Bonaparteis an upcoming grand strategy game and debut title by Studio Imugi, a Canadian team of industry veterans focused on storytelling and social relevance as game design pillars. AlthoughBonaparteis quite clearly an alternate history strategy game, as made evident by its steampunk mechs and other unusual technology, creative director Jongwoo Kim notes that special attention was paid to historical accuracy. In fact, Kim studied history before going intoindie gamedevelopment with a particular interest in historically significant revolutions worldwide.
In gameplay terms,Bonaparteis a story-driven, choices-matter political grand strategy game not unlikeCrusader Kings, while its hex-based tactical battles were, according to Kim, inspired by thecombat system ofFire Emblem. Players will train armies, conquer territory through turn-based tactical battles, and navigate real-world political situations from the period. Game Rant was given a look at some live gameplay from Jongwoo Kim as he demonstratedBonaparte’s mechanics ahead of its public debut.
Bonaparte Is All About Impactful Choices
Although the game is calledBonaparte, players do not actually take control of Napoleon, but rather their choice of either Celine or Cesare Bonaparte. These fictional counterparts allow players to shape their own identity as figures in the French Revolution, and players will be faced with some impactful choices along the way. Very early on, players are dropped into the storming of the Bastille, and it’s here that a choice is made that can significantly alter the playthrough: players can choose to either send their forces to assist the revolutionaries, or to side with the monarchy. Later, players may also need to decide between two competing factions of revolutionaries. Thanks to these fundamentally branching decisions, it sounds likeBonapartehas somesolid replay valueas players explore the three primary narrative paths.
Of course, the grand strategy component comes with plenty of its own decision-making with economic, military, and political strategy all at play. Elections are held periodically where players can propose reforms that might help them achieve certain goals, such as gaining favor with their base, which might make recruiting additional soldiers easier. Players can also negotiate with the other factions and convince them to vote for certain reforms or other mutually beneficial arrangements. That said, Kim notes that Bonaparte is largely a military-focused game, and players probably shouldn’t expect to achieve a religious or cultural victory as ingames likeCivilization. Territory inBonaparteis still primarily won through tactical battles.
Bonaparte’s Tactical Combat Has Some Solid Ideas
Turn-based tactical battles inBonapartetake place on a hexagonal playing field. Players will need to keep track of each unit’s health, which affects their overall combat strength, and they’ll need to managethe morale system.Bonaparte’s morale system acts as somewhat of a secondary health bar, with higher morale levels leading to better hit and avoidance chances. Kim says that this system allows weaker forces to come out the victors through sheer force of will, breaking the morale of superior forces to level the playing field. Units tend to have special abilities that may help restore morale or deal increased damage in certain situations, and players will need to take position and flanking into account. Kim describes the combat as roughly rock-paper-scissors, with infantry beating cavalry, cavalry countering artillery, and artillery having the advantage over infantry.
Acting as the hero units inBonaparteand the thematic centerpiece,colossal steampunk mechsare powerful forces on the battlefield and can turn the tide of engagements. These mechs aren’t weakened when they take damage like typical units, but rather overheat when damaged or overused. This heat management system forces players to carefully consider how they choose to apply their mechs on the field, rather than making them a one-size-fits-all solution.
So far,Bonapartelooks like a promising entry to the strategy genre, and its dedication to having a less overwhelming mix of systems should make it more accessible than many games in the genre. For players interested in alternative history and action-focused turn-based strategy, Bonaparte should offer at least three solid playthroughs lasting between 10 and 20 hours.
Bonaparteis currently in development and is expected to enter Early Access in early 2025 on PC.
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