Theory games
If you’ve played PC video games in the last 20 years, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with MOBAs. Short for “Multiplayer Online Battle Arena,” the strategy game subgenre has long been a staple of online gaming, LAN parties, and the esports community. If you do not have played games like Dota 2 Or Hityou may know at least one little game called League of Legendsthe mother of all MOBAs whose active player base of over 150 million makes it one of the most popular games on the planet.
The problem with MOBAs is that since their inception as community mods for real-time strategy titles like Warcraft III And StarCraft in the early 2000s, they didn’t really change. In most matches, two players or teams enter the fray, choose their lane, and point and click their way to victory. There’s a lot more to it than that, but for players who aren’t fully versed in the strategy mechanics of the battle arena, watch a game of League of Legends – let alone playing one – can often seem confusing and, for some, rather archaic.
It’s a mindset that developers at fledgling indie studio Theorycraft Games are hoping to change with their new free-to-play hero title “Battle Royale,” Oversee. With a team of industry veterans who have worked on games like League of Legends, Halo, Destiny, Overwatch, And Valuationthe creators of Survive bring their diverse experiences to create the ultimate multiplayer gaming mashup that draws inspiration from almost every modern competitive game to reinvent the MOBA experience for modern sensibilities.
Recently, rolling stone we met with the developers for a playtest of an early version of the game (described as “pre-pre-alpha”) and, within a few hours, learned the ropes of the mechanics of its mashup genre. This version of the game was clearly still under development, but the developers confirmed that they are targeting a “late 2024” launch for the open beta which will be available to everyone who signs up.
With that, here is everything we discovered during our stay with Survive.
Theory games
What is Survive?
Originally announced in June 2023 under the codename “Project Loki,” Survive early testers of the game described it as “League of Legends meets Apex Legends meets Super Smash Bros.» If that sounds like a mouthful, it is, but it also doesn’t quite do justice to the range of familiar elements invoked by the game. At its core, this is a game of squad-based, top-down heroes, in which teams choose their individual hunters (characters with unique classes and abilities) to work together on an open map to eliminate both CPU-controlled enemies and other player-controlled squads. .
Unlike traditional MOBAs, which pit one player or team against another, SurviveThe main mode features 10 teams of four per online lobby (40 players total), all competing against each other and the environment to survive. The Hunter class system, combined with the large number of active squads on the map, is reminiscent of the popular first-person shooter. Apex Legends. The map itself is a sprawling maze of different areas with treasures to loot and new gear to stumble upon (at the Diablo). At the start of each round, squads are parachuted into an area of their choosing, where an ever-present storm hovers over the map, controlling the arena and guiding competitors toward pressure points for combat (like Fortnite).
At every turn, players direct their characters in real time with keyboard and mouse, unlike other MOBAs where point-and-click controls are the norm, and much of the gameplay relies on skillful traversal of the terrain. environment, jumping over perilous holes and traps and engaging in combat focused on shooting and melee. There’s even a glider that each character can use to make big swings across chasms, risking getting hit or running out of stamina (hello, Zelda). The ultimate goal is to complete local objectives, run the map, and eliminate all other teams within the 20-minute time limit. Other modes include smaller two-man squad battles, or faster, more direct battles in 4v4 deathmatches.
Theory games
How does it play out?
Given the number of influences Oversee has fit into its core gameplay loop, it would be easy to assume that it lacks originality. And yes, superficially the game looks like most of the major hero shooters and MOBAs on the market, but the adaptation of so many familiar elements is one of gaming’s biggest boons. Right from the start of our review game, we were guided by a handful of Theorycraft developers to learn the ropes of basic deathmatch. Selecting a rocket launcher-based Hunter, the first few minutes of the round quickly became a frenzy of gunfire, explosions, and last-minute medevacs as testers gained their footing with movement and attack .
The controls are simple enough for anyone who regularly plays with a keyboard, with directional movement mapped to the standard “WASD” keys and each character’s special abilities mapped to surrounding buttons. For players unfamiliar with keyboard controls, the game can feel a bit overwhelming as the balance of movements, including precise jumping and hovering, requires timely input at the risk of death. The inclusion of real-time shooting adds an extra layer where, unlike most PC strategy games, pointing at a base area and clicking has little effect.
In Surviveprecision is essential as combat focuses less on area of effect and more on straight hits in a line, like a standard shooter. Given the emphasis on quick reactions associated with platforming elements, it would be surprising if dedicated gamepads weren’t supported for the title’s public beta or full release. Its systems might even be better suited to controllers than keyboards.
At a glance, it’s easy enough to see where top-down shooting and looting comes into play, but what’s harder to glean is the melee, particularly how shooting and looting comes into play. Super Smash Bros.. the elements are integrated. Many characters, like the grappler classes, are built around up-close and personal combat. The rocket launcher class we primarily focused on, for example, has an ultimate move that allows players to buff nearby enemies for a devastating punch that knocks out weaker classes or knocks them into walls or outside the edges of the map. A key aspect that many players will need to remember is that using a glider to close gaps leaves them vulnerable to attacks, with a single well-placed hit causing them to fall into ravines for instant death. Frustrating when it happens to you, but endlessly satisfying to perform it on others, it’s one of the strategies taken directly from Smash Bros., where the term “Spiking” comes from. Anyone who has ruined a family game night with Donkey Kong will quickly know what’s going on.
Theory games
Can it prosper?
In the pre-launch phase, the biggest question faced Survive is whether a game culled from a dozen or so most famous parts of other games can carve out its own space. Will a game with so many moving parts alienate the casual audience, or will the familiar elements work together to create a perfect gaming experience? After about three hours of play during our test, it is still too early to say. But Survive has a lot to offer.
In conversation with the developers, between major objectives and firefights, it became clear that the Theorycraft team’s goal is to create an accessible multiplayer ecosystem that rewards a variety of playstyles. Several members of the team expressed their frustration with the lack of evolution in MOBA gaming over the past 15 years. For newcomers, games like dota Or League can be impenetrable, as the nature of real-time strategy games and arena games means that gameplay options are limited. Choose a hero, choose a path and learn the best way to win. Rinse, repeat.
The focus here is less on rigid offensive or defensive measures than on experimenting with ever-overlapping ways to change the stakes of the game in real time. During one match, our team—outmatched by the strength of the more brutal teams around us—opted to build a base lined with spiked walls, where we could safely take out anyone who approached from a distance. The plan worked for a while, before the storm approached, forcing us to move before the last opposing team ended the round with a nuke aimed at our group of bodies. It was hilarious.
If the objective of Survive It’s creating these kinds of chaotic moments of perpetual improvisation, the developers are on the right track. Unlike many of the larger AAA studios, the Theorycraft team has chosen to rely more heavily on community playtesting than most, with tens of thousands of players entering the game in its pre-game phase. alpha to provide feedback.
Eventually, Survive will live and die by its ability to foster a dedicated community. Whether the game will overwhelm or succeed in threading the needle by creating a low barrier of entry with a high skill ceiling remains to be seen. But as it stands, there are currently no other MOBA-style games that allow you to “Falcon Hit” an opponent on a moving train. And for this experience alone, everyone should give it a try.