Spectre will be a Spy Vs. Spy Tactical MP Game Coming This Year
Spectre is shaping up to be a love letter to the much-missed Mercs Vs. Spies multiplayer feature of the Splinter Cell games. Symbiosis Games are taking something that was much revered and making it something that is a standalone title. The sole concept of this new title relies on players outwitting each other from two different opposing factions. These two teams are known as the “Spectres” and the “Reapers.” The latter is a ragtag group of Marines that decided to create their own outfit for the sole benefit of profitable gains. The former is a terrorist group that wants to invade civilized parts of the world for their own nefarious means. Naturally, players get to choose which side they want to be on and have intense matches that span a number of gritty and claustrophobic maps. Even though this is an indie title, there are certainly echoes of the Splinter Cell universe to be found here. The developers have a deep-rooted appreciation of the Spy Vs. Spy dynamic of those games and evidently they took it upon themselves to make something to call their own.
Even though Spectre is still being developed, there isn’t a whole lot of details of mull over. However, there are some tidbits floating around that are enough to perk up some ears. This game is being constructed with Unreal Engine 4 and it is only be made by two developers, Jordan Crawford and Fred Toms. So, with that said, this game won’t quite have the same polish as other AAA titles, but the overall concept is solid. Even though there is a slew of FPS and competitive online fighting games in the industry, they don’t quite offer the same thrill as sneaking around and out-smarting another player. This is something that Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory did really well with its multiplayer component and Symbiosis Games is aiming to capture the same kind of magic.
Ghost in the Walls
As of right now, Spectre will have three maps to choose from. Of course, if everything goes well with its launch, then there is no doubt that the developers will add more content down the road. From how things look in the trailer, the locations will span from alleyways of a dark, rainy city, to a mansion, and some sort of skyscraper. All of these are subject to change, of course. Games that involve high-tech weaponry usually excel within urban landscapes and this is what Spectre is utilizing. These maps will come with two modes from which players can choose between. The matches are shooting to be a long, intense, and intimate affair. The developers want the matches to be slow-paced and more cerebral as opposed to other multiplayer offerings out there. Things can be heated during matches, sure. However, the core of the gameplay is about tactical planning and execution.
Between the Spectres and Reapers, each will come with special abilities called “Edges.” The Edges are basically standard perks that help players out while in a pinch. Reduced stunned status, faster movement, etc. will be the norm with Edges. Additionally, both teams will also have the ability to load up to seven gadgets in their loadout. Even though the developers are pretty mum about what the gadgets will actually be, the footage does tease a little on what to expect. There will be firearms, complete with night vision scopes and other gear to help the Spectres and Reapers hunt each other down. Of course, the main angle to combat will be through stealth and melee attacks all while setting up traps throughout the maps.
Espionage Evolution
Even though Spectre will be a strictly multiplayer game, Symbiosis Games do indeed want to create a single-player campaign one day. Of course, this is all dependent on how well the game performs upon launch. There is definitely potential to create a rich backstory between the Reapers and Spectre. Complete with interesting characters that are akin to what was seen with G.I. Joe and Cobra, back in the day. However, pulling this off would be a tall order for the developers. Hopefully, the talent within Symbiosis Games will expand post-launch to help make the single-player campaign a reality. There will be a lot of toys to utilize in this game. Everything from poison mines, portable surveilling cameras, cloaking devices, and audio distractors. These are only a few of the gadgets that will be available when this game drops.
Players will be free to craft their character to be any type of spy they want. The avatars will be nimble and they can evidently parkour their way across the maps. They’ll be able to creep through air ducts and zoom down zip lines to reach out of reach places. Thusly, this game can be played either via third-person or first-person perspectives. Each type of perspective has its own tactical advantage during gameplay and it will help keep things smooth and unhindered from a visual standpoint. The way everything looks and is engineered seems to be rather dense in terms of the Edges and gameplay mechanics. The developers are pulling no stops to make Spectre a running competitive measure for the online marketplace for Splinter Cell. This indie has all the benchmarks to make something special and the potential of it having longevity is certainly there. Especially since there are still players crawling around the servers of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory’s multiplayer to this day.
Shadow Spies
From how things look with Spectre so far, there is actually quite a bit of content to chew on. Even though the maps and modes will be fundamentally limited upon launch, fans of the Splinter Cell multiplayer should check this out. The gameplay mechanics themselves will be enough to provide an unlimited amount of hours of fun to enjoy. As of right now, Spectre is aiming to be a PC exclusive. However, the developers would like to release their title on consoles in the future. Most notably the next-gen Xbox consoles. We will just have to wait and see how everything will play out when this game releases later this year.
