Title: Destiny’s Sword
Developer: 2Dogs Games Ltd.
Publisher: Bonus Stage Publishing
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PC

We’ve played games like Mass Effect, Life is Strange, and most Telltale Games titles that delved into building relationships both positively and negatively. Most of those titles have surface-level conversations that dive into saying things that they like to hear, however few games go so far as to talking someone through a crisis or a traumatic event.

Destiny’s Sword, an ambitious game being developed by 2Dogs Games is pledging to pave the way in narrative storytelling and character development. It’s a point-and-click interactive story written by acclaimed sci-fi author M.D. Cooper, who’s known for penning the Aeon 14 series.

The game takes place in the fictional world of Cypris, which is run by the Galactic Government, and tensions are at an all time high. The GC is at odds against the corporate syndicate called the Consortium over Lucidium, a highly sought after mineral that powers most everything in the galaxy. Depending on which side of the struggle you choose, you’ll come to find that conflicts are not always so black and white.

The game plays mostly like a “choose your own adventure” novel, where you are tasked with infiltrating rebel-occupied zones, or providing security detail and choosing branching paths throughout these missions. For example, during a firefight you can choose to engage or pursue rebels, or you could attempt to evacuate to avoid collateral damage, which could end in success, or failure. There’s even a mission that requires you to triage a slew of medical patients after an attack, and it’s up to you to prioritize the traumas coming in, and making good choices that could affect life and death.

These events and choices can take a toll on your squad, and you constantly have to check in with your squad members who may have sour feelings from your choices, or events surrounding the missions. In one instance, your crew approaches a bomb inside a factory, and you have the option to either have one of your officers dismantle the bomb, or simply evacuate the facility and let the bomb explode. In my playthrough, I attempted to allow my officer to dismantle the bomb, however I noted that his hands were shaky and he was nervously sweating. I decided to pull everyone out to be safe as a result. Thankfully no one was hurt in the blast, and my commanding officer (who provides feedback for you at the end of every mission) praised my decision making to put people’s safety above all else. However, when I spoke to the officer who attempted to dismantle the bomb, he expressed disgust in my decision, and said “you should have trusted me to do the job!” I responded like any commanding officer would by telling him “I had to make a choice in the moment.” Even though I explained myself, the trust meter dropped, as well as the anger meter rising.

This is where the bulk of the game shines, in your relationships with your officers. Occasionally they will make mistakes, and it’s up to you to either provide counsel to them, or reprimand them, which could affect your relationship with them and their future performance in missions. In other cases, they may be more honest and upfront with you if you maintain a good relationship with them.

There’s plenty more to come from 2Dogs Games, who is made up of a highly experienced team of developers and writers, and I’m here for it with Destiny’s Sword. Those that know me know I’m a sucker for narrative-driven games, and this title does things differently than most games out there. The writers studied effects of PTSD in trauma cases and war-veterans, and have worked with psychologists to adapt the story and conversations to highlight the difficulties in managing your team members and decision making abilities during traumatic events. One particular conversation ended with my officer having a literal panic attack in front of me, and I had to talk him through it to incite calm. I had to choose my words carefully, and I had to stay with him to monitor his condition. I was left a bit shook afterward, eliciting a feeling of accomplishment from me that not a lot of games in the past have done.

According to the developers this series of chapters is the first part of an overarching narrative that will feature online play and combat mechanics akin to Marvel Strike Force, a turn-based action RPG where you will focus on developing the combat abilities of your team. To them, establishing the story and narrative structure is a primary focus in development, so expect more diverse gameplay when Destiny’s Sword releases!