The upcoming Chip 'n Clawz vs. The Brainioids promises to breathe new life into the RTS scene with a pulp-comic aesthetic and a hybrid edge. To facilitate Chip 'n Clawz' blend of third-person action and RTS tactics, the game will pit players against the invading alien faction known as the Brainioids.
From the creator of X-COM, Chip 'n Clawz is an upcoming title that will mix fast-paced, third-person combat and collectible-hunting with tactical RTS gameplay. The game will follow the duo of Chip and Clawz, a young inventor and his robo-cat sidekick, respectively. They can be played in both single-player and co-op as players take the fight to the invading Brainioid aliens. The Best War Games was able to speak with a couple of Chip 'n Clawz developers, including game director Julian Gollop and game designer Nikola Petrov, about this antagonist faction.
Chip 'n Clawz' Alien Brainioids Explained
The Brainioids' Inspirations And Purpose
Chip 'n Clawz Brainiods serve as the opposing faction to the eponymous protagonists, providing an alien army for players to fight through. Players will also be able to raise their own army to fight the Brainoids, in a fashion similar to Minecraft Legends, and they'll be able to see the same type of units used in combat reflected in their adversaries.
The Brainioids fit the comic-book aesthetic elements of Chip 'n Clawz, of course also matching the flying saucers and ray guns of their tech. The faction looks right out of pulp sci-fi and will be familiar to fans of alien creatures like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Krang. Gollop spoke about some of the specific inspirations for these extraterrestrial invaders, who will fight players for control of Earth's Brainium Crystals:
"The brain-in-a-jar thing was somewhat inspired by a book I had read with my children called My Arch-Enemy Is a Brain In a Jar by David Solomon. Mars Attacks! Is also an inspiration, both for the humor and satire in Chip ‘n Clawz."
With Chip 'n Clawz taking inspiration from Tim Burton's Mars Attacks!, fans can likely expect a tone aligned with the comic aesthetic. Older sci-fi comic books ran parallel to the sci-fi B-movies that Mars Attacks! Is based on, and it only makes sense for Chip 'n Clawz to take advantage of this combination. Moreover, it could signal that the upcoming title could have a satirical edge.
In addition to comments on the Brainioids by X-COM creator Julian Gollop, Petrov spoke on the design process behind the Brainioids. He discussed some of the different bosses and the ways in which the team made each of them unique.
"The Brainioids were a really fun challenge - ever since the beginning we were committed to the brain-in-jar look, so we were somewhat limited in their visual design. They all look alike, and they don't wear clothes, so we had to get creative with their details. Their personalities vary greatly—for example, General Manager Blobbius is a maniac who yells orders, while Minda Thoughtsson is a collected and ice-cold corporate manager. We put a lot of emphasis on their speech, accents, quirks, and in terms of visuals, we gave them little accessories like glasses and hats. Our voice actors had an amazing time voicing their respective brains-in-jars and emphasizing their mannerisms."
It's worth noting that the use of terms like 'General Manager' for the Brainioid leaders likens the faction to one big evil corporation, a comical trope often used to lampoon the normalities of office politics and business structures, while also creating humor through an injection of the mundane. This adds further credence to the idea that the game will have a satirical bite in the tradition of films like Mars Attacks!.
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- Snapshot Games
- Publisher(s)
- Arc Games
- Multiplayer
- Local Co-Op, Local Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
