The Mandate‘s co-op RPG seeks to answer a question: What would happen if Tsarist Russia colonized space?
Most gamers know that not all Kickstarter projects can be success stories, but there are still many ideas we’d love to see completed. One example is The Mandate, Perihelion Interactive’s latest contribution to the crowdfunding scene. Starting with a combination of FTL‘s spaceship management and X-Com‘s isometric strategy, The Mandate hopes to expand into something much larger. If successful, players can expect customized spaceships, procedurally-generated environments, and even co-op RPG gameplay that lets you take on the galaxy with friends.
The Mandate is set in an alternate universe where Tsarist Russia thrived into an era of space colonization, creating an empire across the stars. As rebellions at the outskirts threaten the empire’s security, a grand fleet designed to restore order is lost thanks to malfunctioning jump-gate technology. In desperation, the player, a prisoner jailed for crimes against society, is given a ship and ordered to restore the empire’s former glory.
Using procedurally-generated galaxies, The Mandate sends players across various star systems, each harboring factions, bases, and other unique encounters. Players take on the role of ship captain, guiding recruits and officers through spaceship combat, boarding missions, and even ship defense. Captains must be careful not to waste the lives of crew members unthinkingly, however. Like XCOM, you’ll be provided with a limited number of recruits that can easily be wiped out in enemy attacks, or sucked into space through hull breaches. Thankfully, you don’t have to play alone – up to six Steam players can work together across the entire campaign, or called in periodically via panicked distress calls.
Assuming Perihelion reaches its $500,000 Kickstarter goal, The Mandate would have an expected release in 2015. In the meantime, Perihelion has released an early version of the engine’s ship designer, allowing anyone to create unique starships and then blow them up for pure visual spectacle. That’s still a long way before we’re close to a finished game, but as 750 backers within the first few days prove, there are many fans hoping that this project can become a reality.
Source: Kickstarter
