Hooded Horse brought a great variety of strategy games to E3 2021 and the most unique of the three is Alliance of the Sacred Suns by KatHawk Studios.
Alliance of the Sacred Suns is a mix of 4X and grand strategy with RPG elements. The game takes place in the year 3050 in the feudalistic Celestial Empire that was kicked off of Earth 1,000 years prior by an evil alien race. The empire made up of six great houses and each have strengths and weaknesses as well as relationships with (or without) each other.
Players will take up the mantle of Emperor of the empire and will have to select which house they want to represent. This choice will have branching effects on the geopolitical landscape of the game.
The Emperor is a single character with stats like intelligence, persuasion, mental fitness, age, health, personality, skills that are acquired throughout the game and more. The developer said these RPG elements are joined with narrative events and direct character interactions to give this strategy game a unique feel.
From a 4X strategy standpoint, the game features highly modeled planets with a variety of urban settlements (everything including simple towns to thriving metropolises) that house the heart of your empire: your population. Your populations have different skills like mining, farming, engineering, science and so on.
Different constellation systems are managed by different houses and the interior development on planets is enacted by the elected Viceroys. Depending on your chosen house’s relationship with the selected Viceroy’s house, you may not be successful when you make requests.
Players will build and utilize logistical networks between constellations that will act as interstellar highways that will be prime for exploring the vast galaxy.
Players will have the chance to colonize unclaimed systems. Developers said you have to actually build new colonies in nice places where colonists would be willing to make the across-the-galaxy move. As such there is quite a bit of planning to be done as you work to revitalize your empire.
The ultimate goal is to unite the feuding houses in the Celestial Empire and to revive the fading glory of humanity.
Alliance of the Sacred Suns is set to launch on PC later this year.
