Skip to main content

‘The Technomancer’ isn’t the sci-fi RPG epic you’ve been waiting for, critics say

After months of gameplay demonstrations and trailers showing off Spiders Studios’ desolate, deadly version of Mars, The Technomancer is finally out in the wild, but if you’ve been waiting for something to help make the wait for Mass Effect: Andromeda a little bit easier, this doesn’t look like the answer.

Thus far, reviews for the game, technically a sequel to the much smaller Mars: War Logs, have been lukewarm at best. Writing for IGN, TJ Hafer heavily criticized the game’s combat mechanics, saying that fights mostly come down to spamming the “dodge” button and the process did not get easier over the game’s 30 hours. He also took issue with the characters, calling them “awkward marionettes who would rather be doing something else besides participating in the story,” before awarding the game a 4.9/10.

God Is A Geek’s Mick Fraser was also less than amazed by The Technomancer, but curiously called the combat system its “saving grace” and praised the three different play styles. He also directed criticism at the characters, however, saying they are all “cliched or in some way unlikeable.” His score was only slightly higher at a 5/10.

TechRaptor’s Robert Grosso similarly praised the combat (also calling it the game’s “saving grace”), comparing it to the Batman: Arkham series and Sleeping Dogs due to its free-flowing, enemy-to-enemy melee. He did, however, take issue with the combat’s repetitive nature, as the same types of enemies routinely show up and respawn when you enter an area, adding “needless padding.”

The reviews are certainly disappointing, but The Technomancer is far from the only project publisher Focus Home Interactive has in the works. The Surge, a sci-fi action-RPG from Lords of the Fallen developer Deck 13, is scheduled to launch next year. Its setting, a dystopian Earth, looks like it will feature quite a bit more color, and exoskeletons should add a nice wrinkle to the combat.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Helldivers 2 just showed the highs and lows of live service in one chaotic weekend
A soldier in silhouette in Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2 was on top of the world. Released in February to surprise acclaim, PlayStation and Arrowhead's co-op shooter quickly became the kind of success story that any gaming company would want to emulate. In a world of live service risks, this one was paying off thanks to a dedicated community whose commitment to democracy showed no signs of slowing down.

Then it all came crashing down in an instant.

Read more
The wait is over: Hades 2 is out now in early access on Steam
Hades 2 key art from its first trailer.

Hades 2 -- the highly anticipated sequel to a roguelike that Digital Trends considers to be one of the best games of all time -- is out now.

Developer Supergiant Games surprise released the game at 10 a.m. PT on Monday following a positively received Technical Test in April. It costs $30, a price that Supergiant Games says it "may raise" in the future depending on the scope of content added between now and Hades 2's full launch. As for how long that will take, the Steam page says that thegame will "be in Early Access development at least through the end of 2024." Supergiant Games isn't committing to a specific 1.0 launch date at this time.

Read more
Do you need a PSN account to play Helldivers 2?
A scene from Helldiver 2's opening cutscene.

Helldivers 2 has been a huge hit this yea,r with a consistent player base since its launch in February and a peak of over 450,000 players. Fighting for Super Earth, players have been waging war against monstrous insects and deadly robots and laying down their lives for democracy. But the game's reputation took a hit recently when it was announced that PC players would have to register for a PlayStation Network account to continue playing the game — a move that would have left players in parts of the world with no PSN support high and dry.

In  response, there was a major outcry (and review bombing of the game on Steam) in response, which led Sony and Arrowhead Game Studios to swiftly alter their policies to appease the player base. The entire ordeal has been a bit of a whirlwind, so it's OK if you're a little lost. Here's what you need to know.
Do you need a PSN account to play Helldivers 2?
No, you don't need a PSN account to play Helldivers 2 right now.

Read more