Shattered Horizon Related content
-
Shattered Horizon gameplay trailer
-
Latest Shattered Horizon screenshots
- Review Shattered Horizon [34]
Previous
Shattered Horizon Hands On
PC Hands On by Jim Rossignol
Page 1 of 2.
Page 2 
It's odd. I feel like I shouldn't be enjoying the Shattered Horizon beta as much as I am. The reason for that is the game is based on one of those kind of ideas that shouldn't really work. The idea is this: astronaut deathmatch.
It's the kind of slight-silly concept that usually lands games in a load of trouble. In this case it could have been because there aren't not many good models for 3D deathmatch, or because it needs to be bang on with the solid, accessible interface if it's not going to stumble into the dangerzone of experimental design. Or it could have encountered difficulties because of players struggling to get their head around that "no floor" idea.
All that said, it does seem suspiciously like the Futuremark game studio (the game-making spin-off from the benchmarking people) does actually have the technical know-how to pull it off. Shattered Horizon is intuitively playable and immediately comprehensible (at least to anyone with shooter experience). I was spawned and zooming about within seconds. As much as I expected to flounder with the 3D space, it was entirely straightforward. I even topped a couple of scoreboards in the afternoon. Not only that but the astronautiness of it is actually kind of engaging, at least for a big old space geek like me.
Shattered Horizon is set in the near future, where privately funded companies have begun military operations against each other in orbit. A huge explosion has put a large amount of moon rock (the titular shattered horizon) into space, and this orbital flotsam now plays host to a guerrilla war between space-suited mercenaries and miners. (And how auspicious is it that I write this preview just minutes before a rocket is being fired into the surface of the moon so that scientists can look for water, with stated intention of returning to the moon. I mean, seriously, life imitating games, or what?)
I really wanted to make a joke about "Z-Axis Versus Allies", but it didn't work.
This, in other words, is the perfect excuse for team-based deathmatch across a series of objective-based game modes.
It's the level design that I've enjoyed most. The subject matter is reflected perfectly in the art-style: a realistic take on what might happen if the moon exploded. If that makes sense. Free of the normal axis of up and down, the levels are genuine 3D affairs - laboratories built into a swathes of asteroids, for example, or an extended and reconstructed ISS, which has been hit by a meteorite - complete with docked future-shuttle and giant cargo containers spinning helplessly in space. Futuremark seems intent to make it as true to real space as is possible. Clearly it can't implement totally realistic physics without having players fly off into space at the slightest whiff of gunfire, but it can model beautiful space rocks, and epic, realistic space structures, all based on the kind of junk we actually put up there for science and stuff.
Are you excited about Shattered Horizon on PC?
View Eurogamer readers most anticipated games
Related Games
Shattered Horizon
Latest Features
Latest Videos
Shattered Horizon gameplay trailer [4] 3 November, 2009
Shattered Horizon - Raid on Moondust [9] 20 October, 2009
Release Date TBC
Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!
Comments: 1-13 of 13 in total
|
+5
Thanks for the preview, Jim! The concept of the game looks interesting. About "fast & furious" ratings, better idea to wait until the review for the release, I guess. It could be a good game: look at -for example- Enemy Territory Quake Wars, Crysis Wars and Battlefield 2142: they are different: not the same concept about multiplayer fps game and they are good. Letīs give it a chance, dude! :)
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 12/10/09 @ 00:43
|
|
john_silence
11/10/09 @ 23:53
0
Nice preview. I keep confusing Shattered Horizon with a slew of other titles, which is no doubt a consequence of my budding brainiac breakdown but it's also because of how generic it appeared to me. Now I know what to expect, and it's certainly not a generic concept.
|
|
DaemonSpawn
12/10/09 @ 00:38
+7
I'm currently playing beta (at least been playing it before recent updates made it impossible to launch the game), and my impressions are mostly the same - it's a good shooter, but not very innovative in any other areas except its 3D design.
Shattered Horizon looks pretty and not even THAT demanding on hardware as one may think knowing Futuremark for 3DMarks, server browser is functional and simple, controls can be learnt and used to in an hour or so (though mostly not controls but 3-axis movement and aiming), network code is good and stable. The problem is there're no really interesting new features for me in the game as an MP shooter - it's all pretty standard and polished, but seen in many other games - just without space and real 3D. No complex mission system like in Quake Wars, no immense number of modes, maps and community members as in Halo 3 (it's a beta, but I believe it won't be in final either), no ArmA 1/2's scale and hardcore realism, no Gears of War 2's hyperviolent coop Horde, no AVP2's 3 entirely different classes-species, no Counter Strike's accessibility and rapid rounds, and so on. IMO Shattered Horizon will appeal to certain players who'll really dig into 3-dimensional combat and space levels. There won't be many of them, because others like me will go play games listed above (and some more), but those who stay will stay with SH till the end. P.S. It's good to see at least attempts to do something new in the genre nowadays, so I wish Futuremark and Shattered Horizon all the luck and profitable release.
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 12/10/09 @ 01:41
|
|
ChthonicEcho
12/10/09 @ 10:46
+1
This is the game I've completely forgot. Just the other day, I've been trying to remember its name. Good timing, Eurogamer.
I agree with the notion that fully 3D movements are not enough of an innovation, and should be complemented with something else, as well. Some sort of weapons that take advantage of this novel element would be a good start. Still, I'm highly interested in this. |
|
notmyrealname
13/10/09 @ 23:38
+1
any review that invents a word like astronautiness needs to be recorded in the anals of history!
\\Clearly it can't implement totally realistic physics without having players fly off into space at the slightest whiff of gunfire, but it can model beautiful space rocks, and epic, realistic space structures, all based on the kind of junk we actually put up there for science and stuff.\\ Riiight. And obviously there will be the usual sounds in space.... Also.. gunfire? And ... Wow, gunfire in an airtight, very.. very cold vacuum... Yeah.. I'm being pedantic but still.. Seriously come on! And this is coming from a guy that invents astronautiness?
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 14/10/09 @ 01:12
|
|
+1
Actually the sounds in space bit makes sense in Shattered Horizon. Your suit has a sort of sound generator embedded, which means that as long as your suit functions properly you will continue to hear (faked) sound in space. The moment your suit is disabled (e.g.: EMP grenades) you will no longer be able to hear anything, at all.
The suit is one of the great things about Shattered Horizon. It really does play like you're inside a fragile suit, with the HUD curving along your visor, EMP grenades disabling everything on screen, etc. You feel like you're truly enclosed from the environment and any hit can be fatal. And that's odd, because the suit isn't all that fragile: it soaks up a fair amount of bullets. Obviously to make it a little more accessible for the average FPS gamer. Some of the other interesting features are the way your suit generates friend-or-foe signals. A player will only be picked up when they're in line of sight - AND - are using their thrusters. Someone can be in your line of sight and yet still be practically invicible, because they've gone dark and are approaching on pure inertia. Great fun for teambased games, because it means the defending team has less of an overwhelming advantage. That advantage stems from the way the guns work. As expected you can't actually hit shit when flying around, there's too much movement and recoil to cope. Even sniping while flying is practically impossible. This means defenders ordinarily have a major advantage, because they can pick sneaky sniper spots and tether themselves to objects to take you out easily. It's also a sweet twist on multiplayer FPS gameplay, because you need to think things through more carefully before engaging the enemy. Rushing in guns blazing will be a guaranteed death, because you'll be hard-pressed to hit anything outside of a 10m radius without tethering yourself to an object (and most combat in SH is fairly long-ranged, 60+ meters). And of course, there's wide open space all around every map, so there's plenty of opportunity to sneak around and catch enemies by surprise. More-so than in practically any other shooter, especially due to the way suit signatures are tracked by the HUD. It may not be realistic, but it feels like it could be and it plays really well. A lot better than I expected really, and it's certainly the most enjoyable multiplayer shooter in quite a while. Heck, I'm just waiting for pre-orders to open up so I can get mine in :p |
Comments: 1-13 of 13 in total
Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!
