Skip to main content

Sega strengthens Steam presence with Binary Domain

Image used with permission by copyright holder

PC gamers who hate robots but enjoy telling AI characters how much they love them are in for a special treat come April: Sega is bringing its unusual science fiction shooter Binary Domain to PC.

Released on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in February, Binary Domain distinguishes itself from similar games that let you shoot bad guys while hiding behind walls. The story of an international task force looking to root out the roboticist behind a plague of human-looking androids is unique in that it lets you speak to your AI squad mates through a headset. Unlike Mass Effect 3, which also lets you voice command other characters, though, your squad performs differently based on how much they trust you, not just on what you ask them to do.

Recommended Videos

Binary Domain is also unusual in that it will be the first game by Sega’s Yakuza Studio to be released for PC. Famous for its eponymous Playstation-exclusive Yakuza series, this is the second first for the studio as it had never worked on Xbox 360 prior to Binary Domain.

The PC version will be released as both a boxed copy at stores as well as through Steam, in the latest example of Sega slowly strengthening its ties with Valve’s digital platform. While the publisher has nearly 100 games available on the service, it’s only recently been releasing games targeted at the console market on Steam in close proximity to console releases. Last fall Sega released Sonic Generations on Steam and consoles on the same day. The upcoming release of Binary Domain should hearten PC and Steam gamers hungry for Sega’s stranger creations. 

Anthony John Agnello
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
Think Path of Exile 2 is too hard? Its devs want you to get good
A character blasting fire in Path of Exile 2.

Path of Exile 2 launched to much fanfare as fans of the first -- and players hungry for another Diablo-style experience -- flocked to the game. But players quickly discovered that it did not hold your hand. If you die, you're kicked from the game and lose some experience, plus any loot you haven't picked up yet. The RPG's latest patch will address a few pain points, but the developers say "the whole death actually mattering thing is important."

Director Jonathan Rogers says the game is high risk, high reward. He gave an interview with streamers Darth Microtransaction and GhazzyTV to discuss the patch. Give it a watch, if you'd like -- but be aware the video is four hours long.

Read more
Our final Nintendo Switch 2 reveal predictions
An image of the Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition.

The day is almost upon us. After years of speculation, we're very close to an official reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2. Thank goodness for that, as we've been locked in a tidepool of fake leaks and rumors for far too long. The new console hype cycle can be fun in moderation, but the long road to Nintendo's next console has only become more exhausting over time. We had AI companies faking its release date for clout, hardware manufacturers sharing 3D printed mock-ups, and every so-called insider on the planet flinging out conflicting information.

It'll all come to an end soon when Nintendo reveals its new console. While that's a relief, there is something bittersweet about it. The mystery of a new gaming device is part of the fun. What will it look like? What games will launch with it? Will it be backward compatible? These are the kinds of questions make for fun social fodder; I've had plenty of speculative conversations with friends over the past two years. In some twisted way, I'll miss that once reality sets in.

Read more
Former Witcher and Cyberpunk devs unite to create The Blood of Dawnwalker
A vampire appears in The Blood of the Dawnwalker.

Rebel Wolves, a new studio created by former The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 developers, announced its new game, The Blood of Dawnwalker.

The Blood of Dawnwalker looks to be Gothic fantasy on par with The Witcher. It features a character who, much like Geralt, traded humanity for power. Coen, the main character, combines human traits with vampiric power to take down foes.

Read more