long an action will take to perform when deciding on what moves to make. Knowing when to attack, hide, intercept, or engage is said to be vital to a winning strategy, as well as having the right weapons and ammo for the situation, and utilizing engineering and chemistry skills for extra tactical options.
Also vital to combat is trying to use stealth to engage an enemy on your own terms. As such, you can hide in shadows, shoot out lights and cameras, and reprogram patrol units to suit you. Shadows, sounds, and enemy vision all inform how stealthy you are.
Another big part of Copper Dreams (and a lot of cyberpunk fiction) is cybernetic enhancements. Apparently, copper is cheap in Calitana and so it’s the main material used in cybernetics, hence the game’s title. Some of the enhancements include a torso shell to house the brain, a chainsaw arm, built in wrist recoil, cloaking rigs, and mobile eyes.
A gameplay video of Copper Dreams is expected in December 2015. You can find out more about the game on its website.
