Othercide |OT| Black, White and Rogue All Over

[Dancrane212]

Platform(s): Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch
Release Date:

July 28th, 2020​

Switch: September 10th, 2020​

Genre: Strategy RPG
Price: $34.99 USD
Player(s): 1
Format: Digital
Developer: Lightbulb Crew
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Size: ~6GB

What is Othercide?
Othercide is a turn-based strategy game that brings in Rogue-lite elements such as a run-based (each attempt is called a "Recollection") approach to gameplay. You'll command a squad of warrior sisters as they battle against the forces of the Suffering and reset the world each time you fail.

Character progression?
Daughters will level with experience and be able to gain new skills as well as earning character-altering traits based on their actions in combat. You can also modify stats by using essence and memories (the former being a currency you also use to create new Daughters and the latter being items found from defeating enemies).

Permadeath?
Yes, when one of the Daughters under your command runs out of health they are dead. Health not restored between battles aside from the mechanic of sacrificing a Daughter of equal level to replenish the health of, as well as adding a new trait to, their wounded sister.

What elements carry over from run to run?
You will be able to resurrect a fallen Daughter with all of their experience and traits with a rare consumable you can find during a run (you are also given 1 of at the start of every run). These will allow you to bring high-level characters into early stages to upset the power curve of the game. At the start of a new run you will also be able to allocate shards that you previously unlocked to give yourself new advantages in the fights to come.

How does combat work?
Turn order is based on a timeline shown at the bottom of the screen and a character's placement on that timeline is based on how many actions they performed in their last turn. For example, if you used more than half of the allotted 100 action points the Daughter will become fatigued and need to wait a bit longer before taking another action.

Is the game enhanced on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X?
It doesn't appear so.

Metacritic
Xbox One | PC | PS4
Opencritic

IGN 9/10

Some parents are really invested in their kids' report cards or success in extracurricular activities. Othercide offers a different kind of parental pride as you command a small army of warrior Daughters armed with giant swords and sleek revolvers they can use to slice, bash, and blast through a menagerie of Lovecraftian horrors. But this is more than an outlet for such dreams of blood-drenched parenthood, though. Othercide is also the best turn-based tactics game of the year so far.

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PlayStation LifeStyle 8.5/10

Othercide provides a challenge without breaking the player's spirit. It hits on all the right notes of an engaging turn-based game, accentuated by the integrated roguelike elements, and an artistic beauty. Add in the lore and you have a pretty solid title worth checking out.

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DualShockers 6/10

The end result is that Othercide just failed to land for me. It's entirely possible that the developers are able to adjust numbers and patterns a little to make something more enjoyable, but until that time? I struggle to see myself recommending it to most people. Give it a shot if you're a devout fan of the genre or really revel in the graphical style, just don't expect anything too significant.

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Official Site
Review Thread
​

 

[panda-zebra]

£29.99 on Steam, £32.99 on PSN. Very tempted, looks like the kind of thing I want to play right now (just not in the mood for Ghost). If Sony had given me that 10 years £10 credit I'd have jumped at this without a second thought, probably hang on and see if that shows up.

 

[Remachinate]

Haha, that's a great OT title.

I'm behind on my backlog so I haven't jumped in yet, even though this checks a lot of boxes for me. Very surprised to see how wide the range of scores is, especially with IGN on the high end. I'm pretty sure I'll be checking this out either way, but I'd love to see more high profile outlets weigh in, like PCGamer.

 

[Deleted member 11976]

Put an hour into it last night and am really enjoying it so far. Nothing has come close to Into The Breach for me but this one gets closest to it. Push, pull, stun/delay mechanics work really well here and there are flanking and backstab bonuses as well. The reaction abilities (attack enemy moving within X range, auto counter attack, attack when ally is attacking, etc) allow for some really nice setups even in the early game, so I'm looking forward to unlocking more of these skills.

 

[Iori Fuyusaka]

Instantly bought it and it's incredible. Originally was going to buy it on PS4, but it's cheaper on PC and I think better suited to KBM. Also it runs flawlessly at 4K/60 on PC.

 

[super-famicom]

Put an hour into it last night and am really enjoying it so far. Nothing has come close to Into The Breach for me but this one gets closest to it. Push, pull, stun/delay mechanics work really well here and there are flanking and backstab bonuses as well. The reaction abilities (attack enemy moving within X range, auto counter attack, attack when ally is attacking, etc) allow for some really nice setups even in the early game, so I'm looking forward to unlocking more of these skills.

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Sounds good. From the trailer, I got Into The Breach vibes from seeing different moves combo together. You only ever have 3 units to control at a time, right?

 

[Speely]

Wow this looks great! Been a minute since I played a tb tactics game. In.

 

[Deleted member 11976]

Sounds good. From the trailer, I got Into The Breach vibes from seeing different moves combo together. You only ever have 3 units to control at a time, right?

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I think so, yeah. So far I've only uncovered 3 classes (sword, gun, shield lancer) but there might be more? You can combine any number of these classes into a 3-person squad.

 

[KaiPow]

I think so, yeah. So far I've only uncovered 3 classes (sword, gun, shield lancer) but there might be more? You can combine any number of these classes into a 3-person squad.

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There's a trophy for another class.

I haven't been able to make it past the first boss and I'm usually decent at SRPG's.

 

[Luminaire]

I've been playing this for the past week so I can try to answer any questions if needed.

The fourth class is -

Spoiler: Othercide 4th Class

Scythedancer, which is focused on stealing armor, shredding armor, and attacking in wide arcs.

Spoiler: How to unlock 4th class

The fourth class is locked behind the 3rd boss, The Maid. You'll get the class about 60-70% into the fight as a story event.

Later on you can use up to 4 daughters in missions, but its not always guaranteed. Some might only allow 1-2 daughters. You'll see the number on missions when you pick them. Also, don't be scared by the 'Impossible' difficult. It basically just means enemy count in my experience.

 

[Deleted member 11976]

There's a trophy for another class.

I haven't been able to make it past the first boss and I'm usually decent at SRPG's.

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What level were your daughters when you went in? I'm about to take it on tonight and I'm going in with a L2+3+4. Not expecting to get it on the first try because I think tutorializing the death loop is important and something the devs want to teach in the first run.

 

[KaiPow]

What level were your daughters when you went in? I'm about to take it on tonight and I'm going in with a L2+3+4. Not expecting to get it on the first try because I think tutorializing the death loop is important and something the devs want to teach in the first run.

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Around 4-ish for me. The first fight was so demoralizing that I turned it off and went back to playing SAO Xenoblade for another 30 hours.

 

[Deleted member 11976]

Around 4-ish for me. The first fight was so demoralizing that I turned it off and went back to playing SAO Xenoblade for another 30 hours.

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Did any of the permanent unlocks after death help you? I have a buff that gives 15% extra health to all daughters that I'll probably use on my next run, as an example.

 

[KaiPow]

Did any of the permanent unlocks after death help you? I have a buff that gives 15% extra health to all daughters that I'll probably use on my next run, as an example.

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Yeah, they definitely add up over time.

 

[Grim]

I've just seen the trailer for this game and it looks amazing. Really tempted to hit the but button right now.

 

[Uzzy]

Great title, great OP.

Enjoyed my three hours of play this morning, managed to take down the first boss. Meant to be a couple of patches incoming which is good to see.

Steam :: Othercide :: Community Update 28/07/2020

Greetings, Chosen Ones, First off we’d like to extend a huge thanks to all of you supporting Othercide! We’ve been watching you play and reading your feedback for the past hours. We’re now hard at work on fixes for commonly reported issues. We’d like to highlight here some issues that the team...

steamcommunity.com

 

[Transistor]

Why have I never heard of this. I need this.

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

Othercide Review (PC) | Othercide Is A Muddled Tactical Horror

This Othercide review isn’t broken: the game looks like that. It’s a colour-free mash-up of turn-based tactics and rogue-lite horror - and a bit muddled. Mat...

youtu.be

Rock Paper Shotgun review

I'm interested but I think I'll be waiting for a sale.

 

[Uzzy]

Stunningly bleak and beautiful, I adore the look of this game.

 

[ArbitraryWater]

Went from not knowing this game existed 24 hours ago to "Yeah I'm gonna put this on the wishlist." If I didn't already have a few tactics games hanging around the backlog I'd jump on this, but for now I'll wait for patches and a sale.

 

[Dancrane212]

"Essential tips" for the game:

Defy Suffering With These Essential Tips

Hello, Chosen Ones! Whether you have just set foot in Othercide, or have yet to discover it, these essential tips will help you lead your Daughters against the nightmarish creatures that stalk and feed in the cracks of reality. Use the Dynamic Timeline Sy...

forums.focus-home.com

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

Looking at the monster designs, I wonder how many (if any) tabletop companies are asking for the rights to put this on Kickstarter. The game looks like an adaptation of a standard KS project designed to appeal to people willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for miniatures (and a game to maybe play).

 

[Deleted member 11976]

Looking at the monster designs, I wonder how many (if any) tabletop companies are asking for the rights to put this on Kickstarter. The game looks like an adaptation of a standard KS project designed to appeal to people willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for miniatures (and a game to maybe play).

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I'm confused, can you elaborate?

The monster designs mix the usual plague doctor trope, sure, but I feel there's a mixture of other influences in there too, such as Berzerk, in my opinion.

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

I'm confused, can you elaborate?

The monster designs mix the usual plague doctor trope, sure, but I feel there's a mixture of other influences in there too, such as Berzerk, in my opinion.

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To clarify, I'm not saying Othercide looks unoriginal. I'm taking a potshot at many tabletop KS projects I've seen over the years.

 

[Hella]

Othercide Review (PC) | Othercide Is A Muddled Tactical Horror

This Othercide review isn’t broken: the game looks like that. It’s a colour-free mash-up of turn-based tactics and rogue-lite horror - and a bit muddled. Mat...

youtu.be

Rock Paper Shotgun review

I'm interested but I think I'll be waiting for a sale.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the link.

That vid kinda confirmed my biggest concern with the game--repetition and a lack of replayability. The part about resurrected daughters being essential also sounds like a missed opportunity.

I was hoping it'd be more... XCOM-y in how replayable it is, with unique daughters and a campaign that is defined by those daughters and their experiences.

 

[NeoRaider]

It looks so sleek!

 

[Vic_Viper]

So how does it play on PS4? Thinking about getting it on console, even though im sure it controls better on PC.

 

[TheMathyFolf]

So how does it play on PS4? Thinking about getting it on console, even though im sure it controls better on PC.

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Currently, the in-game text is too small on PS4, with no way to adjust it. Outside of that, it's been fine so far.

 

[Luminaire]

So how does it play on PS4? Thinking about getting it on console, even though im sure it controls better on PC.

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It can be a little wonky when selecting targets and there is some stuttering here and there. Load times can be fairly long to load in a level. Text is fairly small as mentioned above.

 

[Vic_Viper]

Ok, thanks! Was just about to get it on PS4, then I thought I should just double check to make sure there wasnt a Switch version announced, and apparently there is lol. Just says Summer 2020, but Ill wait!

 

[Deleted member 57578]

Surprisingly great year for squad tactics, looking forward to playing this.

 

[Deleted member 11976]

Got crushed by the first boss! I've definitely found that, since that defeat, playing a lot more aggressively seems to be the key to clearing high-count fights without sustaining major damage. The delayed action gun enemies are really lethal if left unchecked.

I got to put on some buffs my second run and that's helping. I also found that there are random, timed Event buffs that can help a lot too. My current one gives extra movement, for instance. But I don't know how long it will last. One day? The whole run?

 

[Elliot Pudge]

i'm really enjoying it but fair warning, this game is tough

 

[Deleted member 11976]

i'm really enjoying it but fair warning, this game is tough

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Yeah. I'd say it's more punishing than ITB, even. But I do think that the permanent buffs you earn should help in the long run.

 

[TinTuba47]

Does this game have any HUD/UI options, such as the ability to remove the floating health bars above the characters?

 

[Yinyangfooey]

Here's my tips and tricks guide if you're interested!

Othercide Tips And Tricks - The Indie Game Website

Bullet to the head

www.indiegamewebsite.com

 

[Luminaire]

Got crushed by the first boss! I've definitely found that, since that defeat, playing a lot more aggressively seems to be the key to clearing high-count fights without sustaining major damage. The delayed action gun enemies are really lethal if left unchecked.

I got to put on some buffs my second run and that's helping. I also found that there are random, timed Event buffs that can help a lot too. My current one gives extra movement, for instance. But I don't know how long it will last. One day? The whole run?

Click to shrink...

A tip - always inspect the enemy to see what they're capable of. Some enemies will do massive damage if you end your turn near them.
Also, don't sleep on armor stripping. It helps in some cases.

Consider mobility moves as well for your gunner, there's an AOE one that lets you select a position to land in. It's good for covering ground and getting over some obstacles. Soulslinger (gunner) also has some pretty great support moves that you can stack buffing memories on (such as armor, more damage, etc).

For the buffs, if its the Event that's like a [!] that's just for that day.

 

[Vic_Viper]

Hope we get a date for the Switch version soon. I'm really itching to play it, but I'm trying my best to wait.

 

[Ricker]

54 bucks CAD...will wait for a sale or you know what on Xbox...looks interesting.

 

[Luminaire]

I'm at what I assume to be the final battle and it feels... rather unfair.

Consider making a team that does combos/follow-up attacks because it needs to die very fast.

Spoiler: Final Boss? mechanics

It also acts 2-5 times per turn and can delay every unit with a room-wide AOE.
It counters all 1st melee attacks and pushes the unit back to max distance.
It teleports to the furthest unit away and the unit goes to its old spot and then explodes, doing damage to itself and anyone around it.
It puts down a permanent cross on the ground that will kill you if you stop on it.
It steals HP from you every time it gets attacked.
It puts a cross on all units and will damage them and if any of the crosses touch theres even more damage given out.

Edit: The boss no longer feels unfair. I've figured out how to crack this game wide open and now the final battle was unfair for the boss.

 

[yungronny]

The in-battle text is SO SMALL even on my decently-sized TV. Wish I could fix this.

 

[Dancrane212]

The in-battle text is SO SMALL even on my decently-sized TV. Wish I could fix this.

Click to shrink...

A fix for it is coming in the next patch (after the console one releasing this week):

Patch V4.12 is out on PC!

Greetings, Chosen Ones, Thank you for taking the time to give us feedback and suggestions on our social media channels, Discord, and Steam forums. We hope you’ve enjoyed your adventure in Othercide so far. Thanks to your feedback, we discovered some issu...

forums.focus-home.com

We'll also increase the size of the UI in the next patch!

Click to shrink...

 

[yungronny]

A fix for it is coming in the next patch (after the console one releasing this week):

Patch V4.12 is out on PC!

Greetings, Chosen Ones, Thank you for taking the time to give us feedback and suggestions on our social media channels, Discord, and Steam forums. We hope you’ve enjoyed your adventure in Othercide so far. Thanks to your feedback, we discovered some issu...

forums.focus-home.com

Click to shrink...

PHEW! This was killing me and I didn't wanna drop this game. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Deleted member 11976]

Wow that's a pretty huge list of fixes and improvements. Can't wait for the increased UI text size on PS4.

 

[Uzzy]

 

[barjed]

I played a little bit today and the game makes an amazing first impression. Super stylish with great production values and the combat is great too, even if that timeline is basically a pimped up CT system from FFT. But anyway, I loved what I have seen so far. It will be interesting to see how it fares in the longer run and if there is enough variety. Looking at the Codex it seems there is plenty of content and there is a ton of potential. The cryptic lore is fire as well!

That being said, does anyone else get strong Kingdom Death: Monster vibes from this? This aesthetics, the narration, the presentation of the events and especially how bosses are introduced and are encroaching on the player. Even the actual Surgeon himself kinda reminds me of the Butcher. All he needs is an overpower kick :D

 

[Olorin]

This game is fantastic. The initiative track and the delayed/instant attacks really make for a good tactical experience. Played defensively on my first run and got to last boss. Defense definitely did not cut it on that fight lol

great stuff.

 

[Nameless]

Yeah I'm head over heels in love with this so far. Really appreciate how its roguelike structure, difficulty, and all the clever unit management/progression systems are baked into the game's lore and themes. There's just this wonderfully cohesive feel to everything, and the writing surrounding that stuff is well done. It's stylish & atmosphreric as all hell. Great soundtrack. Brutal, but satisfying turn based tactics. Did I mention I'm in love?

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

I ended up getting this and am enjoying it, but I really wish the game had a built-in manual and tooltips. The localization still being rough in spots doesn't help.

 

[Nameless]

Made it to and defeated the 1st boss on my first run, however things took a complete a turn for the worst almost immediately after that . My best daughters all fell, save for one, who was on her last legs and forced to carry fledglings into the 2nd boss encounter. It didn't go well. At all.

Battles throw some genuinely cool, fucked up scenarios at you as the game progresses and never allow you to get too comfortable. You're forced to adapt and adjust, often drastically, based on the timeline. And like any strong horror experience, the [brutal] difficulty does a fine job of reinforcing those feelings of tension & dread, on top of Othercide's core themes around unrelenting suffering.

Love this game. Looking forward to playing a bunch over the rainy weekend.