Review Fix Exclusive: James Dearden Talks ‘ Technobabylon’

Review Fix chats with “ Technobabylon” creator James Dearden, who discusses the new point-and-click cyber punk adventure set for a PC release in March. Discussing the game’s long development process, as well as the inspiration behind the game, Dearden breaks down why you should check out Wadjet Eye’s newest title.

Review Fix: How was the game created?


James Dearden: I’ve always enjoyed cyberpunk, and this is one of the plots I’ve had trying to get out of my head for a few years. I was experimenting with making adventure games while working abroad, and decided to combine the two. After all, there’s no medium for storytelling like games, and I think that interactive media lends itself particularly well to cyberpunk stories.

Review Fix: What games do you think have played a key role in its artistic vision?

Dearden: Definitely classic adventures like Beneath a Steel Sky, but also later games of a similar style, though different type, like Deus Exes 1-3 and Syndicate (2012) for their visual interpretation of the future. Not just games though – if you like Ghost in the Shell, I think Technobabylon will be up your street.

Review Fix: What has the development process been like?

Dearden: I’d started in 2010 with freeware episodes, and the continuation of it’s been restarted so many times since then. Each time, I’d found myself improving at art and programming, meaning it no longer resembled its earlier sections, which I wasn’t satisfied with anymore. Until 2014, it had been on-again-off-again, as I experimented with other themes. Luckily, I managed to secure the interest of Dave Gilbert and Wadjet Eye Games, likely thanks to the much more shiny and professional-looking art of Ben Chandler (who now works full-time for Wadjet Eye). After that, it’s been full steam ahead, going pretty smoothly! Dave’s mostly been “hands off”, which is nice for creative freedom.

Review Fix: What do you think makes this game special?


Dearden: A lot of cyberpunk relies on “outsider” perspective. The protagonists are the downtrodden, the rebels, the punks and hackers. But in this case, two of the main characters are police working for the AI that governs the city, they are themselves part of the establishment. In addition, the future’s not a wholly terrible place. Much like today, there are awful things taking place, but still things that might make you think “yes, I’d like to live there”.

Review Fix: Do you think it has any cross-over appeal on another system like a PS4 or XBox One?

Dearden: Personally, not on systems like that. I can’t see old-fashioned point and click adventures working so well on the modern consoles (though perhaps in a retooled format, like Telltale’s). I think many of the newer gamers who’ve come in the past decade or so have less patience for classical pixel-art as well. That’s not to say it’s completely excluded from other systems – Wadjet Eye appears to have had some luck with the iPad, hopefully a pattern that can be continued.

Review Fix: How is this game different from Wadjet Eye’s other games?

Dearden: At most obvious, it’s the first to be set in an outright cyberpunk environment. It takes a different direction with the themes explored as well. So, while it’s the kind of game that’d no doubt appeal to Wadjet Eye’s usual audience, it’s another side of speculative fiction to explore.

Review Fix: What are your hopes for the game?

Dearden: A sequel, definitely. Best case scenario, I’d like Technobabylon (and/or its descendants) to be one of those games that people think of when they think “cyberpunk”. I’d love for it to be viable enough to stand up in the marketplace, and give me the kind of credibility necessary to keep on making games and fiction.

Review Fix: How do you think it’ll stand the test of time?

Dearden: Games like this have lasted twenty-something years already. Hopefully it’ll stick around a few more, but it might need a graphical revamp in a few years time.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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