Last year's “wasteland caravan management sim” Skyshine's Bedlam was pretty good, but we had a few issues with it. Combat was one aspect we cited as problematic in our review, noting that its unforgiving nature “crossed the line from enjoyably brutal to stressful frustration.” That's an element of the game that today's Redux update seeks to address by adding new battle mechanics that enable players to use any or all of their units each turn.
Under the new system, each unit will begin with two action points, which can be spent moving, attacking, or both. The Blitz system in Arcade play has also been “reworked to be more fun,” and the power cell cost of weapons has been reduced slightly to encourage players to use them more. And for diehards who prefer the old system, it will remain accessible via a new option in the settings menu.
Other changes in the update include improved AI, the ability to play as any faction (or even mix them up), new and improved events and a new “random outcome system,” big changes to the Campaign and Arcade modes, new character sprites for all faction crew members, the addition of 72 new rookie and veteran crew members, five new Dozers, five new Elites, “Bedlamized names” for new crew, and changes to battlefields to ensure “maximum awesomeness.”
Naturally, there are also all sorts of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, and new tutorials are in the works as well. The Redux update is free for everyone who already owns Skyshine's Bedlam, and for those who do not, it's on sale for the weekend on Steam at half price.
