It’s a query that’s captivated essentially the most superior minds of a era: may portray fake miniatures in a recreation ever be as satisfying as the actual factor? It’s a proposition offered in Moonbreaker, a turn-based, tabletop ways recreation from Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds. And to assist to reply it precisely, PC Gamer teamed up with miniature painter extraordinaire and all-round good egg Emil Nyström from the Age of Squidmar YouTube channel. And he’d know: Emil’s channel has amassed tens of millions of views with movies about issues like brush care, newbie portray strategies, and color principle. He’s even commissioned artists on Fiverr to finish Warhammer fashions, basically making him the Mr. Beast of paying strangers to color Imperial Fists.
You’ll be able to see Squidmar’s detailed tackle Moonbreaker’s portray mode within the video above—full with demonstrations of some traditional miniature strategies equivalent to mixing and chipping—but it surely’s price mentioning that this isn’t only a gimmick. Moonbreaker is designed to really feel like a recreation performed with bodily miniatures. There’s a satisfying tactility to the designs that recollects the wallet-bothering fervour which accompanies most new Warhammer releases.
The foremost distinction right here, nevertheless, is that as a substitute of displacing the present, half-painted miniatures languishing in your shelf (keep sturdy, Dankhold Troggoth), you possibly can construct your digital assortment with neither guilt nor judgement. That itch to get your palms on the newest mannequin is scratched by the flexibility to unlock new characters, all of which come painted. And, when the time is correct, you possibly can dive in and create new color schemes with out having to clean off present paint jobs with meths and your accomplice’s toothbrush.
The attention-grabbing factor right here is that the strategy to customisation is intentionally restricted. Sure, you possibly can stipple, wash, and drybrush, however the vary of instruments echoes what you’ve portray the actual factor, fairly than providing an idealistic diploma of precision. The result’s one thing that captures the zen, time-devouring expertise of portray Warhammer, with out the peril of by chance knocking over your Nuln Oil, and also you solely want to take a look at Emil’s completed paint job to get a vivid sense of what’s doable.
A part of the enjoyment of portray plastic legions, in fact, comes from dense narrative fluff that surrounds each faction. They’re not simply goblins anymore, mum; they’re Gloomspite Gitz. On this respect, Moonbreaker equals and even perhaps outstrips the extent of world-building seen in most tabletop video games. The lore and overarching story are offered by award-winning writer Brandon Sanderson, creator of the Mistborn sequence, in addition to the broader Cosmere universe by which it’s set. He’s additionally the person chargeable for ending Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time sequence.
Sanderson labored with Unknown Worlds for years to develop a wealthy, actual setting for Moonbreaker. It’s a spot of myriad planets, clashing cultures, and particular methods for expertise and magic—one thing Sanderson is aware of lots about, because the creator of a sequence of go-to legal guidelines of magic for software in fictional settings.
The way in which this data is imparted additionally sparks the creativeness. Every character’s historical past is contained inside their biographies, but it surely exhibits as a substitute of tells: they’re offered as music lyrics, e book excerpts, or private creeds. This context, mixed with the bubbling voice appearing, give a extra full image of who you’re enjoying with. The broader story of the sport additionally works at the side of the portray mode. The broader factors of the plot are detailed in audio dramas which can be found in-game or as podcasts. The cool factor right here is you could hear to those whereas portray your fashions, which is the nicest manner of imparting background plot factors since somebody realised the Mom Base struts in Steel Gear Stable 5 have been precisely the appropriate size to take heed to one of many recreation’s voluminous assortment of audio tapes. And there’s lots to take heed to: three audio dramas can be launched throughout Moonbreaker’s first season, with extra deliberate for later updates.
As anybody who’s ever felt a shiver of pleasure seeing a recent sprue of unpainted minis is aware of, nevertheless, the opposite thrill of the interest comes from gathering. Moonbreaker contains a component of this, too. You begin off with a restricted number of captains and crew from which to decide on, however just a few video games towards both the AI or different gamers will bag you adequate factors to start out increasing your assortment, and booster packs work as a shortcut to an expanded assortment. In addition to bolstering your rosters and offering new methods to play the sport, you possibly can unlock paint jobs, paint palettes, decals, and unique skins totally free as you progress via the primary season, including but extra selection to your burgeoning assortment. Moonbreaker is out in early entry now, and registering for an in-game ID earlier than October 31 may even bag you an unique paint job for one of many characters.