Developer: BlueSky Software Publisher: EA Release: 08/93 Genre: Action RPG
I remember Technoclash from previews in Sega Visions magazine. The premise seemed intriguing; as a wizard from the Inner Realm you must embark on a journey to recover the Life Staff from the invading Machine Empire. The magic meets technology seemed cool and with its extensive list of spells and such made it seem like more than your typical action game. But I never did get around to it back in 1993. That would be for the best though as Technoclash is an incredibly frustrating game that few will have the fortitude to put up with to the end.
Mechanically Technoclash is dense. Ronaan has a melee swing that pushes back most enemies but more importantly can reflect most projectiles and spells. It is also very strong as it kills most enemies in one hit even late game. The tradeoff is its short reach. You can choose one bodyguard to assist you in every level and each has caveats. Farrg uses conventional weapons and is stronger. Chazz uses magic like Ronaan and can teleport and levitate to follow you if need be. The game uses different button combinations as shortcuts to use magic and perform other actions. But if you have a six button pad most functions have a dedicated button which makes for a smoother experience.
Magic plays a heavy role in Technoclash as you have a plethora of spells. There are nine offensive spells that cover a number of bases. The default magic bullet has infinite ammo but you can earn more power variants. Hold paralyzes enemies, wide is self-explanatory while time bombs are land mines. The more powerful spells like super, mondo major and death are rare drops but worth it. In addition you have auxiliary spells as complements. Heal is the most important while levitate sees more use as you progress. Teleport can save you in a pinch if you need healing at the expense of having to retrace your steps from base camp. Invulnerability is the only way you will survive some of the later levels in my opinion. Unfortunately these supplementary spells are harder to come by which is part of why the game is so hard but I digress.
Each level in Technoclash is a massive playground where you usually must complete one or more objectives. These can range from closing all the enemy spawning gates in the junkyard to finding a series of card keys to disable the barrier protecting the end level boss. You are given plenty of opportunities to play around with your large arsenal of spells as enemies drop ammo for the most common spells and there are generators in most stages. Technoclash is not a pure action game so the Contra style approach will not work. Taking things slowly and using all the resources available is the best approach. I will say that in the game’s calmer moments it is generally enjoyable. When you can explore and the action is measured it is incredible. The problem is that only lasts for about two stages before the game goes bonkers and becomes unpleasant.
There is no getting around it; Technoclash is one of the most difficult games of the 16-bit era. Three levels in it becomes so insanely tough that I question who it was designed for. The sheer chaos is ridiculous. Respawning enemies assaulting from every corner with so many projectiles flying around that it is not uncommon to die without seeing how it happened. The more powerful spells help somewhat but they always seem so limited and the machines become more resilient in response. I was able to stem the tide somewhat by abusing the invincibility spell but that only goes so far. Some of the later boss battles are so absurd I cannot believe the game was released in the state it is. The difficulty curve (or lack thereof) completely ruins this game and everything it attempts. Sad too as there is a lot to like.
In Closing
Damn did I want to like Technoclash. But at every turn there is some element that prevents that from happening. The ridiculous difficulty ruins what could have been a decent if flawed adventure. The best thing I can say is that I can see how the work here leads to Shadowrun a year later. But unlike this mess that game is awesome and one of the best on the system. Play that instead.
