Sometimes, you have to immediately talk about a game trailer you’ve seen. This is one of those times. During the Galaxies Steam Fest showcase, Team17 dropped a brand new announcement and reveal trailer for Rockbeasts, a band management sim, that looks to take the spirit of Bojack Horseman and Adult Swim and apply it to the world of MTV-era music management. It looks utterly brilliant, so, first things first, go have a look at it.
The immediate thing we obviously have to talk about is the cast of creatures. Fish bassists, deer guitarists, ostrich front-animals, and rabbit drummers adorn the artwork for the game, and their look gives you an impression of the irreverent take the team are going for. There’s lots of rock-centric attitude, plenty of drama, and some rhythm-action in there too, which has put it right to the top of my radar.
Coming from Polish two-man team Lichtund, the game aims to chart the highs and lows of being in a band, working your way through dive bars and tiny venues through to headlining your own stadium tour. That’s a very dry and basic task though, and you have to cope with ego-stroking, spoiled brats and a lot of sticky venues.
Key Features:
- Manage Resources Managing Time (turn-based game)
- Do Quests and Side Quests
- Level up and get sweet gear
- Customize your band and instruments
- Plan and play Concerts (what songs you’ll play, what gear you’ll use (from smoke machines to disco balls, we’ve got it all), and even how the band will look on stage)
- Unlock New Songs (a full soundtrack recorded in a studio and performed by the voice actors)
- Experience branching narratives across 17 episodes where your choices make a difference
- No two playthroughs are the same!
This awesome-looking dark comedy has been written by acclaimed video game writer Jakub Szamałek (Senior writer on The Witcher 3, Principal Writer of Cyberpunk 2077, and the upcoming The Blood of Dawnwalker). It’s also fully voiced and features some very recognisable voices, including the iconic Iggy Pop.
It’s available to wishlist on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox right now, with Nintendo Switch listings coming soon!
