Miasma Chronicles mixes XCOM with a fresh take on tactical RPGs
Upcoming tactical RPG game Miasma Chronicles has a lot of impressive influences. The dark, bleak aesthetic feels very XCOM. The turn-based combat is like classic Final Fantasy. Created by Bearded Ladies, of the 2018 RPG Mutant Year Zero, there’s even a slight hint of Hitman, many of the developers having previously worked on IO’s stealth series. But as we get confirmation of the Miasma Chronicles release date, there’s an interesting mechanic, hidden in Bearded Ladies’ latest, that may set it apart from the RPG and deckbuilding crowd.
If you’re unfamiliar with Miasma Chronicles, the set up goes like this. In a futuristic, dystopian United States, humanity has somehow managed to solve all of its ecological and environmental problems. The companies that built the technology to keep the planet clean now control everything – suddenly, a new threat emerges in the form of the titular Miasma, a loosely defined force of nature that seeks angry retribution against humanity.
A spiritual successor to classic PS1 RPGs like Xenogears, Miasma Chronicles blends strategy game mechanics and turn-based tactical deployments to create a kind of surreal, steampunk XCOM. You position your squad in real-time, seeking elevated areas and decent cover before engaging. From there, battles are won through shrewd combinations of your party’s abilities, skills, and traits. But there’s a twist.
Speaking exclusively to PCGamesN, live at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco, Bearded Ladies studio head Mark Parker (pictured on the left below, opposite marketing manager Niklas Odén) explains how Miasma Chronicles is specifically tweaked to encourage experimentation.
“One of the changes we’ve made is a skill tree that you can refund at any
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