Permadeath can make all the difference. With the right game built around it this one simple not-really-a-word can transform a player's experience into something that feels consistently important. Screw up and you suffer the consequences, but if you make the right call, you'll be that much more satisfied in your victory. It's the reason that many of us fell in love with XCOM three years ago - but it's important to remember that it wasn't the only reason. You see, for permadeath to work, almost everything else needs to be designed around it and in Skyshine's Bedlam, that isn't always the case.
Which is a shame! Because at first glance, I think Bedlam has a lot going for it. Set in one of those post-apocalyptic worlds that video games like so much, you're tasked with crossing the nuclear wasteland in hopes of salvation. Reach Aztec City, they tell you, and you might survive. Alright, okay, this isn't an entirely new concept, but it does provide all of the necessary context for a world that contains cyborgs, mutants, cyborg mutants, and characters that didn't quite make it into the latest Mad Max. And anyway, regardless of all that, the means of transport is brill: a giant rolling fortress, known as a 'Dozer'.
Armed to the teeth (quite literally in the case of the unlockable mutant vessel), your journey begins easily enough. Presented with multiple routes, all leading towards the fabled Aztec City, you'll want to have a good nosy around each area you travel through. Exploration is rewarded with all sorts of treats: additional food and oil to keep your Dozer moving, and the soldiers you'll need to defend it. Because of this, I found it difficult to pass up on anything that popped up along the way, despite the possibility that it could involve an unnecessary fight. And there's a greater danger to consider, too. The longer you dawdle in Bedlam, the more difficult it becomes. Early encounters will pit you against three, maybe four enemies, but this number quickly spirals out of control as you spend more time on the road.
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