Whether from robots, aliens or zombies, humanity seems to be doomed. The zombie scene has practically taken over the entertainment industry, generating billions of dollars around the world, but where is the love for the cybernetic enslavement or extermination of mankind? Enter Binary Domain, a game brought to you by Sega’s Yakuza Team (who ironically is doing a zombie spin-off title for Yakuza), where the world is chaos after a crazed man reveals himself to be a robot. Japanese company Amada has advanced artificial intelligence to a new age by breaking a clause in the Geneva code. They’ve created and infected the world with artificial life forms (aka robot beings) disguised as humans. Flesh and blood, steel and solder. Put together your international superstar solider line-up and prepare yourself for an illustrative epic.

If you’ve seen Binary Domain before (or checked out our exclusive footage below) there isn’t much to say about the gameplay. It feels like your run of the mill third person shooter. You aim, shoot, dash and bash. You can get into cover, blind fire, and…well, you get the picture. If you’re familiar with games like Gears of War or even Vanquish (although at a much slower pace), you’ll be right at home with this squad-based shooter. You can even use a headset to command your party members or respond to their questions and statements.

There was little focus on consequence in the build we played, with teammates simply disliking or frowning over your choice. Combining specific allies and picking what they want to hear could lead to boosting their respect for you, but choose poorly and it can go either way. Otherwise it is implied your choices can lead to alternate fates for each of your teammates and how you are treated in the heat of battle or during pinnacle moments in the story. It’s similar to the branching conversation system Mass Effect establishes, but much more in-the-moment. Hell, you don’t even have to respond if you don’t want to. Picking different team members for each mission will open up different conversations and more rewarding moments.

There are a lot of interesting concepts at play here. Even though some of it feels familiar, it’s always satisfying. Binary Domain has all the potential of being a sleeper hit as there is nothing better than blood and steel.