Tyler Colp, our associate editor, recently pondered the uncertainty surrounding Disco Elysium 2, though other games could compensate for that. Sovereign Syndicate, a role-playing game set in an alternate version of Victorian London, may fill the Disco-shaped gap experienced by many. From the menu screen, it is evident that this alternate reality is equipped with zeppelins, as mandated by law. Additionally, this reality also hosts minotaurs and other curious elements.

In the demo version of Sovereign Syndicate, the only character available is Atticus Daley, a minotaur who wears a top hat and is an alcoholic. He starts off the game in a fashion that is reminiscent of Disco Elysium, waking up after a night of heavy drinking, his brain filled with thoughts and his stomach filled with liquor. When the full game is released, players will be able to choose from the corsair Clara, the automaton Otto, and Atticus the minotaur.

The interface operates similarly to how it has in the past, appearing down the right-hand side of the screen with conversations and different features, like Wit and Spryness, which are also backed up by a portrait. Though, a notable modification is that a voice, known as the Crone, accompanies them. The assignment given is to figure out who this voice belongs to and its purpose.

The masked stranger awakens me and indicates that I have something I must attend to. We then wander the dirty roads of London and I find quests from discarded newspapers and posters; the first being to find some missing orphans, and the second being to locate a mysterious courtesan murderer. As I sift through the trash, I come across a sword cane and extra gears and cogs which I will be able to sell making me recall the countless empty bottles I have recycled in Martinaise.

The barrier of an electrified fence holds back access to the Werewolf Containment Zone, something that stirred up my creativity just with its name but is unfortunately not included in this demonstration. Instead, we’ll go to the Red Lotus drug den, a place that I’m a frequent visitor of.

There are two potential choices available to me here- either to cast an illusion so I appear more human or remain in my bull-shaped form and face-off the biased centaur at the bar. Executing skill tests such as the illusion spell requires a certain amount of Nerve; and regardless whether the outcome is good or bad, once that Nerve is used up, it is gone. The tarot cards and their apparent meanings are not fully elucidated, but I am still able to understand through experimentation. Each of the four suits are linked to one of my four abilities.

Selecting dialogue answers and options that require a certain ability gives you points in the categories related to each. For example, Animal Instinct is yellow bile, and Self Discipline is phlegm. The points are the same as experience points. After collecting 10, you can choose to increase the ability by one point, increase a skill it’s attached to by three points, or grab a card from the major arcana to get special rewards.

One of the major arcana cards I possess enhances whatever facedown card I draw during a skill check to have the lowest number, and another grants me three Nerve points whenever I show a face card. This is a nice flavor, and the character sheet shaped like a phrenology test is also effective—it kind of looks like a diagram for separate cuts of meat, with my bull’s head included.

I’m able to conceal my horns well, which makes it easier for the next encounter, but I choose to take the hard route and tackle the bouncer. The conflicts are displayed in the form of a comic, with every move illustrated in its own panel, ranging from trying to buy my way out of trouble to striking someone with the handle of my cane-sword. The monochrome art is a nice touch, reminiscent of old-fashioned paper clippings or some of Kevin ONeill’s artwork for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Having these comics in place prevents the distraction of another fight system with different range and movement individualities.

The Sovereign Syndicates demo allows us to explore the Red Lotus. However, it still needs some improvements before the estimated release date of 2024. Currently, the camera cannot be moved, and the conclusion is abrupt. I’m anticipating this game due to my fondness for story-focused CRPGs and the strange things you can find such as the Werewolf Containment Zone. You can give the demo a go by downloading it from Steam.