Every morning, Samson wakes up with a crushing weight on his shoulders: a debt that threatens his very existence. In the world of open-world crime sagas, the stakes are usually high, but few games force the player to feel the financial squeeze quite like this. At Digital Tech Explorer, we love a good industry pivot story, and Samson’s development is as gritty as its gameplay.
The reality of the industry hit us about a year ago, and we laid off half the team… And those were our friends, and that hurt.
Christofer Sundberg
As a storyteller here at Digital Tech Explorer, I’ve seen many projects buckle under pressure, but Liquid Swords chose to improvise and adapt. Launching on Steam and EGS on April 8, Samson introduces a unique roguelike-adjacent structure. Each day, you are allocated action points to manage your tasks. You must balance high-stakes story missions with lucrative side jobs to meet your financial targets. Fail to pay, and debt collectors will find you—ready to beat the cash out of you.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Developer | Liquid Swords |
| Release Date | April 8 |
| Platforms | Steam, Epic Games Store |
| Genre | Open-World Crime / Roguelike-lite |
| Setting | Tyndalston |
Former Just Cause and Mad Max lead Christofer Sundberg explains that this structure wasn’t the original plan. Samson was initially envisioned as a massive action RPG. However, budget cuts and layoffs forced the team to sharpen their focus. “We just shelved those features and saved them for the next game,” Sundberg says. This “butcher’s knife” approach led to the creation of the day-by-day debt reduction mechanic, a survival-focused loop that sets it apart from the typical gaming experience.
Fists Over Bullets: A Strategic Pivot
In a bold move for the genre, Liquid Swords removed traditional gun combat for the player during the down-scoping process. This forced a focus on visceral hand-to-hand combat. In the drug-ridden city of Tyndalston, guns are rare—reserved only for the most dangerous enforcers and the police. When a firearm appears, the strategy shifts instantly from aggression to escape.
Sundberg admits that while the combat may feel repetitive at first, it requires environmental creativity to master. “You have to be really creative in the way you are using your combat moves and objects in the environment,” he notes. Whether it’s grabbing a brick to stun an opponent or retreating to take painkillers, the gameplay demands tactical thinking over mindless button-mashing.
Avalanche DNA: Vehicle Combat
Despite the smaller scope, the PC games pedigree is evident in the driving mechanics. With talent behind the vehicle combat of Mad Max on the team, the cars in Samson feel heavy and pugilistic. Chases are chaotic, and Sundberg embraces the unpredictability of the open world. “That’s what I think makes open-world games so much fun—that you can use the game’s flaws to make it fun,” he says, referring to enemies who might accidentally drive into a pillar, completing your mission for you.
Escaping the “GTA Fear”
The biggest hurdle for Samson hasn’t been technical—it’s been the comparison to Grand Theft Auto. Sundberg notes that potential backers often suffered from “GTA fear,” dismissing the project after only a few minutes of play because it featured cars and violence. However, Sundberg views Samson differently. He sees it as the “Sex Pistols” to GTA’s “Led Zeppelin”—shorter, punchier, and more raw. He compares the experience to 90-minute action classics like Die Hard or First Blood.
I’ve never been this nervous for a game launch, ever, in 33 years. It’s too much at stake.
Christofer Sundberg
At Digital Tech Explorer, we value the honesty Liquid Swords brings to this launch. Sundberg is open about the fact that the game won’t be bug-free, but he stands by the work of his remaining team. In an era of massive cancellations and “vaulted” code, simply reaching the finish line is a victory. Samson is a “diamond in the rough,” born from necessity and refined by the sheer will of a team that refused to shut its doors.
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