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2023 · Action-adventure · Adventure

Miasma Chronicles

From the creators of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden comes a beautifully crafted tactical adventure you won’t forget. Embark on a quest across a post-apocalyptic wasteland torn apart by a savage force known only as the ‘Miasma’.

Released: 23 May 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox Series X/S
Genres: Action-adventure Adventure Role-playing Strategy Tactical Turn-based strategy Turn-based tactics
Developers: —
Publishers: 505 Games
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action Science fiction
Country: Sweden
Age ratings: USK 16 CERO C ACB M CLASS_IND 16 PEGI 16 ESRB T GRAC 15+
Languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Spain)
Time to beat: 21hmain story32hcompletionist

About

Miasma Chronicles is a tactical role playing video game developed by The Bearded Ladies and published by 505 Games in 2023. It is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States and blends turn-based tactics with stealth game mechanics.

›Story

In the not-too-distant future. America has been torn apart by a savage force known only as the ‘Miasma’.

Meet Elvis, a young man brought to the mining town of Sedentary as a baby. Left by his mother in the care of a robotic older brother and given a mysterious glove with which he can control the Miasma.

Join the brothers on a quest across a post-apocalyptic wasteland to find the answers they crave. Answers which may change the course of human history forever.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The United States is devastated by something called miasma, which transforms or kills living things. More than a century later, a woman leaves her son, Elvis, in the care of a robot named Diggs. Elvis has a glove left behind by his mother that can control the miasma. Players control Elvis as he seeks out his mother and attempts to learn more about the miasma.

Miasma Chronicles is a tactical role-playing game. Players explore the game in real time using mechanics from stealth games. Enemies have a visible cone of vision, which allows players to determine whether they will be seen. Combat is turn-based and tactical.

Development

Lee Varley, the game director, wanted to explore the concept of a world that trusted in large corporations and eccentric billionaires to solve their problems. Varley said the post-apocalyptic scenario allowed him to comment on why this might be bad idea. Other themes he wanted to address were climate change, surrendering civil rights, and wage slavery. Influences include Japanese role-playing games on the PlayStation.

Setting the game in the United States came about because The Bearded Ladies wanted to make the setting more accessible to worldwide audiences, some of whom missed out on Swedish allusions in one of their previous games, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. The producer, Mark Parker, said he sometimes argued with Varley over the game's mood and atmosphere. Varley favored a more serious approach, while Parker preferred a more humorous take. Parker said they used this creative friction to make the game better.

Reception

On review aggregator Metacritic, the Windows version of Miasma Chronicles received mixed reviews, and the PlayStation and Xbox Series X/S versions received positive reviews.

Rock Paper Shotgun praised the tactical aspects, which they said "demonstrates a strong understanding of what makes turn-based tactics games tick". However, they criticized what they felt was poor writing, dated humor, and a lack of innovation compared to Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden and Corruption 2029. Shacknews enjoyed the story and found it relevant. They also praised the game's customizable difficulty levels and stealth aspects, which they said added a fun puzzle layer.