Annapurna Interactive pulled back the curtain on a number of exciting new projects at its annual digital showcase, including the mech combat-meets-farming and base-building sim,Bounty Star. The forthcomingindietitle also has a serious story to tell about reconciling with one’s past and growing as a force of good in the world. Players inhabit the role of Clem, a capable fighter and veteran soldier who becomes a bounty hunter in the lawless far future of the American Southwest.
Game Rant recently spoke to Ben Ruiz, the founder of developer Dinogod. Ruiz discussed his various influences, classicalWestern narratives, and the themes of growth and hope at the core ofBounty Star.
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Mechs and Farming a la Devil May Cry
From the trailer, it is apparent that fans of mech combat games likeArmored CoreandMech Assaultwill be well-taken care of withBounty Star’sfast and brutal mech combat. And mech fans who also have a soft spot forHarvest Moon-like farming simswill also find a lot to love. Ruiz wears these influences on his sleeves, but he also mentioned a third secret spice that could turn gamers' expectations on their heads:
“I would say the main influences areHarvest Moon, classicArmored Core, andDevil May Cry. But in all fairness, everything I ever do, including mundane things like eat, and speak, and clean my house is inspired byDevil May Cry, haha!”
IfHarvest Moonby way ofArmored Corewasn’t intriguing enough, the game is also informed by the ever-stylishcharacter action series,Devil May Cry.Ruiz was coy about how these influences might manifest, but given his professed love for the series, they are likely to ring through and through. When it came to specific mech builds, Ruiz revealed that he designed weapons “to be solid in a vacuum,” so players who love specific weapon configurations will be able to enjoy themselves without fearing the need to optimize or min-maxing their load-out.
Future Setting, Classic Narrative
The protagonist ofBounty Star, Clementine McKinney, is an old soldier with a new lease on life. She has taken over a pre-apocalyptic gas station, which she steadily rehabilitates as she works through the demons of her past, amid a world that is also recuperating from apocalyptic events. Healing and recovery amid this sort ofwild west is a major themeinBounty Star:
“Absolutely it is. The classic western narrative is about the struggle between those who use their guns for good and those that do not. Clem’s healing has everything to do with how she uses her gun to affect the world.”
Not all forms of healing are peaceful, and recovering from a dark past can be traumatic. Both of these seemingly paradoxical truths are major themes in classic Western films, television, books, and games, where former soldiers who attempt to take up a life of peace are pursued by living ghosts from their former lives.John Marston’s atonement in the originalRed Dead Redemptionbegins by setting him on a path of bloody vengeance against his former compatriots, and this is but one of many examples that approach this paradox thatBounty Star, too, aims to tackle.
Ruiz’s sense of these narrative patterns inspires confidence in Dinogod’s ability to give players a story that is not only action-packed but meaningfully cathartic. While Rockstar’sRed Deadfranchise often leads to soul-crushing conclusions,Bounty Starhas its sights set on brighter tomorrows.
Tragic, But Not A Tragedy
Even thoughBounty Star’s subtitle is “The Morose Tale of Graveyard Clem,” Ruiz doesn’t believe the game itself is a tragedy. While there are tragic elements to Clem’s character, the general tone of the game is bent toward progress. Just as the title’s freneticmech vs. mech combatis accented by relaxed elements of farming and base building, Clem’s tragic backstory may serve as a counterweight to the game’s otherwise optimistic tone.
Players looking for a mix of cathartic character growth,explosive mech combat informed byArmored Core, and the relaxing homesteading ofHarvest Moonwill want to keep an eye out forBounty Starwhen it arrives next year.
Bounty Staris expected to launch in early 2024, for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
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