Tyranny - Brian Heins Interview @RedBull

Brian Heins Interview at RedBull where he explains how its good to be bad.

So, the question that Tyranny wants to ask you is this: now that the world is an overtly evil place, what are you going to do about it?

"Saving the world is not really an option," says game director Brian Heins, frankly. "This isn't a hero's journey about saving the world: this is a much more personal story about your character and the world they're in and the consequences of your actions. So it's not about saving the world or destroying it; it's more about your own personal journey and growth in this world."

In essence, Tyranny is like one of those alternate history dramas where the goodies didn't win, but now what's done is done. The people who lived in the old world ‒ particularly the peasants ‒ were under constant threat of violence and exploitation by the corrupt and the ruthless elite. For all the bloodshed, Kyros' ascension put a stop to that. The world of Tyranny is an end born of terrible means, but whatever else it may be, it is at least stable. Your choice is whether to go along with Kyros' rule, or try to subvert it, surreptitiously fighting for freedom.

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"If you want to play that good character, there are definitely options and choices you can make... [But] ultimately you are surrounded by some bad people, who want you to work with them do things the way they want them done. So, if you do decide to work against them, there are going to be consequences to that."

Working with or against Tyranny's factions will be at the game's political and moral core. As with Obsidian's previous RPG, Pillars of Eternity, the game is about more than stabbing people with swords or setting them on fire with magic. In Tyranny's hierarchy, the ruling class below Kyros ‒ the Archons ‒ are the biggest source of the game's friction. Essentially a cabal of demonic cabinet ministers, the Archons are constantly struggling to one-up each other, ever conscious that their prosperity ‒ and their lives ‒ depend on how useful they are to Kyros.

A few notches down the pecking order, your advancement in the game will be similarly tied to how useful you can make yourself to them. Siding with one faction will change how others in the world perceive your party, giving with one hand and taking away with the other as you are rewarded with faction-linked abilities while somewhere else in the world another Archon's minions will be tossing darts at paintings of your head for target practice. With all the factions somehow tied into or dependent upon the rule of Kyros, who you choose to side with will depend on how, shall we say, flexible you can be with your view of right and wrong.