New narrative adventure title, The Council, is about to release its first episode, titled, The Mad Ones, and they've got a fancy new video today to get you ready for it. Titled, "Rethinking Narrative Adventure", they explain how they innovated on the genre, twisting the classic formula with original mechanics, and their ambition of giving true weight to each of the players' decisions throughout the game.
You assume the role of Louis de Richet on Lord Mortimer's fancy ass private island, joined by some high profile guests, including Napoleon Bonaparte and the President of the newly-formed United States of America, George Washington. If this little private reception wasn't odd enough, your mother has gone missing and every member of the colorful cast of guests is a suspect.
The setup isn't exactly new (besides chilling with Napoleon), but the freshness is this; there is a social influence system, which concerns manipulating and maneuvering through character encounters. During confrontations, skills and limited resources can be used to gain the upper hand and achieve the desired outcome. Players will be rewarded for their knowledge of each character's psychological vulnerabilities and immunities, as well as their preparations made during prior exploration and investigation. Failing an encounter does not mean 'game over', and no action can be taken back. The consequences are permanent and may result in persistent physical disfigurements or mental traits that help or hinder the rest of the player's adventure.
Richet's numerous skills can be developed to make him play how you want to play. Solve issues with diplomacy, delve into occultism to expand your historical and scientific knowledge, or play detective and see what others are too dull to catch. Your skills will have uses that extend far beyond your conversations with fellow guests. With 15 diverse skills to use and invest in, players are free to uncover The Council's mysteries how they see fit, with wildly varying consequences depending on their methods.
The Council's first episode, The Mad Ones, arrives on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 13. The complete season will have five episodes, with new episodes releasing regularly through 2018.
