Dank, sticky floors and the musk of ball sweat and BO discreetly stifled by Lynx/Axe Africa bring this website briefly out of retirement for a Techno Banter review. An indie darling that teased during Steam Next Fest, this ‘choices matter’ jolly dumps players on the doors of a has-been nightclub. However, this bouncer belts seven bells of shit out of the punters through their wordplay instead of their paws.
Shunned by your employer for letting in the riff-raff at a high-profile event, washed-out club owner Gunthy is swift in securing your services as their bouncer – a job you previously relished in. Though a strapping bear/cat/furry of considerable strength, ‘hero’ Nill filters through patrons by observing their character and determining whether they qualify for entry, either by accepting or rejecting them on the spot. Partygoers who’ve patiently waited outside are naturally going to be pissed off, which would typically result in fisticuffs.
Techno Banter Review
Yet Techno Banter focuses one’s words; shooting down the agro with finesse and not one spill of claret. Besides, violence results in lawsuits, and Gunthy doesn’t have the funds to embrace it. So, Nill profiles a customer similar to Papers, Please/Lil’ Guardsman, highlighting any red flags that Gunthy has set – viewable from an on-screen notepad. You know the sorts: creeps, angry types, buzzkills, perms, Nike tracksuits, plus any other unwanted clientele. The rejected will throw insults back for Nill to respond from a dialogue tree in the shape of The Secret of Monkey Island’s, “I am rubber, you are glue” exchange, or banter.
Picking the correct dialogue will force the partygoer to scarper with their tail between their legs, award some hype (allows for skill usage), and then it’s on to the next in line. Said skills range from intimidation, unmasking or even healing from an attack, albeit a verbal one. Additionally, Techno Banter employs its Slurm-like soda that replenishes health at the detriment of gut rot caused by a sugar coma. Available via a vending machine. Of course, skills can be improved, and through some savvy parley, XP gives some levelling-up opportunities. The same is true for working a shift at the club, as points can be invested in the venue, such as lighting, equipment and quality of booze.
Techno Banter isn’t a management game, and through these RPG elements, levelling up is a cakewalk. From its first-person perspective and neon-splashed cityscape, it’s more Beyond Sunset than The Sims, and aside from the core bouncing duties, it’s about mingling with the locals. At your leisure. The skill required in this game from Crunching Koalas is the gift of the gab, buttering up the local weirdos from sultry laundry cougars to banana-looking cult members with your street lexicon, and the occasional dip into an Athenian Rhapsody mini-game of avoiding an insult or two.
Sound Bites
The opener was sluggish in introducing the characters and gameplay mechanics, with the only worthwhile tutorial coming from a piss-soaked book on the bathroom floor in your apartment. Fruity. After the meeting and greeting the local vendors and S&M club owners, Techno Banter enters a nightly loop of judging and poking at customers like in Peace, Death!, patrolling the club then streets looking for side quests, looking for some way to increase the wedge in your wallet. For a game that leaned on its music connections in the lead-up to its release, the sound production was probably the weakest area to begin with.
There are no voices, instead a bastardisation of AI-like mumblings and gurgles that complement the witty, yet absurd dialogue. The ambience was massively understated, too, making the city feel more like a village. Then the beats kick in while working the door, and it’s perfect. Profiling a dozen punters, sniffing for red flags, counters, and physically dodging insults could mean the music takes a back seat – potentially the opposite and a self-aware monotous drone could ensure, but that’s not the case here. Headphones were on, and the beats were spot-on and assisted with the sleazy, quirky world-building. Cyberpunk 2077 this ain’t, but the smaller cast offer a different type of engagement and entertainment, without a single bullet fired.
Techno Banter Review Summary
Techno Banter is ideal for those who want to know that what they say makes a difference, that violence isn’t the answer, that music can soothe the savage beast, and that one can walk Rainbow Drive stark bollock naked without being judged, and a leisurely pace, swingin’ and all.
