A strategy RPG shakeup

I really admire The Behemoth. The studio has found success time and time again without resorting to sequels, charting a varied course from Alien Hominid to Castle Crashers to BattleBlock Theater. The team's latest, Pit People, lives in yet another genre: it's a turn-based strategy adve??nture.

We've seen the developer hone its style, humor, and craft over the years, gaining the confidence to take on bigger and more ambitious projects. Pit People is certainly those things. It's also The Behemoth's stranges?t game to date, with life-giving cupcakes standing in for more traditional healer units and characters like the troll mom out there barfing up little gremlin children to clog the battlefield.

It's a supremely weird ??game in a (mostly) go?od way. The hot streak continues.

Pit People (PC [reviewed], Xbox One)
Developer: The Behemoth
Publisher: The Behemoth
Released: March 2, 2018
MSRP: $14.99

Early on, I found Pit People's eclectic nature almost off-putting -- like I wasn't privy to a beloved friend's inside joke. The game follows Horatio, a blueberry farmer on a journey to rescue his son from a giant mischievous space bear (voiced by BattleBlock Theater narrator Stamper). It's an out-there premise that goes even further out ther?e as you pick up companions and face new complications.

One moment, you might be fighting a sea monster's gun-toting uvula; the next, you're scouring the world map to capture an explosive-horn-firing "rainbow horse" because it'd help round out your party roster. My first impression of Pit People was that the story, setting, and characters were ver??ging on too random for their own good, but those feelings started to pass an hour or so?? after being thrown into the deep end. I warmed up to the game's grab-bag of kooky ideas and embraced it.

Whether you've played many SRPGs before or not, there's a bit of a learning curve. Turn-based battles play out on a hex grid, but you don't have control over who your units attack -- not exactly. You'll put them into position and lock in your turn, then they'll do what they feel is best. It's tough to give up precision control, but there are some ways around it. Ranged units, in particular, can often be placed in such a way that they'll only have the one target you want to hit in their sights. That said, Pit People is clearly meant to be? chaotic and surprising. This approach works for the most part.

In tactical games, I tend to hit a point where I settle into my team composition so well that mission designs begin to feel rote or I otherwise lose interest in the big picture. I never reached that point in Pit People, and there's a few reasons why. All of the main story quests (and even many of the side q??uests) have their own hook. It's rarely as straightforward as "Go kill all the things, then clean up the obligatory reinforcements." One mission, for example, is a miniature turn-based stealth diversion. The Behemoth does a great job of playing with expectations and shying away from genre conventions.

Another big factor? You can capture the last enemy standing, whether it's in a battle you initiated out on the world map or a tough mini-boss in a mainline quest. This dynamic can make even the most routine battles engaging as you try not to accidentally kill your next recruit (or die at its hands). There's also an incentive to keep on capturing: Pit People has a bunch of weapons and an absurd am??ount of cosmetic items, so two of the same units can look and play very dif??ferently from one another.

The capturing element also feeds into team comps, which are a blast to put together -- especially if you're serious about PvP. The strengths, weaknesses, and synergies are a strategist's dream. You can, for instance, pair a mushroom with zombies and robots; they'd be resistant and immune to its poison, respectively. You could use a mascot to buff nearby teammates, then ferry it to safety on a Spidaur. Or you might choose to be a total pest with an army of hard-to-hit kobolds. You have six character slots all told, but some units -- like the aforementioned troll moms -- take up more room than others. 

It's also worth commending Pit People's co-op support. The game is playable with a friend online or offline; take your pick. Co-op wasn't a tacked-on afterthought, and neither were gamepad controls -- it's clear a lot of care went into nailing both. Unlike Castle Crashers and BattleBlock, which I think shine brigh??test in a group setting, t?his holds up just as well as a solo adventure.

If there's any one particular aspect to highlight above all others, ?it's that they nailed the core loop. Questing, exploring, capturing, and returning home to cash in rewards and spruce up my party is still satisfying a dozen hours into my save file, and that loop shows no signs of sizzling out. I had to keep a constant eye ?on the time so I didn't stay up way too late. I did anyway. (But it was by choice!)

As far as I'm concerned, The Behemoth is now four for four. And while Pit People doesn't quite nab the crown as my new favorite game from the studio, I love the risks it takes to shake up strategy RPGs. It's a wild, creative, occasionally erratic game. Pit People is imperfect, but it's so worth your time.

_{[This review is based on?? a retail build of the gam?e provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Pit People appeared first on Destructoid.

March 2, just nine days from now

It feels like The Behemoth's Pit People (simply called Game 4 once upon a time) has been at the last 30 Penny Arcade Expos I've attended. This is probably an exaggeration,? but the sentiment still stands -- this game has been floating around for a while now. Finally, it's ready for a proper release.

After a year in Early Access on both PC and Xbox, The Behemoth has just announced that Pit People will launch on March 2. For a game that has been five years in the making, it's only nine days from? release date reveal and actual release. Funny how that works sometimes.

However Pit People turns out, it's almost guaranteed to be a far cry from the likes of Castle Crashers and BattleBlock Theater that The Behemoth cut its teeth on. This is a turn-based strategy game rather than an action platformer-type. Still, The Behemoth has?n't steered us wrong yet.

The post At long last, The Behemoth’s Pit People finally has a release date appeared first on Destructoid.

From the pinnacle to the pit

The Behemoth has announced that Pit People will be ready for early 2018. The next patch will be the full release and will bring an additional map alongside a fully scripted and acted campaign mode. Since there are a bunch of different factors that need finalizing (such as music, indivi??dual voice recordings and level testing), the studio doesn't have a firm date in mind.

I've been looking forward to Pit People ever since I finally got the chance to play it at RTX this year. While I had doubts about the shift from arcade style games to a more methodical system, that typical Behemoth charm shines through. Thankfully, it looks like we won't have to wait much longer for the game t?o leave Early Access.

The post Pit People’s next update will be the final version appeared first on Destructoid.

His name is Scrumptious

I’ve been a big fan of The Behemoth ever since I first played Castle Crashers. I was familiar with their Newgrounds content, but never really took th?e plunge until the genre defining beat-'em-up landed on Xbox Live Arcade in 2?008. It was almost revelatory in how good that game was, along with having a plain colorful and hilarious art style. I immediately became a fan and eagerly waited for their next release.

BattleBlock Theater took quite awhile to hit the 360, but I eventually ended up grabbing it and loving that game, as well. The Behemoth has such wild creativity and reckless disregard for established conventions that it seems like everything they craft is gold. Pit People looked to be more of the same, at least from a?n aesthetic standpoint.

When I gave the game a shot at RTX this weekend (somehow missing it at PAX this past March), I can’t say I walked away from the single-player portion all too excited. The multiplayer, thoug??h, is a totally different beast and defini??tely has the hallmarks of another instant classic.

While previous Behemoth games have dealt with action-oriented games, Pit People shifts genres entirely to become an SRPG. This is a game very much in the vein of Fire Emblem or Advance Wars, just without the severe punishments of permadeath or the overwhelming tactical depth of commander powers. Pit People is sort of a more complicated game of rock-paper-scissors that features a he??aler who is a?? cupcake.

The wonderful lunacy of the artists at The Behemoth shines through with these character designs, even if some are repeated from past efforts. Their specific brand of simplified facial design and potty humor is all present and accounted for, as well as the vocal styling of Will Stamper (voice of Hatty Hattington in BattleBlock Theater) making a ??return as an overly pissed o?ff announcer.

There is also some incredible music to keep you occupied as you deliberate your movements. Seeing as how the game is an SRPG, you’ll plan out your characters' movements to then be enacted upon hitting go. You move pieces around?? a grid like a tabletop RPG and the game does behind-the-scenes calculations to determine who is attacking what, on what grid, and for how much.

I suppose it isn’t the most in-depth system around, or even the most logical, but it helps to balance out the various types of units you’ll take control?? of. I didn’t get an exact understanding of the different strengths and weaknesses, bu things like helmet-clad characters will have higher defense against blunt weapons and ranged fighters?? will be exceptionally weak to up-close confrontation.

The battlefields, themselves, can also feature obstacles that can hinder or help you, based on the positioning of your characters. You might need to flee from an opponent's oncoming juggernaut, for instance, but the shortest path is through a spike trap. Do you risk the small bit of damage t?o escape, or ?shift around to try and get behind your enemy or even run to the aid of your healer? It can become very complex against a human opponent, which is where I feel the game truly shines.

The camp?aign is fun, don’t get me wrong, but it mostly works for its sense of humor. Like I mentioned earlier, your healer is a cupcake and one of the side-quests I encountered had me saving his cupcake friend. The enemy leader was the birthday boy and he had stolen my cupcake’s fr?iend as a gift to himself. I had to advance onto him through his army to prevent him from eating the other cupcake. What the hell did I just write?

Still, from the short demo I played, the computer AI doesn’t seem all too bright. I’m also not sure,? exactly, how the overworld map works. You can freely move around and even avoid battles, but since the game feature??s traditional RPG leveling, you’d want to engage in those skirmishes. The pacing, through, can slow to a crawl as you meticulously try and plot out where you’re moving, what quests you’re trying to complete, and how you can get around foes on the overworld screen.

In multiplayer, t??hough, you just get straight into the battle and need to put on your thinking cap against a person just as intelligent as you. Even though I had only put in roughly 30 minutes of game time, I had an epicly close battle with someone due to our basic understanding of the rock-paper-scissors style combat.

It was a wild time trying to chase down his heavy, grunt-spewing unit while I was avoiding spike traps and moving my archer out of harm's way. The turn-based nature of the game never even became a factor because I got to engage with the player either via smack talk or even suggestions on moves. It was great to have that element of discussion go?ing while waiting for my turn to commence.

You just don’t get that from the single-player, though I’m guessing that may be due to me starting in a tutorial. Even so, I’m perfectly fine with Pit People being yet another Behemoth game that excels at its multiplayer element, because even Castle Crashers and BattleBlock Theater were much more enjoyable with buddies.

So while the fact that Pit People isn’t an action-based game might scare y?ou, don’t be worried. The Behemoth’s peculiar style of game making still shines through in every facet of this new title. In a lot of ways, this is the best multiplayer experience they’ve crafted thus far. I’m eager to see if the rest of the game can hold up.

The post Pit People has some exceptional multiplayer and a? talking cupcake appeared first on Destructoid.

Long time comin'

Castle Crashers and BattleBlock Theater creator The Behemoth has been testing its upcoming weird-as-heck turn-based strategy game, Pit People, with a closed beta. Try it yet?

If not, the floodgates will open soon enough. There's a Steam Early Access and Xbo??x One Game Preview launch planned ??for January 13, 2017. Here's a bit about the current state of development:

"The Pit People Early Access experience will include a sizeable chunk of the Story mission, plus access to several world maps (yes, there ar??e more than one!), quests, Unfair Challenge against the AI, and Versus mode. The game can be experienced as a single player or t?wo-player cooperative mode. Additionally, versus can be played with up to 4 people in 2v2. All multiplayer modes can be played locally or online!

We'll be continuing development throughout Early Access which means things like more q??uests, collectible items, story missions, world? maps and other polish will be worked on."

I've played Pit People at a couple expos over the years (remember when it was just "Game 4"?), and it has proven itself delightfully mad thanks to its out-there character designs and crazed narrat?or.

The full release will cost $20, but this work-in-progress build is set at $15. The Behemoth expects Pit People to stay in Early Access for "no longer than a year and no shorter? than a couple months."

Pit People Steam Early Access in January 2017 [Steam]

The post The Behemoth is bringing Pi?t People to Steam Early Access and Xbox One next month appeared first on Destructoid.

The beta started today

I wasn't all that interested in a strategy game from The Behemoth. They generally excel in more high-octane twitch genres, so when they decided to branch out with Pit People I was lukewarm to t??he idea. But a?fter playing the beta that was unleashed last night, I'm not all that worried.

I dig the simplistic combat system that's mainly based on positioning. You have the Fire Emblem style counter mechanic, with characters that sport shields blocking arrows and maces countering helmets, to name a few. It's also wacky as hell, with one of the best soundtracks and presentations to date from Behemoth. At times it tops the Hatty Hattington madness from Battleblock Theater -- mainly because of the asshole narrator.

Watch the first 15 minutes for yourself below! It's slated for th??e PC and Xbox One platforms at some point, but there's n??o release window in sight.

The post Pit ?People is probab??ly the weirdest game yet from The Behemoth appeared first on Destructoid.

Starts September 8

I don't really know what to make of Pit People. Like most Behemoth games it's kind of just on my radar, but once I've actually gotten my hands on it I'll probably fall in ??love. A few of us will ??get that chance soon, as the developer has announced that the first beta period will run from September 8 to September 15.

It's a cl??osed beta so only select people have access, but expect impressions and video to roll out shortly after it star??ts. Be sure to check your inbox if you registered, as you should be getting a notification today, and the actual code on September 8.

The post P??it People beta i??nvites going out, check your inbox appeared first on Destructoid.

Pit People

The Behemoth is taking a crack at turn-based strategy with Pit People, a game that, like the studio's prior work (Castle Crashers, BattleBlock Theater), is silly and best played in co-op. One day you won't have to hear it from me -- you'll be able to try it for yourself! -- and that day will soon?? be here.

The game's closed beta is set for September 8 through September 15 on Xbox One, with sign-ups located right here. You'll just need to get your info sent in be??fore S?ept. 8 for a chance at access.

Battles themselves are turn-based, but when you're out roaming the world, you get to exp??lore the map in real time (as briefly shown at 0:34 in the traile??r). I'm quite fond of that approach.

The post The Behemoth is running a b??eta for its weird str??ategy RPG soon appeared first on Destructoid.

Xbox One first, then Steam

Attending PAX East this month in Boston? Grand! Consider dropping by The Behemoth's booth (#4025) to get your name on the closed beta list for Pit People. The rest of us will be able to sign up later, at home, but we won't h??ave a chance to possibly win stuff in a raffle like you will.

What is Pit People, exactly? It's a wacky but mechanically solid turn-based strategy game with co-op from the entertaining minds behind Castle Crashers and BattleBlock Theater.

I've played it a couple times now, and I like it a lot, but there's so much going on that short preview sessions at events don't do it much justice. This upcoming beta build should ?be great in that respect.

Above all, it's nice to hear this is inching closer to release. I'm getti?ng antsy.

Pit People C??losed Beta &ndash??; Sign ups at PAX East [The Behemoth]

The post The Behemoth is gearing up for a Pit People beta appeared first on Destructoid.

Turn-based strategy with co-op

Castle Crashers and BattleBlock Theater developer The Behemoth is making a cooperative turn-based strategy game for Steam and Xbox One. For a long time there, it was tentatively called Game 4, but it finally became Pit People this year. It'?s fun, funny, and a lot to take in.

There's a free-roaming world map, which I dig, an??d a cap??ture mechanic, which I dig even more. So many weird critters to recruit. This trailer ahead of PAX Prime is a peek at the madness.

For a more informative look at Pit People, you can watch the first 20 minutes.

The post The Behemoth’s Pit People gets its first trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Strange name for a strange game

The upcoming strategy game from Castle Crashers maker The Behemoth is memorable. Its old temporary name, "Game 4," was not. It's now called Pit People, which is weird but fitting.

"Pit People was the name written on the original concept sketch that  started it all," said the studio. "Every interact??ion took place in an arena. Over time, adventuring became a big part of the game. However, a key moment in the story now occurs in the Pit, and so the name remained!"

I like it. Short and memorable.

The post The Behemoth’s Game 4 becomes Pit People appeared first on Destructoid.