Coming hot from developer Rising Star Games at PAX West were several unique games. Recently, Rising Star Games has worked on bringing in a variety of exciting games over into the spotlight. They had quite the ensemble of games at Pax West and among them was Earth’s Dawn, a side-scrolling action game with the kinetic energy of a Platinum Games title.
In 1959, author Robert. A Heinlein wrote and released Starship Troopers. The novel told the tale of an intergalactic war with vicious space insect, known as the bugs. To combat them, an elite, futuristic fighting force is established for this combat role, the Federations Mobile Infantry. They travel the stars, seeking the enemy with cutting edge weaponry.
In 1997, this book was adapted into one of the most engaging and influential science fiction films of the last decade, Starship Troopers, directed by Robocop director, Paul Verhoeven. The movie was lauded for trademark slapstick humor, vicious action, and satirical writing.
I bring up this particular novel as Earth’s Dawn immediately gave me that kind of an impression. Having been an avid player of sci-fi games, Earth’s Dawn stood out from other games that I have played. The colors felt fresh, the illustrations were unique, and the world painted as beautifully apocalyptic. The troopers, in particular, had looks greatly inspired by Starship Troopers and other mediums with space marines. Having seen the game for a bit, it was time for me to sit down and see what Earth’s Dawn had to offer.
In Earth’s Dawn, a mysterious alien force, known as the E.B.E, have taken over the Earth, devastating it in the process, and tailoring it to their own survival. The handful of humans that survived have managed to form a resisting army. By securing technology used by the E.B.E, the humans can reverse-engineer the technology to create weapons and armor. These weapons are proven effective against the E.B.E forces. Now, the time has come for the humans to rally together and take Earth back.
From the moment the demo began, the game ran like it borrowed an energy drink. The action was frenzied, kinetic, and extremely impactful. In the demo, players took the role of a space marine, literally flying in, crashing to the ground not just to win, but to annihilate E.B.E forces.
Your trooper has an energy blade as well as a handgun. The blade and the gun had their own buttons, while the rest of the controls would allow for abilities, such as speed dashing and jumping. The key to victory was to use sheer maneuverability and fight ferociously.
I was absolutely in awe of the combat presented. It was quick, fierce, and for lack of a better term, badass. You could feel the sense of justified payback in the attacks being made. My character furiously slashed at the evil E.B.E, which came in a variety of monstrous forms. I was doing vertical and horizontal slashes and dashes, including flip attacks. Sending enemies into the air was exciting, and finishing them off with my rifle felt tremendous. Visually, the game looked great, but it looks astounding in the middle of combat. The environments also had a sense of life to them as well. Finally, the music added to the overall experience.
Before I knew it, I made it to a towering, mechanical behemoth. It was an E.B.E monstrosity, which didn’t even have a face. Just a glowing red, tube-like eye. This enemy was absolutely tenacious to kill. In addition to sheer firepower and using physical attacks, the boss used the background to its advantage, giving the game a 3D aspect. I hacked and slashed my way through danger, getting hurt, and even dying in the process. It was not an easy boss fight. Using my dashes also helped in slaying the beast. I kept trying, and inevitably, I managed to take the monstrosity down. With that, my demo of Earth’s Dawn ended.
Other details I found about Earth’s Dawn included the featuring of new weapons and tools, as well as the inclusion of RPG-like elements. The game will be lengthy, featuring a full story and new features as you play. The game was originally released in Japan as Earth Wars. As it makes its way to the United States, exclusive content will be developed for the game. The game is also being handled by Dracue Software, the team behind the game Assault Suit Leynos.
Look for Earth’s Dawn to land and fight on PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One by the end of the year.
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