Othercide (game)

## *Othercide*

The Red Mother (top left), the Child (top right), and the lead classes in the main art for Othercide

## Production Information

### Producer(s)

Jérôme Smidt
 Tangi Tabuteau

### Designer(s)

Paul Vauvrey
 Bob Hands

### Programmer(s)

Johan Wirde
 Amine El Khalsi

### Artist(s)

Alexandre Chaudret
 Antoine Dupuis

### Composer(s)

Pierre Le Pape
 Max Lilja
 Solitaris

### Release(d)

Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
July 28, 2020
 Nintendo Switch
September 10, 2020

## Technical Details

### Platform(s)

Microsoft Windows
 Nintendo Switch
 PlayStation 4
 Xbox One

### Genre(s)

Action-adventure
 Role-playing
 Turn-based tactics

### Mode(s)

Single-player

*You will fight. You will fail. You will rise again.*[src]
Official website

***Othercide*** is a horror-themed tactical role-playing video game developed by Lightbulb Crew and published by Focus Entertainment.

Set in an ethereal monochromatic world of France between the years 1897 and 1929, the game will place the player in control of female warriors, in a desperate struggle to push back preternatural creatures spawned by humanity's own evil deeds and prevent reality from shattering.

*Othercide* was previously due for Early Access through Steam; in April 2019, Lightbulb Crew announced a partnership with Focus Entertainment, and skipped Early Access in favor of going straight to full release.

On July 1, 2020, *Othercide* had "gone gold," meaning all development of the game had been completed and mass manufacturing had begun. The game was released on July 28, 2020 for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, while a Nintendo Switch version released on September 10, 2020. Critics gave considerable acclaim to the game's graphics and concept, as well as the game physics, but were critical of the gameplay department and narrative elements.

## Plot

### Synopsis

> Descend into humanity's last hope. The Daughters, echoes of the greatest warrior to ever live, are all who stand before Suffering and death. Lead your army of Daughters to battle. Your prowess in combat will decide their fate, shape their abilities and personality. Make the toughest decision and sacrifice one to heal another—survivors will get stronger, ready to fight the next battle.
>
> Combat is an intricate dance of spectacular actions and counters: plan ahead of time and set up impressive chains of abilities to outsmart the enemy using the Dynamic Timeline System. Fight in epic boss battles against the sources of Suffering—dread creatures pulled from the worst of humanity's crimes against itself.
>
>

## Gameplay

A single-player game, *Othercide* is a tactical role-playing video game that displays an angled top-down perspective. The player controls a group of Daughters, who are female warriors fighting against the forces of Suffering in a dying, esoteric dimension known as the Dark Corner. While the units and the foes take turn to take actions, the game features a Dynamic Timeline System, which allows players to use various skills to delay an opponent's turn or speed up another unit's turn. All actions require action points, and if the player spends too many action points, the unit will become exhausted and will need to wait longer before she can act again.

The game features three classes: the Blademaster, who deals tremendous damage while wielding a melee weapon; the Shieldbearer, who has a lot of health; and the Soulslinger, who provides support as the only ranged class. The player also has the option to spawn additional daughters and name them in the process. As each class specializes in a particular role on the battlefield, they are equipped with a set of unique skills and can be combined together to start a chain reaction. The skills of these classes can also be extensively customized. The player's playstyle will also shape their traits and personalities.

In addition, the game features roguelike elements. Battles take place in small maps, and when the player's squad is defeated, they would not lose their progress and new items named "Remembrances" are unlocked. These items improve combat efficiency and allow players to survive longer. The only way to heal a fallen daughter is to sacrifice another Daughter in exchange. The surviving Daughter will have altered traits, enabling further customizations.

## Production

### Development

The game's development began in 2017 and was led by a team of approximately twenty people from Lightbulb Crew. In terms of creative distinction, Art Director Alexandre Chaudret aimed to artistically distinguish the game from other strategic games on the market. The game's artistic direction was inspired by *BLAME*, *Berserk*, and *Claymore*. The game was initially set in a city inspired by Paris where the studio is based in, but the team ultimately opted to set the game in an otherworldly dimension named the Dark Corner instead of creating a setting that was grounded in reality. According to Chaudret, the Dark Corner was "shaped by broken psyches and trauma." The game mainly features black and white as its color scheme, with splashes of red to "flesh out the important elements of both the lore and the gameplay."

While the initial consoles are essentially the same, the Nintendo Switch version saw a handful of minor changes.

Publisher Focus Entertainment announced the game on February 21, 2020. The game was released worldwide for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on July 28, 2020, while a Nintendo Switch version debuted on September 10, 2020.

### Music

French musician Pierre le Pape composed and performed the score for *Othercide*.

## Release

*Othercide* was released for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on July 28, 2020. A Nintendo Switch version released on September 10, 2020.

## Reception

On aggregate review Metacritic, the console versions of PC and PlayStation 4 generally received a positive rating from critics upon release, while the Xbox One version received mixed reviews.

Leana Hafer from *IGN* awarded the game a 9 out of 10, praising its combat and difficulty. She concluded her review by saying that "*Othercide* is a tactical roguelike with a flair for the dramatic, full of satisfying combat, careful planning, and sometimes heartrending decisions." Tom Hatfield from *PC Gamer* also enjoyed the combat and described the system as a "pleasing puzzle." He also praised the "striking" art style, which helps create the game's "doom and gloom atmosphere." Due to the game's inclusion of roguelike elements, Hatfield believed that the game may not be suitable for players who are impatient.

## Trivia

* The title ***Othercide*** is a portmanteau of the "Others", and their "genocide".

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 twitter @OthercideGame (Othercide) on Twitter
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *Eurogamer.net* – "Stylish turn-based horror RPG Othercide gets a July release date" by Wales, Matt. Published June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
3. ↑ *Game-Debate* – "Horror-themed tactical strategy game Othercide announced - System requirements revealed" by Sutton, Jon. Published February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
4. ↑ *Othercide* – "Announcement: Partnership with Focus Entertainment!" by Lajoux, Johanna. Published April 26, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
5. ↑ *PC Gamer* – "Stylish horror-tactics game Othercide is looking for closed beta testers" by Chalk, Andy. Published January 28, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
6. ↑ *OnlySP* – "Tactical Turn-Based Game Othercide Developer to Release Monthly Updates in 2020" by Flint, Richard. Published January 15, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
7. ↑ *Bloody Disgusting* – "'Othercide' Scrapping Early Access Plans For Full 2020 Release" by Wilson, Mike. Published January 29, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
8. ↑ *Nintendo Life* – "Othercide Brings Stylish Tactical-RPG Horror To Switch This Summer" by Craddock, Ryan. Published June 18, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
9. ↑ *Eurogamer.net* – "Stylish turn-based tactical horror RPG Othercide shows off its monsters in new trailer" by Wales, Matt. Published February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
10. ↑ *PlayStation.Blog* – "Put an end to Suffering with these essential Othercide tips" by Larsson, Anders. Published July 27, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
11. ↑ *PC Gamer* – "Othercide looks like a spooky XCOM and is coming in July" by Hetfeld, Malindy. Published June 17, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
12. ↑ *PC Gamer* – "Othercide elegantly combines occult horror with turn-based tactics, and has a great sense of style" by Senior, Tom. Published July 15, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
13. ↑ *Destructoid* – "Othercide is a horror-tinged tactical RPG from Focus Home" by Devore, Jordan. Published February 21, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
14. ↑ *IGN* – "Othercide Review" by Hafer, T.J.. Published July 27, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
15. ↑ *PC Gamer* – "Othercide Review" by Hatfield, Tom. Published July 31, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
16. ↑ *Reddit* – "AMA: We are Lightbulb Crew, developers of Othercide!". Published July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.