Scarlet Republics is a turn-based tactical RPG with lots of nods to contemporary grimdark fantasy literature, classical isometric RPGs, strategic JRPGs and pen and paper roleplaying games.
The game offers challenging tactical combat with a mix of Western and Japanese mechanics, and an intriguing branching story, with multiple endings and heavy with choice and consequences.
Join the Blackwing Mercenaries on their quest of vindication and conquest as you tour the City-States of Corsano, a fantasy world inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci and the Italian Renaissance.
RPG squad building
In Scarlet Republics you take control of the Blackwing Mercenaries. Pick your squad from 20 playable characters divided across 7 classes, rooted in the game’s fantasy Renaissance setting. Each with two subclasses whose skills you can mix to suit your squad’s specific needs.
The RPG growth system is created to mix your strategic decisions (what skill to pick, what equipment to use) with organic, pseudo-random elements in how characters grow. In English, this means that characters grow differently from playthrough to playthrough and that you’ll never end up with the exact same squad of mercenaries. You will have to play around these organic developments as you choose your squad.
Turn-based tactics
On the battlefield, it’s all about utilizing the synergies between the different classes to come out on top. Each weapon has a duel-bonus, which applies once engaged in a duel with the enemy. Spears are long and make it hard to get in a good hit on you, hammers are big and harder to defend against. It’s vital to know which duels to engage in and which to avoid in order to succeed on the battlefield
Whenever a character falls in battle they receive a permanent trauma, that will hamstring them for the rest of the game. If a character ever receives a third trauma they become too traumatized to battle and you will be unable to use them on the battlefield. Take care.
Magic in Corsano is all about manipulating the patterns inherit in all elements of the cosmos. Most mages are, however, limited to manipulating the pattern most easily understood by them: the pattern of the human being. There are many ways to destabilize a pattern, magic, poison, emotional trauma, good old violence.
Fully breaking a pattern will leave the owner weak and cathartic. In the game, other than watching your health, you must take care that your mercenaries’ patterns remain stable. Offensively, it’s a powerful strategy to destabilize a strong enemy’s pattern before moving in for the kill.
In-Game Background Story
In Scarlet Republics you play as the siblings Remo and Valeria, two mercenary captains haunted by betrayal and looking for vindication and an opportunity to reclaim their birthright. Following a conspiracy that took their parents and threatened their lives, the siblings have spent years building a mercenary army in secret; an army that can help them unmask the conspirators, bring them to justice and bring back glory to their house and city-state.
But not everything is as it seems, and quickly the siblings find themselves facing decisions of not only life and death but decisions that could shape the future of the country itself. The machinations of the powerful can be hard to fathom, and if they are not careful, the siblings could find themselves just another marionette dancing along to the tunes of power.
Key Features
• Turn-Based Tactics: In Scarlet Republics you guide a squad of mercenaries in turn-based combat. The game features 7 unique classes divided over 20 playable characters. It is up to you to pick and mold your squad to suit your playstyle and strategies.
• Get Creative with Squad-Building: We have built the RPG system to match customization with organic, pseudo-random growths with a focus on squad building and gut-wrenching choices for how to grow your characters. Experimenting with different builds and synergies is a key aspect of creating your perfect mercenary company.
• Choice and Consequence: How you progress depends entirely upon your decisions. Large parts of the game, including entire battle-maps and quests, are choice specific and it is impossible to see it all in one playthrough.
• A living, breathing world: Inspired by the Mediterranean, the Renaissance and the vineyards and olive groves of Italy and Greece, Corsano is a land of vibrant colors, heady spices, merchant lords, pirates, politics, intrigue and, of course, war.
• Da Vinci & Tango: The game’s art style is inspired by Renaissance art and the sketches of the master Leonardo Da Vinci. The soundtrack mixes classical fantasy with inspirations from tango and flamenco for a dramatic sunset vibe.
About the developer
Audacity Interactive is a start-up game studio based in Copenhagen, consisting of a team of passionate game and story enthusiasts. Their passion for good games, excellence in game design, unique aesthetics, and a fantastic story is uncompromising.
Their vision is to build bridges between excellent storytelling and excellent game design and revolutionize the way interactive stories are told.
Support them on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/167245551/scarlet-republics
Scarlet Republics Release date & Platforms
2022, PC, Switch, Playstation, Xbox
