The war machine simulator
Besiege is a war machine creation simulator. Do you want to build a flamethrower-propelled helicopter? Or an infernal train with rotating blades on the sides? Or a catapult that catapults more catapults? Then this game, currently on Early Access on Steam, will be right up your alley.
Destroy. How? That’s up to you.
Besiege currently has 15 levels (content will be progressively added) with a straightforward objective: destroy things, be it strongholds, enemies or strategic points. The “how” part is entirely up to you.
At the beginning of each level you must build a war engine that suits the objective you must fulfill. For instance, if you have to get across a minefield, it might be a good idea to create a mobile tower or go straight for an aircraft. There is no right answer, so just follow your thirst for destruction.
From the start, most materials needed to build war machines are at your disposal. Basic elements are available, such as wheels or steering wheels, as well as more advanced ones like pistons, springs… And don’t forget the weapons, like flamethrowers, explosives or fireballs.
Capturing your atrocious ideas on the game is easy, quick and intuitive. You just have to select the element you want to install on your machine next, and then click wherever you want to put it. If it didn’t work out or you want to remodel your creation, you can remove elements, move them, or undo your last actions. Although there isn’t a comprehensive tutorial on how to use the machine creation editor, you won’t miss it, because the process is very easy. And if you think you have created the ultimate weapon, remember you can save it for future use.
We did miss some sort of basic engineering manual to find out exactly what each element of Besiege does. You can always try it out yourself, but it might slow down progress during the first couple of hours, or get on your nerves because you expected to be able to create huge machines right from the start.
The Leonardo Da Vinci of chaos
Besiege’s physics system is the other winner. Everything in the game behaves realistically. If your machines catches fire (or you set fire to it yourself, which is more likely), it will be partially destroyed. What little remains will start to get out of control, and all hell breaks loose. It is impossible to get annoyed when that happens, because most of the times you will laugh at your own mistakes on top of learning from them.
In that sense, the graphics are very practical: the game only shows the surroundings you can destroy. Forget open worlds or long, empty landscapes. Thanks to this initiative, Besiege works even in some outdated computers.
You will become the Leonardo Da Vinci of chaos and destruction (and meddling sheep) once you have mastered the concepts of Besiege. Don’t let uncertainty get the best of you: Of course that tower could be even bigger! Sure, you can fit more rotating blades in that car! Go ahead and install a bomb in there, so if everything goes wrong you can self-destruct!
Besiege has a long way to go, and yet it has already surpassed many other Early Access Steam games. If you have been rubbing your hands together, stroking your mustache, or laughing evilly while reading this preview, don’t wait any longer and try Besiege. Who knows? Maybe in the future your designs will be studied by future war machine creators.
