Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power ventured to parts unknown in 2007. By this time, Wargaming had built a reputation as a successful video game developer throughout the CIS region, and the team approached this new game with a wealth of experience. Previously, they had shipped the TBS (turn-based strategy) board game DBA Online, along with the Massive Assault series. The latter landed in the TBS market and its futuristic setting made the franchise a hit with a wide audience.
Runway success inspired Wargaming to move forward and create with something new and revolutionary that would not only follow up all past achievements but push their boundaries. And it wasn’t long before this opportunity became a reality.
Akella, a Russian video game developer, inspired by Wargaming’s projects and interested in a possible partnership, joined forces with them. Back then, Akella held the rights for video game adaptations all of the Strugatsky brothers’ works and set to making a game based on their book “Inhabited Island”.
The novel follows Maxim Kammerer, a space explorer who becomes stranded on the remote planet of Saraksh. Here he finds himself up against a post-apocalyptic society under the thumb of a brutal dictatorship called the “Unknown Fathers”. From the effects of a nuclear war, the planet’s ecology is in ruins and in crisis. Saraksh’s populace has been engulfed by social unrest and internal quarrels by the totalitarian regime that has brainwashed them. Maxim decides to rise up and fight this evil to release the planet. During his fight for freedom and survival, he faces the horrors of war and the darker side of humanity.
Obviously, combining all the elements of an action-packed plot, renowned writers and a personal interest in brothers’ works was just too tempting, so the development kicked off.
Using the narrative of a foundation for development, the team started to build Galactic Assault. Everybody was deeply invested in the game, devoted and awed by the responsibility. It was everyone’s mission to take Maxim’s trials and make them just captivating in the game as they were in the book.
To use the original narrative as a jumping off point, the developers decided to use the original premise as an inspiration and make a sequel that centered on the events taking place once the dictatorship of the “Unknown Fathers” had finally crumbled. In this fractious world born anew, rising out of the ashes of war, the brainwashing system had been destroyed. Inhabitants sank into a comatose condition. This chain of events was the small spark that ignited a fierce struggle for power. Galactic Assault transports players into the heat of a fearsome battle for supremacy, enabling them to fight for one of the competing races.
When the game was finally completed, it was time to see if Wargaming and Akella had managed to create a winner. Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power didn’t only appeal to numerous fans, but also to Boris Strugatsky (the other brother had unfortunately passed away by the time the title was released). Having given his blessing, the project went live.
Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power was loved by fans and critics alike, garnering great reviews from the media, and pushed Wargaming to explore new horizons. Since then, we’ve never looked back.
Coming up next in our gaming retrospectives, you can look forward to articles on “Order of War” and “Operation: Bagration”, plus other significant additions to the great collection of Wargaming titles.