Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution will soon be released into Early Access, giving players a chance to offer feedback and help direct its path to completion. An alt-history strategy game taking place in late 18th century France, Bonaparte will be delivering something new for those interested in historical tactics/politics games.
The debut title for indie developer Studio Imugi, alt-history strategy game Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution will arrive in Early Access on May 21. Bonaparte will combine military tactics with the politics of 1789 France, a political hotbed of revolutionary acts and ideas. In addition, Imugi's flagship title will add a sci-fi twist, bringing giant robots into the tactical fold. The Best War Games sat down with creative director Jongwoo Kim, who spoke more about the game's sci-fi elements, its depictions of history, and how its gameplay will stand apart. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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Studio Imugi's Alt-History Strategy Game Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution Explained
Bonaparte's Worldbuilding
Q: How much do the sci-fi aspects of Bonaparte play into the story? Was the game always envisioned as incorporating these elements?
A: Yes, although we prefer “alternate history with authenticity” rather than sci-fi, and this was always part of the vision. The Colossi in Bonaparte are powered by an actual historical theory of combustion known as the Phlogiston Theory, which posited that a chemical element of heat exists, and is expelled when fire ignites. In Bonaparte’s timeline, phlogiston is used to power advanced heat engines, which are used to power giant mechs known as Colossi, which dominate the battlefield.
Q: What was the design process like for the game’s sci-fi elements?
A: We took great care to research late 18th-century and early 19th-century aesthetics to try to capture the spirit of the era in our designs. While we wanted to depict this alternate timeline, we needed to make sure that the world still looked like the revolutionary France of 1789. To do so, we avoided the more typical “tin can” look of steampunk or “tank” look of dieselpunk projects, and instead drew inspiration from historical officer uniforms, as well as the ideals of each faction.
The Royalist colossi are lavishly decorated with silver and gold plating and the Fleur-de-lys, the symbol of the French Monarchy. By contrast, the Jacobins have a much more rundown, rusty look, reminiscent of the rowdy sans-culotte street fighters of the era.
Q: Can you talk more about the game’s use of Phlogiston Theory? What was it about the idea that made it appealing for sci-fi reimagining?
A: The Phlogiston Theory feels like an amusing historical anecdote today, but until it was superseded by the Oxygen Theory, it was by far the most widely accepted explanation of combustion. It became a fascinating symbol for this alternate timeline, as the theory itself and the resulting Colossi allow us to visually express to the player that this is an alternate timeline where new possibilities can be pursued. Furthermore, having these Colossi allows us to depict the ideological conflict between the historical figures in Bonaparte in a dramatic and larger-than-life fashion.
Q: Does Bonaparte take advantage of any similarly superseded ideas? How does the game deal with other era-specific concepts, such as certain philosophies and ideologies?
A: Bonaparte presents the full political landscape of the era, including viewpoints that may be taken for granted today as well as ones that seem almost pointlessly antiquated. Liberalism, as espoused by Marquis de Lafayette, encompasses such basic rights present in Western democracies, but this has only been possible due to the success of the French Revolution.
By contrast, Comte d’Artois, who eventually became king himself after the revolution, genuinely believes it is in France’s best interest to return to a medieval-style absolute monarchy ruled by a divine king and guided by the church. To his credit, a substantial portion of the French people would have agreed with him at the time. The intention was to try and allow the player to explore the mindset at the time, and really see that all of these contending ideologies were fighting for dominance in France, and it could have ended in many different outcomes.
Q: What historical figure was the team most interested in recreating in-game? Were any historical figures cut from the final game?
A: Jacques Hébert was a team favorite because of just how raw, vulgar, but also progressive he was compared to the others. Honestly, being able to have famous figures like Robespierre and Danton come to life was an absolute pleasure for us. As for cut figures, there are way too many to list them all, but some that come to mind include the muckraking Jean-Paul Marat and his assassin Charlotte Corday, or the many generals that historically served Napoleon, such as Marshal Davout.
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Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution Is Inspired By Romance of the Three Kingdoms And Fire Emblem
Bonaparte's Gameplay, Strategy, and Politics
Q: How much will players have to balance political strategy with military strategy? Are there equal amounts of both elements in-game?
A: Ultimately, revolutions are a bloody affair, so the gameplay is balanced more heavily towards military strategy. You will be able to raise armies of both historical gunpowder era units, like line infantry and hussars, but also construct their own Colossi as the game progresses. Using these armies, you will liberate or conquer regions for one of three major factions of the game, which eventually come to conflict in a civil war. As the conflict unfolds, however, you will be able to win the hearts and minds of the people by spreading propaganda and taking part in the National Convention, where you can change the laws of the country.
Q: Is Bonaparte aimed more at players new to strategy games, or those already versed in the genre?
A: We designed Bonaparte with the mindset of making the player the leader of their revolution, and so both the political and military gameplay are important. Veterans of the strategy genre will have an easier time getting started, but we took great efforts to help new players not only learn the gameplay but also the historical context of the French Revolution.
Q: What were the big inspirations for Bonaparte within the strategy genre?
A: The biggest inspiration for the game is the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series by Koei, especially the role-playing-oriented titles like 8 or 10. The way it makes you really feel like you are taking part in the events of the Three Kingdoms era is magical, and we wanted to try and capture that for the French Revolution. We’re also huge fans of the Fire Emblem series, and in terms of the tactical gameplay and the narrative structure, we drew inspiration from there. Some more obscure references were Root or the COIN board game series, because they are still some of the most interesting depictions of asymmetrical warfare. In depicting a revolutionary civil war, it was important for us to find ways to make the people's support a major strategic element.
Q: How does Bonaparte differentiate itself from the rest of the genre in terms of gameplay?
A: Bonaparte is a unique strategy-tactics hybrid that focuses on the dynamics of revolution and civil war. On the strategic layer, the incorporation of the National Convention and the ideological conflict adds a political and social dimension that is often overlooked in the genre, in favor of conquest for its own sake. On the tactical layer, the presence of Colossi allows us to add modern armored warfare into gunpowder era combat, making the battles more dynamic than a pure historical game.
Q: How much bigger will the final release of Bonaparte be compared to its Early Access launch?
A: Early Access for the game will focus on three major additions, as well as continued support and balancing of the initial release. The first addition is going to allow players to take part in the revolutionary trials and determine the fates of the lives of the game’s main characters. Secondly, a final narrative act will be added to the game, showing the outcome of the Early Access release’s finale and letting the player finally secure the future of France. Lastly, new mech units and maps will be added to the game, bringing more variety to the gameplay experience and giving the player whole new ways to approach tactical combat.
- Developer(s)
- Studio Imugi
- Publisher(s)
- Studio Imugi
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Strategy
