The consequences of Binary Domain

In SEGA’s new squad based shooter, Binary Domain, your team mates are not mere slaves to your whims. Players will have to gain the trust of their squad and act in ways that appeal to their varied personalities to get the most out of them. The AI and gameplay elements will also change depending on how you approach certain situations. The game’s latest trailer details this potentially interesting mechanic.

What we know of the game’s plot and setting hasn’t really grabbed me. It’s Tokyo, it’s the future, climate change has caused sea levels to rise and the rich live in relative safety above, while the poor contend with rubbish conditions below. Artificial Intelligence rears it’s ugly head and the protagonist — Dan Marshall — and his team are sent to investigate. Jim and Maurice were not convinced in their previews. Whenever I see developers promoting consequence mechanics I worry about how organic it’s going to feel, they tend to end up feeling rather arbitrary.

The video doesn’t alleviate any of my concerns. The squad’s responses to commands sound awkward and out of place. I can also imagine getting very sick of them pretty quickly, as it looks like they will repeat themselves a lot. I do like that SEGA has attempted to allow players to respond to their team mates, but just shouting “YES!” in response to a criticism makes Dan Marshall look like a complete idiot. There seems to be some good ideas in Binary Domain, but at this point the execution does not impress.