Leap is a 60-Player Competitive Shooter Featuring Crazy Mercenaries
Leap is a high-octane, white-knuckled competitive FPS in which players jump into the boots of cybernetic mercenaries killing each other for entertainment. At first glance, this game seems to be following the footsteps of the Halo series, but indeed this new IP is a very different animal. A new trailer was put up within the last couple of weeks and it definitely shows some crazy gun-totting antics along with some extreme sport traversing. It may sound like an odd mix, but evidently, it gels really well. Developer Blue Isle Studios took a rather wacky concept regarding an online FPS game and decided to run with it. Everything looks well-realized and this game definitely knows what it wants to be. Apparently, there are two factions that these mercenaries can join up with, United Earth Defense Coalition or the Exo-Terrans. Leap mercenaries don’t have a dog in this fight one way or another. They just pledge allegiance toward whoever has the deepest pockets.
This game is an epic shootout between 60 players on a massive map called “Thunder Valley.” This map features all manners of terrains including snow-tipped mountains, sandy beaches, and scorched deserts. It also appears that this map will offer all kinds of verticality with combat. The Leap mercenaries all come with assorted tools and weapons that allow them to get around not only quickly, but also in style. Despite the whimsical features that are displayed in the trailer, there is no doubt that the action is just as serious as any Call of Duty game. Machines guns, grenade launches, sniper rifles, and other firearms made an appearance. There is a lot to glean based on what information is available for this new title and it has the potential to go a long way.
The Cowabunga Boom
What sets Leap apart from its kin is the fact that this game has extreme sports intertwined with guerilla warfare. Players can come equipped with a “personal vehicle” which can be summoned up at any point to cover vast distances quickly. These come along in the selection of rubber rings, hoverboards, jet packs, and even a cybernetic moose that looks like it belongs in Event Horizon. Of course, things are subject to change and will be updated with future patches. However, for a game starting out, this is a rather hearty list of vehicles to try out. Naturally, everything from the skins of the Leap mercenaries, weapons, and even the vehicles can be customized with all kinds of variations. Players will be free to dress up their avatars to personalize their appearance while playing matches. This is standard fare with any FPS, but the vast majority of players in the gaming community do indeed enjoy indulging in customizations.
Of course, there will be challenges and killer contracts to complete to garner extra XP and money. There will also be a slew of unlockables that will most likely go on for miles. Right now, there are four available classes to choose from. Naturally, they call come with unique abilities and skills that provide different ways to crush the enemy. Things like providing cover via a force field for your squad and calling in orbital strikes will all be available. Every class comes with its own strengths and weaknesses that are associated with varying stats. Of course, every class will be able to zoom around the map and reach pretty much any surface that’s available. Additionally, players can also do aerobatic stunts in the air with their aerial vehicles just for showing off and taunting the opposition.
Fire In Thunder Valley
As mentioned before, the map in Leap appears to be immense. Thunder Valley almost has the same layout as Kings Canyon in Apex Legends. There appears to be a sprawling wilderness to explore along with towering urban layouts. There was a brief glimpse of some kind of a refinery that had twisting pipes and catwalks which will obviously make a sniper’s haven during matches. Then again, the way the gameplay looks appears to be more of a “run and gun” dynamic to it. It looks like constant movement and speed will be the best tactic used for winning matches. Camping looks like it won’t be the best resort to combat with this title. This is especially true since not only will players have access to vehicles, but also grappling hooks. Zipping around the map appears to be a breeze and it’ll be very easy to get knocked on the back of the head for anyone that dares try to camp in this IP.
Additionally, there was a brief moment in the trailer that showed a mercenary jumping through the air while brandishing some kind of sword. So, evidently, there will be special melee weapons to use, as well. Whether or not this will be associated with a special class is currently unknown. It could be a special unlockable weapon that every class can use that is hidden throughout the map. Chances are that there will be more melee weapons to use and we will have to wait and see how exactly that will be implemented in this game. Lastly, much like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and their ilk, it looks like that fragged players will drop some kind of “kill box” which will hold their loot. They popped up in the trailer in the colors of gold and purple, respectively. So, this is a good indicator that there will be Tiered weapons to switch out during the heat of battle.
Hopping With Leap Mercs
The trailer that was shown really gave a nice insight into what to expect. The gameplay appears to be smooth, crunchy, and satisfying. Leap did have a Beta recently and it is building up a pretty good reputation for itself. The game is scheduled to be released sometime this year. The developers haven’t really locked in a solid date, quite yet. With the launch of Betas that happened the last couple of weeks, this is a good sign that this game is getting pretty close to dropping for public consumption. Leap will be available for the PlayStation and PC upon launch.
