Rencia

Rencia is an action real-time strategy game with a 10-mission comedic story campaign that takes about three to five hours to complete. You build a base, direct automatically spawning soldiers in commander mode, and can also take control of one of three heroes in top-down shooter-style combat. Three optional tutorial missions introduce the controls.

The nations of Rencia

The continent of Rencia is divided among four nations: The Union, Industria, Oshena and Mythos. The Union and Industria are bitter rivals with competing beliefs: The Union seeks a high quality of life and general equality for its citizens, while Industria holds that wealth should go to its most talented and productive people. Mythos lies south of the rivals, behind tall mountains, and values scientific knowledge; it has occasionally collaborated with the other nations. Oshena lies to the north, separated by a large ocean and made up of many islands. It keeps itself isolated and has built powerful defenses to keep others out; it is rumored to be a large cult.

When the nations were young, The Union and Industria fought over the fertile land of Roslo in what became history’s first and only Lethal War. The conflict turned Roslo into a desert, and the destruction and deaths led both sides to agree to a ceasefire and vow not to repeat the mistake. Their ideological disputes later sparked another war, this time fought with nonlethal force: soldiers punched, kicked and bit one another, and anyone no longer able to fight was left alone for medical treatment. The first Nonlethal War eventually ended, but new ones reignite regularly. Modern battles use weapons such as bean bag guns and concussive rockets, and serve mainly to let off steam.

Command and combat

In commander mode, you place an attack flag anywhere on the map. Soldiers spawn automatically from their assigned structures, move toward the flag and guard the area when they arrive. You can also spawn as one of three heroes and switch between them to fight directly.

The game has three difficulty levels. Easy is designed to be beatable by players new to the genre, while Medium is a starting point for most newcomers, particularly those with genre experience. Hard provides a strategic challenge in commander mode and an almost bullet-hell-like experience as a hero; completing it requires learning to use both the commander and heroes effectively.

The mission

News from The Union’s spy network says Industria is developing a weapon code-named a WMD that could change warfare. Your mission is to lead an elite squad to find and destroy it.