The Mutation Nation, a lawless radiation cult who worship the Megaton Maiden, also known as the Atomic Momma, Mother of Mutants, and the Radiation Maiden, strive to bring the gift of the atom to all. The Doomsday Clock stands at 2 minutes to midnight and the Mutation Nation have taken over Nooktun, a massive Ancients facility that once supplied the power of the atom to the region. They are preparing a ritual that will cause a massive detonation of ancient technology. This will bathe the region in radiation which they believe will allow all to bask in the mutating glow of the Megaton Maiden and become true Children of the Atom. But will it? Or will it kill everything within 50 clicks? The race is on to stop them!
The surrounding settlements have formed a tenuous coalition and have put together an expedition to Nooktun in hopes of stopping the ritual and preventing the cataclysmic act of terrorism by the Mutation Nation. For the first time ever in the region, mutant, manimal, plantient, and pure-strain humans have joined together in common cause. Will they manage to put aside their differences long enough to save the day? Or will they all be vaporized on the spot in the resulting explosion? One can only hope for the latter.
The Ziggurat
It's an Ancients power plant, but from afar, it sort of looks like a stepped ziggurat, especially if the sun is in your eyes and you squint really hard. The cult thinks it's a place of power for their goddess, so it's good enough for them.
Of course, the Cult is expecting trouble, so you can as well. While the original was a straight combat speed run, this is a more nuanced sort of heavy metal adventure. Mega-Maiden was pure thrash metal - fast, furious, and heavy (Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer).
Megaton Maiden is more like Industrial Metal. Honestly, you don't need to be a metal fan, this is just what I'm listening to that is inspiring me. With the move from DCC to MCC I needed something a bit more futuristic to inspire me during the writing. Stuff like KMFDM, Rammstein, and maybe a mix of some prog metal like Gojira and Mastodon.
The Mutation Nation
The cult cell is structured much like an atom, with outer layers that need to be got past in order to reach the nucleus and split it to release its energy. It requires more energy the further you go as the cult members are strongest at the center. That's where the leadership is and that's who you have to defeat to stop them. Low level members are valence acolytes, only tangentially into the cult at that point. There is a secret ritual called Initiation that brings new recruits into the Valence cloud. As cultists work their way up they can make it into the Electron Enforcer shell who are tasked with the security of the cell. Further inward we find the Neutron Guard, chosen for their specific mutations, they are the cell leaders inner elite. Finally, at the center of each cell is the Protonus, the leader of each individual cell. They are given a mission from deeper within the Mutation Nation and some tools to recruit and carry it out. The cell in this adventure is tasked with bringing the Mother's Glow to the masses, spreading the beliefs and growing the cult.
Gameplay
Unlike in Mega Maiden where it was straight "run up this ziggurat, defeat the bad guys, stop the ritual, save the world," this is a bit more nuanced. There are social interactions that will take place in key areas. There is some exploration that is optional but can be done for a longer playthrough. There's a huge puzzle element at one point. Plus, of course, there's combat. Lots of combat. So much combat... ok, maybe not as much combat as the last one. No, that's not true, there's actually more. Plus, a massive explosion that whoever is coolest will get to turn their back and walk away from, until the blast wave comes and incinerates them. Pretty epic movie trailer stuff here.
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