G A M E S OUT NOW
FIRST PLAY DUE PROCESS PC
[ Words Alan Wen ]
A map and two teams, one attacking while the other defends – that’s the staple of online tactical team FPS games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rainbow Six Siege. Any other developer looking to get into this genre won’t try to deviate much from the blueprint. Due Process, then, is a ballsy experiment from indie studio Giant Enemy Crab. Its 5v5 structure is a twist on Siege’s cops-v-terrorists premise: the attackers are corporate mercenaries armed with the
latest tech, while the defenders are a ragtag bunch of resistance fighters relying on cunning. And where most games of this type emphasise realism, this one is deliberately stylistic with its use of pixel art. But the real unique draw is that all maps are procedurally generated and change every week – so communication and teamwork are more important than ever. What’s especially clever is how you can scribble over a shared map like a playbook, pointing out entry points or threats, which then
appear in-game. Better still, even if you die early, you can continue drawing on the map like a helpful ghost. Whether or not this will wean Siege or Counter-Strike players off what they’re comfortable with is hard to say – and if you’re not receptive to online chat, that could be a deal-breaker too. It’s certainly unlike anything from publisher Annapurna, known for more narrative-based games. But then, literally drawing and executing a well-planned match is surely setting a new bar for immersive storytelling.
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10/12/2020 14:05