Reigns Beyond [PC] | REVIEW

The Reigns series has seen players swiping cards through medieval times, the renaissance period, and even Westeros in its Game of Thrones spin-off, but Reigns Beyond takes its adventure into the future as it jets up into the stars to focus on the budding career of an intergalactic rock band.  

Check out some screenshots down below:

Reigns Beyond sees players awakening on a spaceship known as The Sandman, which they then take control of given that everyone else on-board just so happens to be dead. You’d probably expect to suffer the same fate given that the ship is crashing down to a planet, but luckily, you find yourself safely smashing into the middle of a rock concert. Well… I say ‘safely’, but you just so happen to kill the guitarist of the performing band during your landing – this opens up the opportunity for you to join the band and lead them to super stardom aboard your ship.

If the premise didn’t give it away, Reigns Beyond never takes itself too seriously and introduces plenty of wild and wacky scenarios during your sci-fi adventure. The storytelling is a lot of fun, but what makes it especially enthralling is the fact that your card-based decision-making shapes how your tale will ultimately unfold.

If you haven’t played a Reigns game before, it embraces a ‘choose your own adventure’ approach, with players facing varying scenarios based upon cards they draw where they’ll have to decide how they progress. There’s not always a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ decision in these situations though, with each instead affecting four key resources that play into your survival: power, people, oxygen, and ship. What makes it especially interesting is that whilst you’ll be able to see which stats are affected by your decisions, the game never tells you how. And sure, common sense might give you an indicator of what way they will swing (especially given how absurd some decisions you have to make are), but this unpredictability can be catastrophic if you haven’t managed each resource effectively.

“Whilst maintaining your resources effectively is imperative to your success, you’ll also have to make sure you’re smart when dealing with the dangerous situations you get caught up in – especially since ANYTHING can happen in space.”

Alternatively, you just might make a stupid decision that f*cks things up for you anyway. Some poor decisions when encountering a space vampire or space monster can lead to BAD situations, or you might do something stupid like… oh, I don’t know, using black market speakers in a concert? Whilst maintaining your resources effectively is imperative to your success, you’ll also have to make sure you’re smart when dealing with the dangerous situations you get caught up in – especially since ANYTHING can happen in space.

It’s in these moments that Reigns Beyond is at its best though. Sure, danger might be lurking around every corner, but getting into unpredictable situations (and then getting OUT of them) is always a delight. These instances are plentiful too, and with players expecting to die over and over again when playing, it’s nice that there’s plenty of variety on offer to make each playthrough interesting. Don’t get me wrong, you will start to come across some scenarios again as you put the hours in, but there’s enough diversity on offer to ensure no two playthroughs ever feel the same. With items to collect and new scenarios continuing to unlock as you progress, there’s plenty to keep players invested.

There’s also a twist to the gameplay with the mini-game you play when performing a song, which takes a rhythm-like approach with players moving a floating guitar across a cosmic colour pathway as they try to collect hearts that represents the adoration of your fans. Whilst this does give players something different to do, I couldn’t help but to find it a little bit dull. Sure, it was fine the first couple of times (and the psychedelic landscapes are cool to be a part of), but its simplicity and lack of challenge got tiring fast. It’s not bad at all, but it is a bit uninspired.

Check out some screenshots down below:

It’s a minor issue in what is otherwise a riveting experience, whilst it’s also worth mentioning the game’s low price point. Reigns Beyond is available for less than a fiver on Steam, so you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck with the unique and silly approach it takes to space adventuring. If I’m being honest, I haven’t actually played a Reigns game before, but after spending time with Reigns Beyond, I’m eager to check out the wild antics I can indulge in across the other releases.

Developer: Nerial
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1663400/Reigns_Beyond/