Octopath Traveler studio reveals its new tactical RPG on Steam

pcgamesn.com:

Scars of Mars is a futuristic sci-fi tactical RPG with positional combat, drawing from the likes of Mega Man Battle Network, Fire Emblem, and Triangle Strategy. Coming from Acquire Corp, the publisher and co-developer of the beloved Octopath Traveler games, in Scars of Mars you’ll take charge of a team of humanoid robots and delve through choice-driven dungeons in the style of roguelikes such as Slay the Spire and FTL.

Taking cues from some of the best tactical RPGs around, the real-time combat of Scars of Mars sees you position your troops on a three by three grid, to face off against opponents on a similar layout across from you. Your team of four humanoid androids will have to be carefully positioned to maximize their effectiveness and react to the enemies before you.

Scars of Mars promises all the deep character customization and loadout options you’d expect from a good RPG. You can adjust the very frames of your squad members, adapting them to suit different classes – Snipers that move slowly and fire from the back, fast-moving Fighters that can hold down the front line with ease, high damage but low defense Berserkers, Healers that can buff and support the rest of the team, and so on.

Each playthrough, you’ll be progressing through a procedurally generated web of potential encounters, with a map layout that will be instantly familiar to fans of roguelike games such as Slay the Spire. You’ll have to decide between rooms promising fights, bosses rewards, and mystery encounters, all the while keeping track of your battery levels to ensure you don’t outstay your capabilities.

Scars of Mars is listed as ‘coming soon’ on Steam, but doesn’t yet have a release date. For now, you can add it to your wishlist if you want