There are several first person shooters out in the gaming world, but Guns of Icarus Online is taking a slightly different approach to its gameplay.
Guns of Icarus Online takes place in steampunk world trying to survive after a massive cataclysm. While still being in an early build Muse Games CEO, Howard Tsao, showed me how much effort is going into the world. There will be six factions players can be a part of and expand the borders of their empires through online play. However, players won’t be playing on the ground or firing off guns from their hands.
Players will engage in battles in floating airships armed with a variety of guns. In the demo I played we needed to transport some supplies to the other end of the map, dealing with enemy gunships along the way. I took the role of a gunner. As a gunner I handle most of the shooting, but my duties go beyond merely shooting down other ships. One of my most important tools is the spyglass. With this handy piece of equipment I’m able to spot incoming enemy ships. With a simple press of the left click I can also highlight the target for everyone else onboard.
Players can also take the roles of two other classes; the pilot and the engineer. The pilot is most apt at, of course, flying the airship, while the engineer can fix nearly every part of the ship, no matter the conditions effecting them. While each class has their own specialty, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are stuck in those roles. “Each class can do a little bit of everything the other classes do. So, each class has one point in those other abilities three points in their main ability,” Tsao tells me. Even as a gunner I still have wrench for basic repairs to guns. I need an engineer, to put fires out should a gun go up in flames. And if the pilot needs to hop on one of the guns to deal with a ship on the side, I can take the wheel and steer the ship to keep us in range. Teamwork is key in this game and running a ship.
The combat is intense as well. I can fire gatling guns, rocket launchers and even a flamethrower to take out enemy frigates. Different guns will appear on the different classes of ships and in different positions. Players will need to hop to different guns keeping the action at a nice pace of ups and downs.
We finally reach the village, but three enemy frigates are protecting the area. It takes some quick reflexes and some tenacity, and even dying a few times until we finally deliver the goods.
All in all the Guns of Icarus Online is looking to be one hell of a multiplayer game both cooperatively and competitively. The ship to ship battles are exciting and the general gameplay is engaging. Also, with an adventure mode on the way set in a constantly running world there is plenty of enjoyment to be had from Guns of Icarus Online.
