At E32017, Rebellion proudly unveiled gameplay from one of its biggest surprise announcements this year, Rogue Trooper Redux. Announced in February of this year in the form of a short teaser trailer, Rogue Trooper Redux is a complete remastering of the original PlayStation 2 game, originally released in 2006. The trailer showcases the game utilizing the newest Unreal engine, with updated models and animation, as well as reworked audio presentations.
First issued in 1981 by 2000AD comics, the same house that brought readers Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper puts readers in a universe of merciless war, where both sides are willing to go to any length to achieve victory. Deep in space, on a planet called Nu-Earth, a bitter Civil War has unfolded across te entire world. The Norts and South Command fight a bitter conflict, and in an attempt to secure complete domination, use every type of warfare imaginable.
Many years of nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare poison the surface of the planet, turning it into a futuristic No-Man’s land. In their persistence, the Norts and Southern Command continue to fight, forcing their soldiers to wear bulky environmental suits that can be described as more dangerous than the war itself, as they inhibit movement and have visibility restrictions. While the Norts have their own plans, the South Alliance has theirs.
The Southern Alliance creates the G.I. program, a top-secret project that creates genetically-enhanced soldiers, specifically for combat on Nu-Earth. Through rigors, Marine-inspired training and cutting-edge technology, they are bred to become the quintessential weapon the Southern Alliance needs to win the war. In addition to being in top physical shape and possessing razor-sharp senses, the rogue troopers have the ability to breath the poisonous Nu-Earth atmosphere without an environmental suit and can survive a wide list of toxic substances.
While these soldiers possess incredible abilities, they are not invincible. The rogue troopers have a built-in failsafe ability through microchips implanted on the back of their necks. Each trooper has a special process implanted at the base of their brains, where every single combat action and war-base skill is backed up. This also included their personality and consciousness. It is essentially a black box for the soldier. Should a trooper lose their life on the battlefield, and should the chip still remain intact, another trooper can remove that chip and incorporate the fallen soldier’s personality into their arsenal, giving them enhanced capabilities and combat feedback.
The original Rogue Trooper video game in 2006 followed the events of the graphic novels. The troopers are prepared to make a massive assault at the North Pole of the planet, known as The Quartz Zone. However, as they begin their descent from orbit, their mission becomes compromised, with heavy anti-aircraft fire decimating the strike force. As it was supposed to be a surprise attack, it becomes clear that their deployment was compromised due to a traitorous leader in their midst.
Most of the troopers are wiped out mid-deployment, and the few that make it to the surface are quickly neutralized by the overwhelming enemy force. For the main protagonist, Rogue, he sets about the deployment zone, recovering the microchips of his fallen comrades. While they are deceased, their personalities are integrated into Rogue’s weapons.
They speak to him, utilizing their skills to integrate themselves into Rogue’s weapon systems and give him an even bigger advantage on the battlefield. The game was lauded for going ahead of most games at the time. The gameplay mechanics, shooting designs, and visual styles put this game well and above the competition at the time.
Rogue Trooper Redux is set for deployment on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam for sometime this year.
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