Developed by Sarnayer, published by MicroProse, and with a release date to be announced, Dying Breed delivers a riveting real-time strategy experience that pays homage to classic games in the genre. Transporting players to a post-apocalyptic world, Dying Breed challenges you to build bases, gather resources, and lead troops into battle against fearsome foes. With its intense action, killer electro-rock soundtrack, and emphasis on strategic decision-making, this game recaptures the magic of the pioneering RTS titles that defined a generation of PC gaming.
Harkening Back to RTS Classics
Dying Breed intentionally echoes the first wave of real-time strategy games that captured gamers’ imaginations in the 1990s. The slick interface, base construction mechanics, and focus on resource management recall formative entries in the genre like Command & Conquer, Warcraft, and StarCraft. Yet while leveraging the best aspects of its predecessors, Dying Breed also brings plenty of fresh ideas to the table.
Set in an alternate timeline after World War II, Dying Breed combines familiar military units with more fantastical elements. Players will deploy infantry, vehicles, aircraft, and seafaring vessels, but also square off against zombies, underground monsters, and retro-futuristic technologies. This fusion of real-world warfare with sci-fi imagination provides a springboard for diverse gameplay full of possibility.
Adding to the distinctive feel is a 1990s metal soundtrack and live-action FMVs that pay homage to classic science fiction movies. Dying Breed proudly wears its influences on its sleeve, inviting players on a nostalgic but fresh trip back to the early days of real-time strategy.
Gather Resources and Construct Bases
Like any great RTS, Dying Breed starts by challenging you to establish a base of operations and collect resources. The game features two key materials: Substance D, a shiny blue mineral with potent energy properties, and energy which is accumulated by building power plants. By constructing harvesters and scouting Substance D deposits located around the map, you can reap a steady income of this crucial material.
You must carefully manage these resources to expand your base, bolster your army, and advance your technologies along the game’s extensive tech tree. Higher tech tiers unlock more powerful unit types, providing the tools you need to demolish the opposition. But invest wisely, as resources don’t come easily. The classic build-up from humble beginnings to unstoppable war machine is deeply satisfying.
Strategic Choices On and Off the Battlefield
While building up your military and economic engines, you’ll also make lots of meaningful strategic choices both on and off the battlefield. On the macro level, you decide which structures to construct, units to research, and upgrades to purchase in order to tailor your forces to your preferred playstyle. Do you want to ramp up a quick strike force of cheap units? Or invest in long-term upgrades to elite troops? The path is yours to choose.
Once the bullets start flying, micro-level decisions also make all the difference. Effective unit positioning, skilled micro-management during battles, and smart resource allocation are essential. Generating resources demands expansion and map control, but overextending your lines is risky. Each skirmish also challenges you to select the best counters against enemy units in a shifting rock-paper-scissors dynamic.
All these decisions feed into the classic RTS loop of scout, build, attack, and defend. It’s a formula Dying Breed executes masterfully.
Thrilling Single Player Campaign
Backing up the strong core mechanics is a robust single player campaign with up-to fifteen missions to complete. The immersive story mode recounts an alternate timeline after WW2 in which the world descends into conflict once more. Strange experiments led to the release of undead hordes, while Substance D deposits with immense power emerge across the globe. Players join an international task force trying to restore order amidst this chaos.
Notable characters like the gruff Lieutenant Franco and tenacious Private Yama lend personality. Full-motion video cutscenes flesh out the narrative between missions. The varied backdrops ranging from frozen tundras to desert biomes provide eye-catching environments to wage war across.
Most importantly, the campaign smoothly on-boards players to the game’s mechanics through smartly designed missions. Early stages teach the basics, introducing new units, structures, and techniques at a measured pace. Later sorties amp up the challenge, demanding you utilise the full breadth of abilities. The campaign takes around 15 hours to complete, with side objectives and difficulty settings offering replayability.
Other Modes: Skirmish, Multiplayer & More
Beyond the story mode, Dying Breed offers other ways to test your strategic wits. Skirmish mode enables battling against AI opponents across 10 maps under customisable settings. Options like funds, starting units, resources, and more let you tailor the experience to be quick n’ dirty or drawn-out wars of attrition.
Rounding out the package are other supplemental goodies. Replayable challenge missions put unique spins on standard matches, like completing objectives with limited units or defending against unrelenting assaults. Replays let you study and learn from past matches.
Accessible yet Deep Gameplay
Crucially, while Dying Breed offers tremendous depth for RTS veterans, it also remains accessible to newcomers. The campaign’s gradual introduction teaches the ropes effectively. Dying Breed boasts over 50 units and structures. Tactics must evolve to counter the enemy faction. Expert players will need to master nuanced techniques like micro, expanding while keeping resources balanced, and responding dynamically to their opponent.
As developers Sarnayer commented, they strove to recapture “that perfect balance between depth and accessibility” that characterised early classics like Command & Conquer. For both RTS experts and newcomers looking to learn, Dying Breed delivers this harmony in spades.
Stunning Visuals and Audio
Visually, Dying Breed impresses with detailed pixel-art unit models, vivid effects, and expansive maps. Soldiers, vehicles, aircraft, and structures all pop with color and personality. Environments like temperate forests, desert mesas, and tropical islands provide eye-catching backdrops. Impressive pyrotechnics and destructive effects liven up the action. Zooming the camera in reveals loving attention to detail on assets small and large.
The audio equally delivers, from the metal-inspired soundtrack to immersive combat sound effects. The crunchy satisfying sounds of gunfire and explosions make battles feel impactful. Voice acting during briefings and emotionally charged cutscenes make the campaign story resonate. Amplifying the nostalgia are soundtrack pieces paying homage to classics like Command & Conquer’s iconic Hell March theme. Players can even toggle between two music options.
Optimised Performance
One could easily mistake Dying Breed’s high visual fidelity for resource heaviness, but the game is well-optimised for a broad range of hardware. The minimum specs are quite modest, with even integrated graphics chips able to run it smoothly. At max settings, modern GPUs can pump out all the eye candy with consistently high framerates. Whether playing on an older rig or top-end machine, Dying Breed delivers the performance to match its polished aesthetics.
Commitment to Post-Launch Support
Dying Breed’s launch is only the beginning according to Sarnayer. The developer has committed to extensive post-release support with free updates, improvements, and new content. The roadmap includes additional campaign missions, new units, and quality-of-life enhancements. This prolonged support should give Dying Breed the longevity it needs to thrive for years.
Between the strong foundation and ambitious post-launch plans, Dying Breed seems poised to pay homage to its inspirations while carving out a long-term niche of its own.
Ready to Take Command?
For RTS devotees hungering for the glory days of micromanaging bases, gathering Tiberium, and commanding armies, Dying Breed delivers. Both veterans of the genre and newcomers seeking an exciting introduction will find plenty to enjoy in Sarnayer’s passion project. With its thoughtful homage to classics, thrilling gameplay, and long-term support, Dying Breed looks ready to breathe new life into real-time strategy.
So sharpen your strategies and prepare your bases – it’s time to deploy your forces into the war-torn alternate future of Dying Breed. See if you have what it takes to survive and conquer in this action-packed tribute to RTS roots when the game launches. Based on the pedigree and promise shown thus far, Dying Breed may become the next iconic franchise to define the genre for a new generation of commanders. The time is now to stake your claim on the battlefield and guide your faction to victory against all enemies.