Silica preview: FPS/RTS hybrid has potential

What number of video games that mix real-time technique and first-person shooter gameplay have you ever performed? Doubtless none, or not less than only a few, although I not too long ago acquired some hands-on expertise with a sport known as Silicawhich is trying to do exactly that.

It is a exhausting style mixture to get proper, and it requires builders to flesh out two drastically totally different kinds of gameplay with out favoring one and forgetting the opposite. Regardless of the challenges of constructing a sport like this, and guarantees that each points of the gameplay will obtain the eye they want, I am not absolutely satisfied that it is labored out but.

Starship Troopers

Silica is ready sooner or later and takes place on the desert exoplanet of Baltarus, the place a strong substance known as Balterium was found. As anticipated, people started to battle over management of the useful resource, resulting in a battle between two human armies that woke the insect-like alien species beneath the sands. This battle units the stage for the occasions of the sport, the place all three factions are caught in a struggle to regulate the Balterium and drive the others away completely.

When diving into the sport, you will have a alternative of three modes, Prospector, Technique, and Enviornment. Prospector is an FPS-only mode that will not be out there till after the early entry launch, Technique is the usual battle for dominance that mixes the FPS and RTS gameplay, whereas Enviornment is an FPS free-for-all that warns you it is unbalanced .

I solely acquired to check out Technique, the place I spent about half-hour every with the aliens and people, whereas additionally dipping my toes into the real-time technique commander gameplay.

Unnatural choice

One of the evident points with Silica proper now’s the dearth of onboarding and tutorials, making it a problem to grasp what it’s you are imagined to do, and what it’s you truly can do.

I used to be lucky sufficient to spend a while in a Discord name with the sport’s developer whereas taking part in, who gave us loads of tips about how one can play and directions on what the final objective was. Nonetheless, after I switched to a special channel after swapping to a different faction, there have been a number of gamers who nonetheless had zero concept what the precise objective was.

Basically, all three factions will battle it out with the objective of destroying the opposite two or having probably the most sources by the point the match timer hits zero. Every base is spawned randomly on the map, and till a participant takes on the function of commander, the AI ​​will get to work constructing the bottom, creating models, and increase sources.

One other downside rapidly turned obvious whereas taking part in because the aliens although, because the steadiness clearly favors the human factions proper now. For starters, the aliens haven’t any entry to ranged weaponry (not less than with the present models) and contemplating all groups had the identical quantity of gamers, we could not overwhelm them with our numbers, and it was like a sport of duck hunt for the opposite gamers as they picked us off from afar each time we tried to depart the bottom.

The bottom itself was additionally spawned straight between each human bases, inflicting them to rapidly overwhelm and destroy us earlier than we may even try and mount an efficient protection or swap up ways. The sport’s developer, Dram, was very understanding of those issues throughout a Q and A session afterwards, claiming to be engaged on balancing spawns and models, creating new models, and extra. The steadiness could also be higher when the early entry launches, however these aren’t easy issues to repair and proper now, it is simply higher to be a part of the human factions.

Pitch black

As a mixture of real-time technique and first-person shooter, Silica basically must create two separate but participating gameplay loops that additionally complement one another. Its scope is grand for certain, however each forms of gameplay do not actually stand on their very own, feeling like watered-down variations of the genres the sport is exploring.

Beginning with the FPS aspect, more often than not I felt like I used to be aimlessly wandering the map looking for one thing to do. Contemplating the sport has to work on an RTS degree, the maps have been massively scaled up, however getting across the map can take longer than I would have appreciated. You do have the choice of claiming automobiles that the AI ​​drive or the commander spawns in, or you should use a teleporter to spawn anyplace one other teammate has imaginative and prescient.

Nonetheless, as I discussed within the earlier part, the sport does not clarify any of those options, and even discovering these areas within the large, nondescript, bland bases was tough, as nothing actually stands out within the wash of grays and browns.

Whenever you lastly get to expertise some battle, it turns into clear how undercooked the FPS parts of the sport are, due to flat taking pictures that lacks suggestions. Even getting shot and taking harm is barely communicated, and I died just a few occasions with no concept when or the place I used to be taking hits.

I’ve much less to say concerning the RTS mode just because I did not get to spend an entire lot of time in there, nevertheless it suffers from a number of the identical points that make it really feel actually skinny on depth or choices. This is also as a result of by the point I took management as an alien commander, our base was on the verge of being destroyed and I had barely any sources to work with.

Last Ideas

Silica is a grand idea, and I am glad it exists purely as a result of these large spectacle multiplayer experiences are much less widespread lately, with a decade-old sport like Planetside 2 being one of many few locations you may scratch an identical itch. There’s one thing underneath the floor right here, however a lot of Silica’s future will rely upon Bohemia serving to gamers get to it.

Previewed on PC. Code supplied by writer.