Guarding the Groove
“If your name’s not down, you’re not coming in” – a famous line uttered by bouncers all over the world.
But the job of a bouncer is a tough one. They are left to stand out in the cold, in the wet, eyeing up drunks and potential troublemakers while knowing there is always going to be someone who wants to take them on.
In Techno Banter you play a world-renowned bouncer, one who finds their place in a futuristic world, all a bit cyberpunky and full of people with animal heads. Confused? Well, don’t be because this strange mixture of a cyberpunk RPG and Papers, Please is good enough to entice you to take in the bouncer lifestyle.
Techno Banter starts at a fancy arts event for a business tycoon. You play the part of Nill who is working as security for the said tycoon. You have an idea for a business pitch that gets rejected and then you let some unruly people into the party so you are fired.
So off you head, back to your old job as a bouncer in a club in cyber town. The narrative then looks at your relationship with the customers and owners of the nightclub, all brought together by an overreaching storyline that focuses on a doomsday cult.
Witty Writing and a Colourful Cast
I think the narrative and writing for this game are the highlights. Techno Banter is extremely witty, complete with a brilliant cast of characters you meet and either let into your club or not. It’s also very tongue-in-cheek, happy to riff on RPGs and games as well as the cyberpunk world.
Judging the Crowd
The bulk of the gameplay is centred on the club door bouncer, checking customers to see if they have the ‘right stuff’ to enter. The ‘right stuff’ being the promise that they are not going to kick off and start a fight, be a depressive and take down the vibe or try to sell things.
It’s here where your observation skills come to the fore, as you look to judge a person and see if they have the right traits to enter the club. Some are obvious, like someone who is aggressive or another who just wants to dance, but other characteristics are more ambiguous and you have to take some chances.
Verbal Combat and Mini-Games
Of course, some people won’t be happy that they are refused entry which will result in an insult fight. Here you have to find the best retort to the insult and win the verbal battle at play. If you lose you might have to concede and let them in; something which could turn out to become a bigger problem.
There are little mini-games throughout too, breaking up the bouncer duty. One time you have to avoid bullets in the club after violence hits. And then some exploration is fun, as you hunt around different shops in the street, discovering side quests and interesting characters to engage with. There are some very light RPG elements included in Techno Banter as well, letting you level up your character’s observation skill for example, boosting your health and seeing the level of insults go up. After a while, I did wish for more in terms of gameplay but I think what has been included here is very clever.
The visuals come together through pixel art but it’s done very skilfully. I think the anthropomorphic characters are brilliantly designed with a good variety of beings to meet and engage in. Also, the colours are great, totally embracing the cyberpunk theme and city. If you’re a fan of Euro techno music then you are in luck here as there is a lot of good music for you to crank up. When you go into the club itself the music really comes into its own.
A Fun and Frothy Cyberpunk Adventure with a Unique Twist
Will Techno Banter see you wanting to become a real life bouncer? No, but it is still capable of delivering a gaming experience that is fun and frothy, with some nice new mechanics that remind of the likes of Papers, Please. The insult mechanic and a couple of the side quests are really good fun.
Techno Banter is a short game, and even in that time, your interest may wane, but on the whole the writing is good, as is the chance to explore a pixelated cyberpunk world.
If you want to test your skills as a door person then Techno Banter could be a good introduction.
Your Links
Techno Banter: Bounce Unwanted Guests and Embrace the Underground Rave Scene – https://www.thexboxhub.com/techno-banter-bounce-unwanted-guests-and-embrace-the-underground-rave-scene/
Buy Techno Banter on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/techno-banter/9NTCXTQ9PJ0Q
