Skyshine's BEDLAM

Do you like FTL? How about The Banner Saga? Maybe even XCOM? If you’re answering yes to all of these, then you’ll likely be head-over-heels for Skyshine’s BEDLAM, a punishing roguelike tactical RPG. In this game, you are in charge of managing the resources and crew of a gargantuan biomechanical vehicle as it makes its way across the landscape in search of fuel, guns and supremacy. The icing on the cake is the game’s Mad Max-like setting. On top of that, if you enjoy a good challenge, Skyshine’s BEDLAM has it in spades.

Get your engine going as we journey through everything you need to know about Skyshine’s BEDLAM.

You Will Die...A Lot

Skyshine’s BEDLAM has taken the most punishing aspects of The Banner Saga and FTL, placed them in a blender and turned them up to 11. You’ve got a lot of balls to juggle, such as managing your crew’s food supply, your vehicle’s fuel and resources and of course your squad itself.

Loss and death along with the punishment that comes from both is a continuous regularity of Skyshine’s BEDLAM. This game is no picnic, to be sure. This is particularly true in the opening hours of the game as you start to come to grips with its systems and all of the stuff you need to keep in mind. After some time, practice, and a little bit of luck, though, you do get over the barrier. Once the game clicks, you’ll find that with its brutal challenge, Skyshine’s BEDLAM is highly rewarding.

Don’t Crack Under Pressure

The primary source of Skyshine’s BEDLAM’s difficulty comes from the sheer amount of things you need to manage at any given time. At its core, it’s like playing FTL in a Mad Max-style wasteland. You’ll be often finding yourself in scenarios where your fuel is running low. By the time you’ve managed to keep your vehicle moving for a bit longer, your food stock will have run dry. All the while, you’ll be trying to fend off enemies in turn-based tactical combat where your crewmates could die permanently. Managing all of these aspects while also mastering the game’s combat, is key to a successful run in Skyshine’s BEDLAM.

Visuals and Story Don’t Mix

One of the best aspects of Skyshine’s BEDLAM is its hand-drawn visual style. It’s like a cartoon made for adults that will remind you of shows like Archer and Metalocalypse. It fits the wasteland, post-apocalyptic vibe it goes for.

Too bad the writing of the story doesn’t quite step up to the plate. It’s a serviceable story that keeps things moving forward but whatever emotional moments it goes for just don’t seem to hit as hard at the developers expected.

Pros

• An intense mashup of FTL, Banner Saga and XCOM wrapped in a Mad Max-like setting
• Challenging yet rewarding gameplay
• Adult cartoon hand-drawn art style that blends with the game’s vibe

Cons

• Flat story with no real emotional impact that matches the challenge the game provides