Dream Theater – The Astonishing game soon to be released

The new video game based on “The Astonishing”, the album from Dream Theater, is nearing release. “The Astonishing”, a rock opera set within a dystopian future where music has all but been abolished and replaced by artificially generated “music” from the so-called NOMACs is a perfect setting for a strategic chess-like board game.

The video game, which will release on PC and on iOS and Android devices, is a reinterpretation of the story from the album, with music and visuals from the album and the live representation. The gameplay is based on a previous game from Turbo Tape Games, called UHR-Warlords. I have been playing early release versions of this game for quite some time, and it’s good fun if you like strategic games / board games. It also helps that its filled with music from our favorite band.

Please find the full press release below. Take note of the opportunity to win prizes!

 

The interactive dramatization, or remix if you will, of Dream Theater’s epic rock opera The Astonishing, becomes available for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS in February. The releases will happen consecutively for each platform during Dream Theater’s upcoming Images, Words & Beyond 25^th Anniversary Tour.

The game is a reenactment of The Astonishing story, and it enables players to unfold and untangle the original story from the perspectives of both the Ravenskill Rebel Militia and the Great Northern Empire of the Americas. The whole picture is not complete until the campaigns are finished on both sides of the conflict, during which players’ battle for influence and control over the will of the people.

Aside from being a branching, interactive narrative, set on the timeline of the original story by John Petrucci, The Astonishing Game plays as a signature board game by Turbo Tape Games (similar in style to their critically-acclaimed UHR-Warlords game, released in 2014).

On the playing field, players summon key personages and iconic figures from the world of free art on the side of The Ravenskill Militia, and key totalitarian figures from the Great Northern Empire’s side.  Battle is conducted in single player campaigns, as well as among players in a Player vs. Player format against their friends. The Astonishing Game is the only place one can hear musical sections from the conceptual double album as instrumental pieces, and players will also enjoy video material that was otherwise available for viewing only during live shows of The Astonishing.

 

 

 

 

Since the launch coincides with the upcoming Dream Theater tour as well as the 25th anniversary of their fan-favorite album Images and Words, Dream Theater and Turbo Tape Games announce that the game will be accompanied by a competition for great prizes including tickets and post-concert VIP passes, available to players during the tour.  The game will have a one-time purchase cost with no in-app purchases, making players eligible for any and all free upgrades as this title is further developed.

“We’re extremely satisfied to be able to re-imagine The Astonishing and the implied macro-political surroundings of the story, a story that fit so well with our signature take on digital board games. The game truly shines in portraying the struggle for influence between two factions of society: the artists, and the oppressors. During each match, only one piece of the puzzle — one version of the truth — is conveyed through the perspective of the original Astonishing narrative,” says Fredrik Sundt Breien, CEO of Turbo Tape Games.

“There are definitely some parallels to be drawn between DT’s prog-metal fan base and the gaming community including a yearning for and appreciation of deeper thematic connections and the open-minded spirit of artistic exploration and storytelling. This new game presents a unique opportunity to combine these two worlds and engage DT fans in an expanded and immersive experience inside the unique universe of The Astonishing,” says guitarist John Petrucci of Dream Theater.

We are very proud of the game, and as such we are extremely excited to invite users on iOS, Android, Mac and PC to join us in playing The Astonishing Game this February.  Stay tuned for updates from us in the near future!

KEY FEATURES AT LAUNCH:

• Turn-based tactical, digital board game
• Single player campaigns as well as player vs. player matches on the same device, with full online multiplayer capability coming soon (in an early update), free of additional charge.
• An interactive narrative, unfolding the story of The Astonishing as seen from both factions (the artists and the oppressors)
• A new level to the narrative, as players are allowed to influence the macro-political structures in various locations across The Great Northern Empire
• Unique signature board-based gameplay as developed by Turbo Tape Games
• A non-violent game metaphor, where playing pieces battle for influence over game sectors, forcing opponents to give up power and influence, rather than fighting to the death
• Utilizing the unique video artwork developed by Bernard Duguay at Lucion Media, used during live shows on Dream Theater’s The Astonishing world tour
• Featuring instrumental musical sections from The Astonishing conceptual double album
• The game comes with the option to freely enter exclusive competitions for grand prizes during Dream Theater’s upcoming Images, Words and Beyond tour (contest through April 30th)

 

Please see the launch video here:

You’re invited to sign up for the game newsletter here: http://www.turbotapegames.com/portfolio-item/the-astonishing/

 

 

 

 

 

About Turbo Tape Games

Turbo Tape Games develops games for international markets. The studio’s previous titles are Naval War: Arctic Circle (2012), UHR: Warlords (2014) and Warhammer: Arcane Magic (2015 / 2016), all engaging tactical and strategic games, made in close collaboration with among others musical artists.

Turbo Tape Games also consults in in the design and development of game-based systems for learning in the public and private sectors. To learn more about Turbo Tape Games and The Astonishing Game, please visit www.turbotapegames.com

 

 

 

 

 

About Dream Theater

Dream Theater has for three decades continually redefined the parameters of hard rock and progressive heavy metal, overcoming obstacles, surpassing critical expectations, and resisting the incessant winds of industry uncertainty. Staying an exciting course in a sea littered with also-rans, pretenders, and opportunists, Dream Theater’s body of work endures and triumphs.

With a string of successful album releases and a colossal international following, counting almost four million Facebook followers, Dream Theater holds numerous awards for their technical and musical skills.

To learn more about Dream Theater, The Astonishing, and their coming tour, please visit http://www.dreamtheater.net/