“Miasma” was a tactics-style turn-based RPG/combat game that was one of the best looking indie games on XBLIG when it was released. First put out at 400 Microsoft Points, then reduced to 240 MSP (the price I bought it at), and more recently down to 80 points, the game was so large it barely even fit within Microsoft’s size limit (at the time) for indie games. It’s sequel, “Miasma 2”, is both the best, and the worst, kind of follow-up. The best in that fans of the first will find a lot to like here; the worst in that it doesn’t do much to woo new fans. But with a graphical upgrade under its belt (to an already good-looking original), plus a few new tricks up its sleeve, perhaps it doesn’t need to.
If you liked the story from the original, you’ll appreciate it continuing to be flushed out here (though a big HDTV is recommended, as the text is as curiously small as it was in the first game). There are new features, such as a first-person mode outside of combat, new units to choose from, and the previously mentioned graphical upgrade. It’s still a big game, and easily worth 80 Microsoft Points to fans of the genre.
If you found the pacing of the turn-based, tactics-style combat too slow in the first, you’ll likely find that again in this sequel. For the rest of us, we’ll appreciate the turn-based/tactics gameplay (a relative rarity on the Xbox 360 in general) making it easy to recommend.
Here’s what the developer (ESP Games) has to say about the game:
“Take control of Paul or Lina once more, and command your elite squad of freedom fighters in battle against the oppressive Vilhelm Industries. With an all-new turn-based tactics/real-time battle system, the action runs fast and thick, and with new units to command – and a whole new graphics engine – this is one adventure not to be missed.”
Writings of Mass Deduction 