Liquid Swords’ debut game, Samson: A Tyndalston Story, finally has a release date, and based on everything we’ve seen thus far, the team is definitely ensuring it punches above its asking price. However, it’s seemingly inevitable that someone would compare it to Grand Theft Auto or similar titles.
Studio founder Christofer Sundberg, who has its own share of experience working on massive open-world games, doesn’t mind the comparisons. However, he clarified that it’s not Grand Theft Auto and far from a triple-A production.
“I don’t want to stop anyone from comparing Samson to any game, including GTA,” he told WCCF Tech. “With that said, Samson is not GTA, and it’s not AAA. It’s a focused mid-budget game built for intensity over scale, priced accordingly. One distinguishing feature that sticks out is the game loop around the debt, which is not the main story. It’s a loop that is constantly hanging over your head.
“I find it really stressful in a fun way, and anyone who’s been stalked by debt collectors – I was when I put my first studio, Rock Solid Studios (the irony of that name…) out of business back in 2002 – knows that feeling. Once you realise that there’s no way around it, you have to plan your game sessions accordingly so you balance the money-earning missions against the story missions.
“So all in all, the pressure is unique for a game like this, and you can really feel it. Then we’ve picked pieces from the games mentioned and added our own flavor to them.”
Said titles include Hardspace Shipbreaker (likely the debt aspect), Mad Max (Samson’s vehicle is even called the Magnum Opus) and Batman: Arkham Asylum (combat). You’ll have eight types of Jobs to choose from, neatly divided between four completed on foot and four in vehicles. That’s not including a “few unique mechanics/scenarios” in different Chapters, or that there are over 30 combat arenas (with some allowing for vehicles).
So while a typical playthrough may take about 10 hours, you’ll likely have to replay the game to see everything, which could take about 25 hours or more. Not a bad deal for $25, though it remains to be seen if the execution is up to snuff.
Samson launches on April 8th for PC. For more details on the combat and how it favors out-and-out chaos, head here.
