Encased – Review
OUR SCORE: 7/10
Dark Crystal Games’ Early Access game Encased is finally here. Encased is a tactical sci-fi RPG that is set in an alternate 1970s. With the discovery of the Dome, an enormous artifact, things are about to kick off.
For fans of the CRPG genre, this game is something that is right up your alley. Encased features tons of character interactions, making important decisions that are key to the story, cool companions to help you lay waste to enemies, and lots of skills and item variety.
Dome is Where your Home is
If you’ve played Fallout 1 or Fallout 2 then Encased is a game that will feel like home. The CRONUS Corporation discovered an artifact out in the desert and decided like most corporations to study this artifact. The Dome is a massive structure so labs and bases of operations are built-in and around the Dome. But as in most cases, things go wrong after “The Incident” and now you must survive inside the Dome.
Like most CRPGs, Encased gives players the freedom of choice. There are various builds that you can play around with which change how you can tackle the game. The character creator is robust and allows for a lot of flexibility. You can be a silver-tongued smooth talker or you could be a gung-ho murder maniac with an itchy trigger finger. Want to be an absolute unit with no brain cells? Easily done. And the fun part about that is that the world will actually react to how brain dead you are.
The world is fluid and organic, reacting differently to your character and your choices. And I feel this is something that will definitely improve replayability. Besides giving you choices, the game also gives you a lot of weapon and armor options. All of this really helps you personalize your character and immerse yourself in the world of Encased.
Look and Feel
Encased features an isometric camera view with a 3D world. The game looks great and has a lot of attention to detail. This is something you will notice as you progressively get into the game, including more and more things and seeing the various environments.
And since this is a CPRG, you can bet there’s a lot of reading going to be involved along with a lot of menus. Dark Crystal Games have done a great job here as the UI is incredibly clean and functional. You won’t be fumbling around trying to look for something, nor will you be confused about any of the elements. Having a good UI like this made the game a much more enjoyable experience.
Final Verdict
Encased scratches an itch that has been there for an incredibly long time. Dark Crystal Games has taken influence and paid homage to the original isometric Fallout games to deliver a game that hardcore CRPG fans will absolutely love. With how reactive the world is along with the intriguing world-building, you’ll find yourself lost in this world. And thanks to the plethora of options that are at your disposal, Encased never feels stale.
Encased by Dark Crystal Games is out now on Microsoft Windows.
