Published , by Sam Chandler
Published , by Sam Chandler
Riot Games dropped a bombshell this morning, revealing that the company is going to be known for more than just one game. Introducing Project A, a “character-based tactical shooter”. Though no release date is known, let alone a title, we were given the chance to hear from the developers about their inspirations and plans. Please check out the video below!
Though only known as “Project A”, there’s a lot of information players can pull from the short snippets revealed in the Riot Pls: 10th Anniversary Edition video and announcement.
According to a tweet from the official Riot Games Twitter, Project A is a “character-based tactical shooter set in a near-future Earth.”
The most immediate comparisons players can draw from would be Team Fortress and Overwatch, two wildly popular character-based shooters. However, neither of them are what you would could consider “tactical” in the usual application of that term. The best comparison for “tactical” would be Valve’s Counter-Strike series.
These two examples seem to hold up based on the few seconds of gameplay shown in the announcement trailer.
One section shows the player using an assault rifle to take down two players, offing the second with a headshot as denoted by an on-screen word and a symbol in the kill feed. This is followed up with some fast, vertical play as the character leaps onto a box and finishes a third off with a barrage of knives.
The short gif included in the tweet showcases the player scoring a kill with a sniper, and then using some kind of slashing ability to quickly get out of the line of fire.
The last tactical, character-based shooter that stands out in my mind was Shadowrun 2007. Though it didn’t go over well with diehard pen-and-paper players that were expecting an RPG, it became a cult classic for those that loved the flow of combat. Could Project A be a spiritual successor to Shadowrun 2007, fusing together magic, abilities, and Counter-Strike tactics? Only time will tell.
Unfortunately, players will be waiting a while to hear more about Project A, as the team are “going dark for a while” in order to focus on development. Considering the attention to detail League of Legends receives, I have high hopes for what Riot Games can deliver with Project A.