I’m a big fan of open world shooters. When all the intersecting parts line up, you can have some amazing stories. For players who want a distinctly sci-fi bent to their emergent narratives, there’s The Signal From Tolva.
The Signal From Tolva is an open world science fiction game by Big Robot. Left to solve a mystery on a far flung planet, you’ll pit robot factions against each other, capture bases, and search for secrets in creepy alien ruins.
Lead developer Jim Rossingnol gives a small taste of the game in a new ten minute demonstration. Among the most interesting features are the ability to command robot minions around Overlord style and an arsenal of laser weapons that honestly have some hard hitting sound design. Seriously, listen to those guns.
Tolva aims to have an active open world. Rossingnol notes that the game lacks any scripted encounters. Robot factions react dynamically to each other and small engagement might balloon into large battles.
There’s still some time before we get to explore the wide wastes of Tolva. Big Robot aims for an early 2017 release on PC and OSX. Until then? I suppose you can fire a nerf gun at the screen when playing No Man’s Sky.