The World of Black Annex, A Technophobe’s Nightmare
Lance E McDonald, the brain behind developer Man Fight Dragon and sole creator of Black Annex, and as we learned in our huge interview on the making of the game, he has worked in marketing and sales for a Telco company for the past ten years. During this time it became clear to McDonald that there was a firmly embedded paranoia about the technology industry, and the bureaucracy behind it.
“I speak to customers every day who have this weird, jarring concept of how the industry works, and I’d like to play that up to create a future based on that vision.”
With its upcoming title, Black Annex, Man Fight Dragon plans to use these fears and delusions to shape a bleak and despondent dystopia setting. I had the chance to jump in to Black Annex’s dark and gritty office world in preparation for Grab It Episode 8 - The PAX Edition - and I had an absolutely killer time with this indie gem (killer time– as in I was killed over and over). McDonald’s droll vision of the information-technology future is a satirical symphony of the strange and somewhat wonderful conspiracies that emerge from the divide between consumer and product.
“People believe in this strange, overarching technology that can see and control things, and bureaucrats who have this insane level of complete access and control. Marketing companies with more money and influence than governments. I want to bring this world to life, and then propel it hundreds of years into the future to find out where it goes.”
But that’s just what’s on the surface of this brilliant action-strategy game. Black Annex boasts multiple character classes, collectable weapons and upgrades, and a complex, Syndicate-esque management system. Black Annex definitely stood out for me amongst the horde of quality titles charging the gates of PAX last weekend. If you weren’t fortunate enough to attend PAX AUS, or even if you just happened to miss this spectacular looking indie, then pick up the latest copy of Grab It to find out what all the fuss is about and to read our exclusive access to the developer, the title and the assets.
Writer:
Brodie Fogg
References:
- Black Annex
- Grab It Episode 8
