I'm torn.
On the one hand, indie title Interstellar Marines has one of the coolest development structures I've yet seen. Leading up to an eventual release of a full game, the team is releasing small, free, playable previews that each focus on a different one of the game's mechanics. They released "Bullseye," a shooting gallery game, a couple days ago.
Surprisingly, it's quite enjoyable as a self-contained game; there are a hell of a lot of levels that you unlock by netting huge scores, and the levels themselves are enjoyably fast-paced (for a game where you shoot at cardboard cutouts, anyway) and well-balanced. The game's also surprisingly great-looking. If I hadn't already told you, you might have never guessed that Interstellar Marines was an indie game.
Which, in a grander sense, is my problem with this whole endeavor. The guys at Zero Point Software took the most interesting release structure I've ever seen, and spend a tremendous amount of time and effort creating AAA-quality graphics...for yet another game about space marines shooting aliens in the face.
I love the format, I love the attention to detail, but damn. Space marines? Again?
Still, you can preorder the game for $25 and get early access to every subsequent playable preview, along with some other goodies. Do you think it's worth it? How do you feel about this somewhat unusual release structure?
[Thanks, Astalano.]
Contest:
12:00 PM on 01.24.2010
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Space Marines might be an old theme for videogames, but then again I haven't seen any really good Space Marine games lately.
Interstellar Marines is basically trying to expand on the core elements of FPS's rather than trying to be this wild innovative new game. One innovative new feature (although only people who upgraded can see it for themselves) is RTVP, for instance, which processes the sounds of the world over your voice and puts your voice, literally, in the world, making for a much more immersive co-op experience.
Its focus is AI, co-op, character immersion and progression, story with four main characters instead of one main character and three side kicks or no developed characters at all, fun factor and challenge. The closest comparison would be Left 4 Dead, from the gameplay I've seen so far, with less enemies but more intelligent and powerful ones.
Anyway, on behalf of Zero Point Software I'd like to thank you for posting an article about the game, they really need attention. Personally, I was 75% in it for the business model at first and 25% in it for the game, but now I'm more like 40% in it for the business model and 60% for the game. If they succeed, they could spur hundreds of small developers to try to be more ambitious and make community funded games as well, which would be great for the industry, but I'm confident the game will be amazing as well.
P.S.: I could try to get you a free Frontliner account if you like, Anthony, since you are the conduit between ZPS and the outside gaming community.
I may be wrong, but if Bullseye is truly a training program for what we will see in the real game (saving hostages, sniping, clearing rooms), then this game will prove to be far more like a Rainbow Six game then a Halo game.
Regardless, when I play an FPS, I'm not looking for originality or innovation. I'm looking for good presentation (graphics and sound), tight controls, and an overall good game play experience.
I know you are all about Indie games and innovation, but a well made non-innovative game in a well grounded genre can be just as fun as that quirky but fun Indie game. Just look at Uncharted 2.
/FTLOTG
I actually like space marine games... and wrote them to say that their website was a piece of crap with no information. I suggested a forum and more game related information and also a tentative release date as the October of 07 date didn't seem right (I sent the email in August and had heard nothing at all about the game except seeing it listed at various sources as an upcoming PS3 game).
Glad to see that they did spruce up their website... it's like 1000% better now. Seems they also went the PC only route and obviously there was a delay from the 2007 release date! LOL!
Still, nice to see them working away at it. If I was still into PC gaming, I'd definitely do the $25.00 preorder.
It's a tight preview of a game, but like Anthony, I also (kinda) see the opportunity being lost here.
Initially they were to have a publisher. Hell, they presented something that publishers really liked back at GDC 08. Publishers like 2K, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Capcom, Atari, Codemasters, etc. When they realized their vision was going to get shredded to pieces and turned into another generic game with nothing to set it apart, that's when they broke off from publishers. Getting a tiny percentage of profits also probably had something to do with it as well.
Then they switched to Unity, went bankrupt, restructure, released the Vault, then released the Beta Bullseye, then publically released it...and here we are.
... mind you that might just be me being nostalgic about the days of shareware... *sigh*
I agree 100%
I honestly don't see the big deal about making games based on used ideas. So what if it's a space marine game? As long as it's good, I don't see why people are complaining. At the end of the day, great gameplay (Which according to the posts here, Interstellar Marines has) will ALWAYS trump a bad narrative or tired ideas. chronomitch provided the perfect example, last year's Dtoid GoTY. Think about it, how many mechanics does U2 use from other games? A whole shitload, but it executes them to perfection, and that's why it's such a great game.
Being about space marines should have no bearing on how you judge the gameplay, because ultimately that's what matters. You can forgive a game for bad graphics, bad narrative, and even lack of innovation. But a game with terrible gameplay can't be forgiven, because ultimately it's gameplay that makes or breaks a game.
On topic, the release model for IM is pretty cool, and I could see it pumping people up for the actual game. I'm going to look up some gameplay for this and see if I want a pre-order. Based on this alone, it sure sounds they're confident as hell in their game, because how many developers release all these demos like ZPS is.
Short version = I think its tits. :-)
Granted my laptop just barely ran it, and I was playing with a touchpad. Still, it'd be nice to see it develop into a full on console game.
1. Utterly unoriginal but easily digestible and commercially proven narrative + "Revolutionary" way of making a movie/game = Profit.
2. Profit = Acceptance of "revolutionary" way of making movies/games.
3. Acceptance = Adoption by creators who do want to tell new stories.
And, you know, you can knock Avatar as a film all you want, but I hear it's done pretty okay at the box office.
(Disclaimer for whiny internet people: I have not seen Avatar, nor am I biased towards it. If anything, James Cameron's asshole behavior and the shrill hype have biased me against it. I am simply using it as a relevant example. If you use my post as a springboard for airing your Avatar complaints, I will hurt you.)
Just an inkling.
Also, it runs in a browser window. That was pretty impressive too.
Also, I'd be more inclined to purchase on 360 than PC.
that whole concept needs to get stuffed into a desk drawer for 15 years, we can come back to it later when maybe we've got some new thoughts about how to blatantly rip-off Aliens.
Dude, shut up. A bunch of great things have ripped something else off at one point or another. Sci Fi especially, but I'll go back to my other point:
Something doesn't necessarily have to be original as much as it has to be fun. People should be less harsh on shit they deem unoriginal, because when that material ends up being good, they're the only ones that look dumb.
Yes, it's that impressive. And you can try it right now. For free.
Deals do not get any better. Honestly. These guys could work for Valve TODAY if they wanted to, I swear to God.
Try it. Try it NOWWWWW.
As long as Interstellar Marines achieves certain degrees of excellence within its story, mechanics, replayability, community, etc. Then it will be a great game. The "Space Marine" theme is really just an aesthetic choice by the developers.
To be honest, I'm still waiting for a Space Marine game to get the Space Marine aesthetic down.
Thank you. At least somebody understands that space marines does not equal a shitty game (It doesn't, no matter how hard you think it does). I can understand why somebody think it's becoming too common, but I said it once and I'll say it again:
Execution over everything. Period.
Hell yes, which is pretty much the motto of the developers as well, to a very great extent, although they do agree that you have to make the experience feel fresh and exciting.
I definitely agree that we need to see some fresh things every once in a while as well. However, I also believe there isn't anything wrong with space marines, zombies, ninjas, robots, etc. As long as your game is great, people will play it. In terms of gameplay, Uncharted 2 borrows heavily from many games, but it's execution made it the game it was.
However, new settings aren't a bad thing, either. Sometimes change is nice, but space marines or other things of that sort don't automatically make a bad game. A game shouldn't have that counted against it.
Because its more awesome than shooting the most dangerous enemy of the allmighty americans, Terrorists!! *make spooky ghost sounds*
I'll take any slien-busting fps game that comes my way.
They are fun. Alien designs can be varied, their attacks can be varied.
If you're shooting the same old Nazis or Terrorists, well, expect an MP40 and an AK47. Everytime, in every single game, all the time. How is that fun?
But I agree. The market need more games like Zeno Clash.
Motherfucking sharks with legs.
It doesn't matter how boring or generic the game is, because it has sharks with legs.
You *are* aware that exaggeratedly overstating my position isn't the same thing as crafting an actual argument, right?
By that rationale, I could reply to every one of your comments with something along the lines of, "BLAARGH, I DISAGREE WITH THINGS BUT CAN'T ARTICULATE WHY OR COME UP WITH ANYTHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO ADD SO I FALL BACK ON TERMS LIKE 'POLITICAL CORRECTNESS' AND MAKE GROSS OVERSIMPLIFICATIONS TO MAKE MYSELF FEEL SMART, BLAAAARGH."
I can dig that, but I also cannot think of a single individual Space Marine shooter I've truly loved gameplay-wise (Gears of War comes closest, and I'm really not the biggest fan of that), or even mildly enjoyed from a story perspective.
The whole "gruff dudes fighting aliens in space" thing could potentially lead to some interesting narrative stuff, I guess, but I've literally never seen anything remotely close to a good story come from space marine shooters.
I don't want to discount any individual setting or theme as intrinsically bad, but we've had two decades of soldiers shooting aliens on other planets, and not once have I ever felt moved, or even remotely interested, in the stories those soldiers were a part of.
I agree completely, but I don't think there's any reason not to give Interstellar Marines the chance to be that game.
The developers seem to be very genuine, and are actually keeping some of their promises. (see:http://www.interstellarmarines.com/indie/)
At the least, their sense of community is refreshing.