Nuclear Union Preview and Audio Interview

Just Press Start managed to score some hands-on time with Nuclear Union at a recent 1C Company press event, and as you might have expected, they’ve shared their experience with the post-apocalyptic RPG through a brief preview and an audio interview with producer Denis Maltsev. An excerpt from the former:

Temporal anomalies, thermal anomalies, and electrical fields are all present, but you’ll be able to spot them from a distance and deal with them accordingly. Their visibility was less evident in the build I played, but remember, it’s an EARLY alpha. The game is already very pretty, with a lot of small details which really enhance the game world. Even small things like the pattern of the leather on the main character’s worn bomber jacket were in place. The world feels lived in, which is quite a feat for this stage of development. Hints of a day/night cycle also teased yet more suspension of disbelief- I hope this is a feature that is implemented more fully!

Quests were already many and varied so far, and I enjoyed the heavy political bent of the narrative. Random encounters with bandits, mutants, and animals were plenty, and the combat was satisfying, even though the camera definitely needs a lot of improvement before the game launches next year. The combat targeting mechanic is heavily influenced by Fallout 3, but it works well. Identifying enemy weaknesses is an important part of battle (as I discovered fighting a mutant in an (underground) fight club (hint- go for the hump). Weapons were solid, and felt powerful. It may take some gamers awhile to get used to the idea that a (dice rolling) mechanic determines hits and misses, in a style similar to Alpha Protocol rather than a straight up third-person shooter, but I liked the way the mechanic worked. Am I a bad person because every time I killed a mutant dog during my travels through the wastelands, I felt the need to yell (SIT!) when they dropped?