Phoenix Point: Festering Skies DLC Preview

According to Snapshot Games’ roadmap for Phoenix Point, their X-Com-inspired title should be getting its first piece of story DLC on May 25, 2021. And with that in mind, this preview article on the game’s website introduces us to the DLC’s big new threat of wandering Behemoths and the flier units they’ll be bringing along. Have a look:

The skies darken with alien vessels and Phoenix Point must rise to the challenge in the new downloadable expansion: FESTERING SKIES – coming May 25th.

In Festering Skies, Phoenix forces will encounter a new threat on the Geoscape: the Behemoth, our biggest enemy yet, complete with its share of surprises. The Behemoth is a horrific, lumbering force of nature that appears early in a campaign, introducing new gameplay mechanics, creatures to fight, and missions.

Larger than anything Phoenix has seen to date, the Behemoth seems unstoppable at the outset. But rest assured, all-new story missions and research projects will reveal the secret to overcoming the threat — if Phoenix can survive that long. Time is of the essence as the Behemoth targets nearby havens, and it doesn’t come alone.

Nesting on the back of this gigantic monstrosity is a swarm of Pandoran flyers; frightening creatures that terrorize the countryside and create new problems for Phoenix. Acting as a mobile Pandoran colony, the Behemoth launches aerial raids against nearby havens, exploration sites, and even Phoenix bases as it seeks out resources, bombs colonies into oblivion or converts them into something worse. After its reign of destruction, the Behemoth withdraws to the ocean where it lies dormant until hungry once more.

Thankfully, Phoenix can now leverage its own air power to fight back against these flying foes through an all-new aerial minigame: Interception. A throwback to creator Julian Gollop’s original UFO, Festering Skies transforms your transport aircraft into air-to-air combat machines. Through a new story mission, players will receive their first armed Manticore, with which they can take on Pandoran fliers in the skies above havens, POIs, and Phoenix bases. Later, players can unlock the ability to research and manufacture new weapons and modules for their air force.

Interception combat consists of a quick, automated duel between two aircraft, each firing weapons and using abilities continuously. Players gain the advantage by upgrading to faster, more powerful, or longer-range weapons. Players can also equip defensive modules to avoid incoming attacks, and at any time a player can choose to disengage; don’t forget: your operatives are on board your fighting aircraft! Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. Of course, if you’d prefer to focus on other areas of Festering Skies’ new content, auto-battle is also available.

Winning the Interception is key, not just for stopping the Pandoran raids but in pushing back the Behemoth’s rampage. Kill enough flying Pandorans and the Behemoth will have no choice but to retreat beneath the sea. But if left unchecked, the Behemoth and its infesting flyers can change the last refuges on the planet into something truly terrifying…