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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