Clockwork Revolution: Rewriting Time in a Steampunk Masterpiece



In an industry filled with shooters and sequels, Clockwork Revolution dares to imagine something bold—a first-person role-playing game where history is a weapon, choices reshape entire cities, and steam-driven gears power both politics and warfare. Developed by inXile Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, Clockwork Revolution is shaping up to be a steampunk epic with the soul of a classic RPG and the heart of a cinematic time-travel thriller.

 The World of Avalon: A City Built on Brass, Steam, and Secrets

The game is set in Avalon, a sprawling metropolis of towering smokestacks, zeppelins floating in the sky, and cobblestone alleys humming with mechanical life. Its style is unmistakably steampunk—brass fittings, gear-driven architecture, gas lamps illuminating alleyways, and upper-class elites wearing clockwork-enhanced limbs and monocles.

Yet beneath the city’s glittering steam-era splendor lies something darker: a class system built on manipulation, surveillance, and the rewriting of history. The powerful few use a mysterious device called the Chronometer to alter key moments in time, shaping Avalon into a reflection of their own twisted desires.

Enter you, the protagonist—Morgan Vanette, a once-forgotten child of the slums now wielding the very same power to push back against the lies. Your goal? Return to crucial points in Avalon’s timeline and make different choices—ones that empower the downtrodden, unravel conspiracies, and restore freedom to the city.

 A Game of Choices and Consequences

Clockwork Revolution isn’t just about shooting and looting—it’s about rewriting reality. Every action in the past can ripple across timelines. Help a rebel inventor avoid an early death? His tech may reshape the city’s infrastructure. Betray a factory owner? The labor class may rise up, altering the city’s economy.

The game promises a “deeply reactive world,” and if inXile’s pedigree with Wasteland and Torment means anything, this isn’t marketing fluff—it’s a true design goal. Conversations, missions, and even side-quests are designed to branch and loop based on your timeline interventions.

You don’t just play in a steampunk world—you rebuild it, piece by piece, decision by decision.

 Combat, Time, and Customization

Combat in Clockwork Revolution is rooted in first-person shooting but enhanced with creative time powers. Think Dishonored meets BioShock Infinite:

  • Chrono Abilities let you slow time, rewind objects, or undo environmental destruction.

  • Weapons feel handcrafted and raw—clockwork rifles, pneumatic launchers, modular pistols—each with deep customization.

  • Crafting Benches allow you to tinker with parts: upgrade barrels, change ammo types, or even install elemental mods.

The action can shift from brutal gunfights in steam factories to quiet exploration of past memories. There’s a push-pull between chaos and control, making the player not only a fighter but a time-weaving tactician.

Characters & Dialogue

In true RPG form, Clockwork Revolution features complex characters, fully voiced dialogue trees, and morality systems. The lead antagonist, Lady Ironwood, is more than a villain—she’s a monarch of time, carefully curating Avalon’s timeline to keep herself at the top.

But she’s not alone. Every NPC you meet might have a different version of themselves in alternate timelines. That beggar you ignore in the present could become a revolution leader in a timeline you tweak. That loyal ally might betray you—if their past is rewritten the wrong way.

You’re not only reshaping Avalon—you’re reshaping everyone in it.

Artistic Direction: A Living Steampunk Tapestry

Visually, Clockwork Revolution is stunning. Built with Unreal Engine 5, the game leverages next-gen lighting, particle effects, and architectural design to build a world that feels mechanical and magical at once.

Everything looks hand-built:

  • Train stations rumble with machinery and coal dust.

  • Mansions click and hiss with automatons serving tea.

  • Slums churn with steam leaks, grime, and desperate rebels.

From an artistic standpoint, it draws inspiration from Victorian England, BioShock Infinite, and classic Jules Verne fiction—but makes it uniquely its own.

 System Requirements (Estimated)

While official specs are pending, PC gamers should expect this much:

Minimum Specs Recommended Specs
Intel i3‑8100 Intel i5‑10500 / Ryzen 5 3600
12 GB RAM 16 GB RAM
GTX 1650 / RX 570 RTX 2070 / RX 6700 XT
100 GB HDD SSD strongly recommended

 When Can You Play It?

  • Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC

  • Release Window: 2026

  • Day-One Game Pass: Yes

While the 2026 release date feels distant, inXile’s early showcases at the Xbox Game Showcase 2025 offer hope that this ambitious project is well into production.

Is Clockwork Revolution the New Steampunk Revolution? 

When I first saw the trailer for Clockwork Revolution, I had to do a double take. I thought for a second that someone had modded Bioshock Infinite and thrown it into the future. But no — this is a brand new game, a full-fledged steampunk experience built from the ground up. And honestly? It might just be the next big thing for fans like me who’ve been waiting far too long for the steampunk genre to return with style.

Let’s be real — steampunk hasn’t exactly had a spotlight in gaming recently. Sure, we’ve had a few gems like Dishonored or Frostpunk that lean into that gritty industrial vibe, but pure, unapologetic steampunk? Not really. Clockwork Revolution feels like a long-overdue love letter to the genre — airships, gears, top hats, brass machinery, Victorian power struggles, and most importantly, a sense of identity that doesn’t shy away from being retro-futuristic and bold.

What grabbed me wasn’t just the aesthetic — though let’s be honest, the city of Avalon looks gorgeous. It's alive with mechanical wonders, robotic enforcers, cobblestone alleys, and towering clockwork structures. It’s steampunk without compromise — unapologetically extravagant. But the real kicker? It’s not just a pretty world. It’s a world you can change.

The game introduces a time-manipulation mechanic that doesn’t just affect small puzzles or gimmicky fights — it changes the entire world. You can travel back in time and alter the course of events, creating ripple effects that shift politics, technology, and even entire factions in the present. Think of it like mixing Dishonored’s immersive sim gameplay with Chrono Trigger’s consequences — wrapped in a steampunk shell. That’s wild. And it feels ambitious in a way few games dare to be anymore.

Now, as excited as I am, I also have my concerns. We've been burned before. Games that promised massive branching timelines and deep world-shaping mechanics often ended up feeling shallow, with choices that barely scratched the surface (looking at you, Mass Effect 3). I really hope Clockwork Revolution sticks to its guns and delivers a world where your decisions genuinely matter — not just in the end screen, but in the gameplay, the characters, and how you explore Avalon itself.

Still, there’s something hopeful here. Something fresh. With Clockwork Revolution, we might be looking at the rebirth of a genre that never got the mainstream attention it deserved. For years, steampunk fans like me have clung to scraps — cosplay, niche novels, a few indie games — but finally, we’re getting a AAA title that puts this aesthetic front and center.

And it’s not just about visuals or lore. It’s about what steampunk represents — resistance to oppressive systems, innovation through outdated tech, rebellion through ingenuity. In a gaming landscape often dominated by post-apocalyptic sameness or military shooters, a game like Clockwork Revolution is a breath of coal-scented, steam-powered fresh air.

So, is this the new face of steampunk? I sure hope so. Because if Clockwork Revolution nails its landing — with meaningful choices, deep systems, and a rich world worth exploring — it might just usher in a new era. One where the clank of gears and the hiss of steam once again fuel our imaginations.


Final Verdict: Why This Game Matters

Clockwork Revolution might be the most exciting RPG in years—not just for its dazzling steampunk coat of paint, but for what it says about time, choice, and power. In a gaming era full of live-service clones, it stands out as a handcrafted epic where narrative meets mechanics, and every decision has gears turning behind it.

If you love stories that reflect your choices, worlds that beg to be explored, and combat that rewards clever thinking—this might just be your game of the decade.


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