I’ll admit that I never played the original Section 8, a multiplayer focused title on the 360, PS3 and PC with slick looking space marines that could free fall from the sky into battle. Sadly the game was short lived, because like any multiplayer only title, it lives and dies by the player base. While the original was a full retail release, the game is getting a downloadable sequel just as fully featured, but priced at a friendly $15. Timegate hopes that this will bring in more players and keep more players around longer. We went hands on with a recent preview build of Section 8: Prejudice on the PC and came away with some impressions, including a brand new 4 player co-op mode called Swarm.
One of the main complaints the community had with Section 8 was the lack of true single player content, instead the game only offered a tutorial like mode. Section 8: Prejudice fixes this by adding a story based campaign that Timegate says will take 5 or 6 hours to complete. The first mission I played started with your traditional learn the controls type stuff, but finishes up as your training facility becomes under attack. You’re forced to pursue an escaping prisoner and deal with enemies as they drop in from the sky around you. Visually Prejudice looks great, based on the Unreal Engine 3 the vistas are big an expansive, the game’s colors are vibrant, and the rush as you drop into battle is top notch.
The second mission of the campaign I tried had me continuing my pursuit - but this time I was on the offensive. I worked my way through a canyon taking out gun turrets, dodging snipers, and riding hover bikes. The story itself is mostly presented through dialogue over the radio with your squad and the commander...who sounds a lot like the voice of Crackdown. The story won't win any awards for originality, but it does give the game some character.
Moving on from this mode I dove headfirst (literally) into the game’s meat and potatoes - Conquest mode. This 16vs16 player mode has players capturing and holding control points to win the match. Section 8: Prejudice throws some curveballs though as you are able to purchase different objects to bolster your arsenal throughout the match - these include turrets, hover bikes and even mechs. Another unique feature are the dynamic sub missions that occur - whether its protecting a VIP or gathering salvage for bonus points, these quick objectives helps break the monotany of the multiplayer match of just defending or capturing a point. The other thing they do is force players to move instead of being stagnant.
Last but not least I gave the game’s 4 player co-op Swarm mode a try. The goal of this mode is to survive and guard a terminal for 15 minutes against waves of increasingly difficult enemies that drop in. There’s a distinct feel of Monday Night Combat’s Blitz mode here, but it’s a lot more open and flexible. The maps are larger, you can place your defensive items anywhere on the map, and the attacking enemies are much smarter. Like Conquest you’ll find mini-missions popping up during your defense to earn yourself bonus cash to purchase more items. For every 5 minutes that you survive, you’ll earn an air strike that clears the map and allows your team some time to regroup from the chaos - repairing damaged emplacements, buying new ones, and redefining strategy. One nice touch for co-op players is the ability to have friendly fire on, off, or limited to only doing damage to a teammate’s shields.
To round out our preview coverage we had a short Q&A with the game’s Designer, Mark Yetter, to answer some of our burning co-op questions.
Co-Optimus: Swarm mode seems to share a bit in common with Monday Night Combat's Blitz Co-Op mode, namely the addition of adding emplacements for defense. Was there any inspiration there? What games/modes inspired it?
Mark: The inspiration for Swarm mode was actually a custom setting of our Conquest mode in the original Section 8 which pitted a small number of players against a bot team 3 or 4 times as large. Players really loved this mode so we wanted to flesh it out into its own fully separate mode.
Co-Optimus: What do you think of the growing popularity of co-op play? Was this one of the reasons you added Swarm?
Mark: The popularity of co-op play isn’t surprising at all. It increases the satisfaction of accomplishments in the game when you can share them with your friends. Collaboration and cooperation are also fundamentally satisfying for players. We definitely had this in mind when we were designing Swarm mode.
Co-Optimus: It seems the maps are shared between the modes, some of the single player sections become multiplayer maps - etc. Are there any design tweaks done on each map for the mode of play you are on?
Mark: The Swarm mode maps match some of the Conquest locations, but we chose and tailored certain control points to fit the type of gameplay we wanted to see for swarm. The smaller map segments in Swarm are meant to support a more Alamo style of gameplay that allows for the defending team to hold out for as long as possible against the overwhelming enemies.
Co-Optimus: How many maps are there planned at launch for each respective mode?
Mark: There are 4 maps at launch planned for both Swarm and Conquest modes.
Co-Optimus: Swarm mode was incredibly fun and intense, but I also found it a bit difficult at first. What's a good strategy for surviving the first few waves of enemies?
Mark: Early in the Swarm match the waves of enemies are much smaller, so the best tactic is to quickly identify where the enemies are coming from. This can be done by seeing them visibly dropping in, and you can focus fire them down individually before they get a chance to get up close. If you can manage the first few waves, you can start calling in some defenses, like turrets.
Co-Optimus: Will we be able to requisition vehicles in Swarm mode?
Mark: Yes, both the Hover Bike and Mech are able to be requisitioned in Swarm.
Co-Optimus: Is there cross platform play (since its using GFW Live)?
Mark: There is no cross platform play.
Co-Optimus: With the bot support, will we be able to play co-op Conquest mode? Basically all humans vs AI players if we wanted.
Mark: Playing Conquest with humans vs. bots is possible in Prejudice, and can be a very fun way to play!
Timegate seems to have really listened to the community for Section 8 Prejudice, implementing a lot of changes requested from the first game, and adding in some great features to boot. Whether the game has the legs to survive is yet to be seen, but the seed is certainly being planted. Section 8: Prejudice is out later this year on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC via digital distribution for $15.