The Technomancer

{{Infobox video game

| title = The Technomancer

| image = File:The Technomancer cover art.jpg

| developer = Spiders

| publisher = Focus Home Interactive

| director =

| producer =

| designer =

| programmer =

| artist =

| writer =

| composer = Olivier Deriviere

| engine = PhyreEngine

| platforms = Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 4
Xbox One

| released = 28 June 2016

| genre = Action role-playing

| modes = Single-player

}}

The Technomancer is a 2016 action role-playing video game developed by Spiders and published by Focus Home Interactive. It is set within the same universe as Spiders' previously developed game, Mars: War Logs. Olivier Deriviere scored the game.{{cite web |url=https://soundcloud.com/olivier-deriviere/tracks |title=Olivier Deriviere | Free Listening on SoundCloud |website=Soundcloud.com |date= |accessdate=10 July 2016}}

Gameplay

There are three styles of combat. The player can add companions to their party, who can then level up. The player will also be able to improve their own combat abilities, and they can make different choices about how to solve each quest. There are three different endings, and each is slightly modified by several major choices the player makes throughout the game. The player can craft their weapons and armor. There are four different skill trees.{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.focus-home.com/en/news/871-spiders-and-focus-home-interactive-announce-continued-partnership-for-a-new-rpg-the-technomancer |title=Spiders and Focus Home Interactive announce continued partnership for a new RPG: The Technomancer |website=Focus-home.com |date= |accessdate=10 July 2016 |archive-date=1 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901090647/http://www.focus-home.com/en/news/871-spiders-and-focus-home-interactive-announce-continued-partnership-for-a-new-rpg-the-technomancer |url-status=dead }}

Plot

The game is set during the War of Water, 200 years after human colonization of Mars.{{cite web |url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/08/06/the-technomancer-coming-to-ps4/ |title=The Technomancer Coming to PS4 – PlayStation.Blog |website=Blog.us.playstation.com |date=6 August 2015 |accessdate=10 July 2016 |archive-date=5 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905211201/http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/08/06/the-technomancer-coming-to-ps4/ |url-status=live }} The protagonist is a rookie technomancer named Zachariah,{{cite web |url=http://gematsu.com/2015/08/technomancer-gamescom-2015-trailer |title=The Technomancer Gamescom 2015 trailer |website=Gematsu.com |date=6 August 2015 |accessdate=10 July 2016 |archive-date=20 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420164722/http://gematsu.com/2015/08/technomancer-gamescom-2015-trailer |url-status=live }} a former delinquent from Abundance, one of the powerful water guilds on the red planet. Soon after his initiation as a technomancer, Zachariah finds himself on the run from the guild's secret police. After fleeing the city of Ophir with a group of companions, he takes refuge in the hidden merchant city of Noctis, where he begins his search for a functioning communications beacon in order to reestablish contact with Earth.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/the_technomancer|title=Review: The Technomancer (PS4)|date=28 June 2016|access-date=13 April 2019|archive-date=13 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413094656/http://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/the_technomancer|url-status=live}}

Development

The game was first announced on 10 April 2015.{{cite web |last=Yin |first=Wesley |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-04-10-bound-by-flame-dev-announces-cyberpunk-rpg-the-technomancer |title=Bound by Flame dev announces cyberpunk RPG The Technomancer |website=Eurogamer.net |date=10 April 2015 |accessdate=10 July 2016 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085043/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-04-10-bound-by-flame-dev-announces-cyberpunk-rpg-the-technomancer |url-status=live }} Spiders wrote an open letter to PlayStation Blog accompanied by a new trailer for the game. A 13-minute gameplay video was released on 7 August 2015, and another five-minute video was released on 21 June 2015.{{cite web |last=Sykes |first=Tom |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/heres-five-minutes-of-the-technomancer-spiders-martian-rpg/ |title=Here's five minutes of The Technomancer, Spiders' Martian RPG |publisher=PC Gamer |date=21 June 2015 |accessdate=10 July 2016 |archive-date=29 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529233244/http://www.pcgamer.com/heres-five-minutes-of-the-technomancer-spiders-martian-rpg/ |url-status=live }}

In an April interview, CEO Jehanne Rousseau explained that "Mars is a lot bigger in The Technomancer compared to what you saw in Mars: War Logs." There will be several hubs and cities that can be unlocked. Rousseau estimated the main quest to be around 25 to 30 hours of play and "easily extended to around 50 hours with the inclusion of side quests." Overall there are around 4 times as many quests as there were in Bound by Flame.{{cite web |url=http://wccftech.com/dev-technomancer-deepest-richest-game-date-50-hours/ |title=Dev: The Technomancer Is Our Deepest & Richest Game to Date, Will Last Up to 50 Hours |website=Wccftech.com |date=8 April 2016 |accessdate=10 July 2016 |archive-date=14 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714085609/http://wccftech.com/dev-technomancer-deepest-richest-game-date-50-hours/ |url-status=live }} In a second interview when asked about the possibility of DLC, Rousseau stated that the game would be a complete and finished product, and although they do not currently have plans for additional content after launch, Spiders "may consider it at a later date."{{cite web |url=http://wccftech.com/the-technomancer-interview-mars-calls-rpg-fans/ |title=The Technomancer Interview - Mars Calls RPG Fans Once Again |website=Wccftech.com |date=11 April 2016 |accessdate=10 July 2016 |archive-date=19 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719023859/http://wccftech.com/the-technomancer-interview-mars-calls-rpg-fans/ |url-status=live }} According to Spiders CEO and Creative Director, Jeanne Rousseau, the game is their largest and most expansive to date.{{cite web |url=https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2016/04/19/new-trailer-shows-ps4-rpg-the-technomancer-in-action/ |title=New trailer shows PS4 RPG The Technomancer in action - PlayStation.Blog.Europe |website=Blog.eu.playstation.com |date=19 April 2016 |accessdate=10 July 2016 |archive-date=5 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605081131/https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2016/04/19/new-trailer-shows-ps4-rpg-the-technomancer-in-action/ |url-status=live }}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| MC = (PC) 56/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-technomancer/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Technomancer for PC Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=28 June 2016}}
(PS4) 60/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-technomancer/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4 |title=The Technomancer for PlayStation 4 Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=28 June 2016}}
(XONE) 68/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-technomancer/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |title=The Technomancer for Xbox One Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=28 June 2016 |archive-date=1 January 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240101054959/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-technomancer/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |url-status=live }}

| GSpot = 6/10{{cite web |last=D'Aprile |first=Jason |date=14 July 2016 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-technomancer-review/1900-6416479/ |title=The Technomancer Review |publisher=GameSpot |accessdate=14 July 2016 |archive-date=17 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717171308/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-technomancer-review/1900-6416479/ |url-status=live }}

| IGN = 4.9/10{{cite web |last=Hafer |first=TJ |date=28 June 2016 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/28/the-technomancer-review |title=The Technomancer Review |publisher=IGN |accessdate=28 June 2016 |archive-date=28 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628084031/http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/28/the-technomancer-review |url-status=live }}

| PCGUS = 60/100{{cite web |last=Birnbaum |first=Ian |date=15 July 2016 |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/the-technomancer-review/ |title=The Technomancer review |publisher=PC Gamer |accessdate=15 July 2016 |archive-date=17 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717192232/http://www.pcgamer.com/the-technomancer-review/ |url-status=live }}

}}

The Technomancer received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator website Metacritic. IGN stated the game "has all the moving parts of a mid-2000s BioWare game but lacks technical polish and storytelling finesse to a sometimes painful degree." Combat was heavily criticized for its lack of "flow or rhythm" and difficulty that depends on random chance, but they praised the setting.