By Jim Rossignol on November 2nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm.
Ah, boring old reality, how you deny me my action-heroics in the stars. It’s depressing enough that we seem to live in a post-space age era, but the fact that the space shuttle is being retired next year seems to put us even further away from our glorious future of zero-G combat in the vacuum of space. Thank goodness for videogame fantasy fulfillment, that’s what I say. Shattered Horizon is out this week, and it’s probably going to be the best astronaut deathmatch you’re going to play this year. Probably. The launch trailer is below, and it features lots of dudes in spacesuits going limp and ragdolling into the void. Just like in my dreams…
Go read our interview for some more developer insight on the zero-G shooter. I’ll probably conjure up a review once the launch game has been live for a while.
02/11/2009 at 18:26 Batolemaeus says:
A voice in my head is telling me i should be all over this one.
But i’m not.
02/11/2009 at 18:28 ZIGS says:
No ironsights?
02/11/2009 at 18:33 Lagmint says:
Looks like it has sights instead. Like, powered, not iron.
02/11/2009 at 18:38 Vinraith says:
He means it looks like all the firing is from the hip, based on that trailer.
02/11/2009 at 22:37 Lh'owon says:
This is one of my pet peeves with games – if a gun has a sight on it (and what gun doesn’t) then you should be able to use it. A floaty crosshair just takes me further out of the experience. I also think having to use sights, besides making the game that bit more immersive, helps raise the gameplay above arcade shooting.
03/11/2009 at 07:29 Joseph says:
I personally far prefer games in which you don’t need to use sights – running and gunning is far funner than sighting, peeking around a corner, etc. Like in CS or L4D. I can’t stand CoD :(
02/11/2009 at 18:30 CMaster says:
But will it have a demo? A little nervous about committing to a purchase of something so different not knowing if I like it.
02/11/2009 at 18:40 Jim Rossignol says:
I don’t think there’s going to be a demo. I’d wait for reviews to come in.
02/11/2009 at 19:20 CMaster says:
Thing is, I’m not sure if that will cut it or not.
It’s a team based MP shooter with a gimmick. Sometimes they really, really grab me. Sometimes I think they are overwhelmingly uninteresting and I can’t get into them. Reviews aren’t really going to answer that one for me.
02/11/2009 at 19:23 kwyjibo says:
It should have a demo, it’s deathmatch!
Just stick one map on it, having the full price game a click away with Steam makes for high conversion rates.
02/11/2009 at 18:33 Lagmint says:
I want that now…
I love the look of it – very stylized.
02/11/2009 at 18:35 Vinraith says:
It’s a neat concept, and certainly looks pretty cool. It’s a shame about the lack of iron sights, and an even bigger shame that it’s MP-only and therefore of no use to me.
02/11/2009 at 18:38 Bhazor says:
Dudes! No sound in space!
The original trailers got that right and it made the game look almost serene. Which I thought made it stand out nicely.
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/raid-on-shattered-horizon/57738
02/11/2009 at 18:46 Javier-de-Ass says:
the spacesuit is supposed to be emulating the sounds. when you power it off for stealthing you only hear your guy’s heart beating. just like what’s in the trailer there at the beginning
02/11/2009 at 18:48 Sporknight says:
Normally I’m a huge nerdrager when it comes to sound in space, but here I give exception – no sound in an FPS would make things very, very difficult. The explanation they give, from what I understand, is that your suit automatically generates sounds based on what its sensors/scanners pick up from the nearby environment, which I can live with. At least they acknowledge that fact, rather than just ignore it.
02/11/2009 at 19:09 Bhazor says:
I hadn’t heard that bit. I have to admit it’s neat they at least acknowledged it.
02/11/2009 at 20:58 Clovis says:
If I had a space-suit that did that, I would totally install a mod so that all the sound effects are done very obviously with the human voice. You know, like that HL2 mod that was covered on RPS.
It is interesting that this is one of the few games where the audio will sound exactly the way it would if you were in the actual game. The character in the game sees an explosion and then hears a sound file of an explosion. The exact same sound file that the player is hearing!
02/11/2009 at 18:41 Heliosicle says:
Hmm, despite being in the beta I have no idea what the gameplay was like.
02/11/2009 at 18:54 Larington says:
I’m actually more curious about what happened to the moon… And in the game.
02/11/2009 at 19:01 Mashakosha says:
Oh my, that does look awesome. And a pretty big mindfurk too. I guess one would get used to it, though.
02/11/2009 at 19:05 TychoCelchuuu says:
How did they work “mild suggestive themes” into this?
02/11/2009 at 19:16 Dood says:
Phallic Spaceships!
02/11/2009 at 20:12 Gutter says:
The plot is that the moon was destroyed when an advanced race of tentacled alien raped it.
02/11/2009 at 19:06 Gorgeras says:
I pre-ordered it because I’m fabulously rich, it’s PC-exclusive and Futuremark have not yet incurred my wroth.
02/11/2009 at 19:09 dartt says:
I’m quietly excited about this.
If it get’s some good reviews I expect I’ll enjoy dropping in to a few zero-g TDMs now and then.
02/11/2009 at 19:11 the wiseass says:
Wow check out the minimum system specs:
System Requirements
Minimum:
OS: Windows Vista/7 (Does not support Windows XP)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 / AMD Athlon64 X2 5600+
Memory: 2GB
Graphics: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT / ATI Radeon HD 3870
DirectX®: 10 (Does not support DirectX 9)
Hard Drive: 1.5 GB
Sound: Windows Vista compatible sound card
Recommended:
OS: Windows Vista/7 (Does not support Windows XP)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 / AMD Phenom II X4 940
Memory: 2GB
Graphics: 512MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 / ATI Radeon HD 4870
DirectX®: 10 (Does not support DirectX 9)
Hard Drive: 1.5GB
Sound: Windows Vista compatible sound card
02/11/2009 at 19:19 Vinraith says:
“OS: Windows Vista/7 (Does not support Windows XP)”
*snort* Yeah, I’d forgotten that.
02/11/2009 at 19:33 viper34j says:
DirectX 10 only bitches!
02/11/2009 at 19:50 Vinraith says:
It’s a multiplayer-only indie game that thinks it can get people to switch operating systems. On some level you have to love the sheer, ludicrous arrogance.
02/11/2009 at 21:00 Clovis says:
That’s creepy; the minimum specs are my computer. Same processor, same GPU.
So… an MP only game with really high system requirements? How can you not make money?!?
02/11/2009 at 22:15 the wiseass says:
The thing is there won’t even be a demo. So there is no way to find out if the game runs well enough on your rig.
03/11/2009 at 01:22 DarkNoghri says:
Well, those are the highest requirements I think I’ve ever seen.
My system meets them, but only just. Apparently my processor is more due for an upgrade than I thought.
Edit: Or my system will whenever I get around to locating a copy of Win7.
03/11/2009 at 03:23 Kenny says:
Most minimum spec lists are a load of crap anyway
03/11/2009 at 06:41 Wulf says:
Vinraith scoffed: “It’s a multiplayer-only indie game that thinks it can get people to switch operating systems. On some level you have to love the sheer, ludicrous arrogance.”
Or, you know, XP is ancient now. Please do consider, XP is basically just Windows 2000 with some minor tweaks and a particularly crap UI skinning engine which is far more resource heavy than it has any right to be. The only reason XP was ever popular was because it had the stability and the gaming options of 2k, along with chunky, colourful, Mattel eye-candy.
Windows 7 is like inverse XP, it’s Vista, sure, but it’s Vista optimised, which a better version of DirectX, a better version of IE, and a better version of the theme engine, and optimised across the board. Plus, of course, it’s not ancient. There are a lot of things that DirectX 10 software and hardware can do that DirectX 9 software and hardware could only have wet dreams of.
So, let’s stop being an ass to Futuremark, eh? Instead of (and I love this) “[...] a multiplayer-only indie game that thinks it can get people to switch operating systems. On some level you have to love the sheer, ludicrous arrogance.”, it’s actually a multiplayer-only indie game that wanted to do something with hardware that isn’t ancient. I will stres this: Ancient. 9 years in PC terms is.
Is it their fault that you choose to run such a Dinosaur of a system? Of course it isn’t! Your PC might be too old to run the game, but that’s been a concern throughout the history of PC gaming. Even Ultima VII when it was released couldn’t be run on most computers. How soon they forget.
Finally, please also consider that DirectX 9 is basically the equivalent of a 360/PS3, and current generation PC hardware can do so much more than that.
TL;DR: Don’t rage at a poor indie company for wanting to do something with current gen hardware, rage at Microsoft for not releasing DX 10/11 for fossilised operating systems.
03/11/2009 at 06:49 Vinraith says:
I’m not raging at them Wulf, I’m laughing at them. You can rant all you like about “fossilized operating systems” but there is, to date, no compelling reason to change from XP to one of the newer versions of Windows (and plenty of reasons NOT to), and consequently a fairly small percentage of the market has.
It’s bad for Futuremark’s business and it’s bad for their multiplayer community,. I care very little about either, but I can’t help but find the unbridled arrogance of the whole thing somewhat amusing.
And yes, I reserve my genuine irritation for Microsoft and their completely ineffective Vista marketing ploy of withholding DirectX10 from XP.
03/11/2009 at 14:23 phuzz says:
From the interview the other day it sounds like minimum spec should get 30fps, which is really what minimum spec should be (IMO).
02/11/2009 at 19:45 kwyjibo says:
Totally unsold on this.
You know how underwater sections in FPS’s are universally dull, and yet frustratingly confusing?
02/11/2009 at 20:15 Gutter says:
Yeah, Descent sucked.
02/11/2009 at 19:53 alset says:
Hah DX10 only! Veeeeerry smart there Futuremark cutting your potential user base to 20%.
I know someone has to take that plunge for tech to progress, but don’t martyr yourself like that, let the big players take the losses.
02/11/2009 at 20:15 Stijn says:
02/11/2009 at 20:22 alset says:
Dx10 Hardware isn’t an issue, everything after nvidia 8800 has it and anything less wouldn’t run your game DX10 or no.
But I personally believe you are putting way too much stock on mass windows 7 adoption before 2011.
02/11/2009 at 20:37 Heliosicle says:
its not restricted to W7 only though?
Btw though, I tried to run this on a laptop with a 8600M GT, 2.0gz T7300, and 2gb ram and it wouldn’t run above 10fps
Though I guess laptop graphics aren’t supported
02/11/2009 at 22:36 Vinraith says:
“we don’t have the same restrictions and pressures facing the big publishers. We don’t have to make compromises to chase the largest possible market”
I’d like to know what, specifically, DirectX 10-only really gets you. I’ve yet to see an example of any game that actually looks different in DX10 than it does in DX9 that doesn’t have deliberate down-throttling (like Crysis).
Second, you may not have to sell a lot of copies to make money, but as a multiplayer shooter the entire viability of the title is dependent on maintaining an active community. With the operating system restriction you have in place, it seems to be you’re going to have a hard time doing that.
03/11/2009 at 07:00 Wulf says:
They’re indie developers, they had a vision for their game, and they couldn’t make it look like they wanted on much older hardware. They decided they didn’t want to sacrificed their vision. The fossils who refuse to get off XP are going to kick up a fuss, but really, this is a non-issue. Anyone with recent enough hardware could dual-boot into Vista or Win 7 to experience what newer hardware (and software, in the form of DirectX) has to offer.
I don’t see why an indie developer has to be vilified for their vision. Should we also vilify them for not releasing it on the 360/PS3? Should we vilify them for not releasing it on the PSP/DS? Should we vilify them for not releasing it on the ZX80/BBC Micro? I mean, really, every developer is going to have a game in mind that they want to develop, and putting development time in to scale down their game will only take away from development time they could be using to make a better game.
They had a choice to create a polished DX 10/11 experience, or they had the choice to delay the game, and possibly sacrifice aspects of their engine and optimisation in order to create a scalable engine. You have to remember, these aren’t the big boys, this isn’t EA or Zenimaxx/Bethesda, this isn’t Ubisoft, this is an indie company. And their choice probably came down to DX 9 or DX 10/11.
They decided they wanted to make something amazing, at the expense of older systems.
“I’d like to know what, specifically, DirectX 10-only really gets you. I’ve yet to see an example of any game that actually looks different in DX10 than it does in DX9 that doesn’t have deliberate down-throttling (like Crysis).”
Heh, every game I’ve played seems better with DX 10. Lord of the Rings Online was bloody amazing with its per-pixel shadows that just weren’t available in DX 9, it was a jaw-dropping experience.
Anyway, if you want comparisons…
http://www.overclock.net/ati/597046-dx11-vs-dx10-vs-dx-9-a.html
If you can’t see the difference then… well… I really have nothing else to say, I honestly don’t.
Yes, it’s really that good. I said in an earlier reply to you that it was an improvement over even Vista’s DX, and there’s my proof.
S”econd, you may not have to sell a lot of copies to make money, but as a multiplayer shooter the entire viability of the title is dependent on maintaining an active community.”
It’s a PC exclusive title aimed at shooter fans, one assumes that they’d probably have an adequate system. Hell, I’m not as hardcore as my friends but even I can meet their game’s needs. And some of the computers my friends have are ridiculous. They’re targeting the hardcore shooter audience, so yeah, I think there’ll be an audience.
“With the operating system restriction [...]”
This is Microsoft’s restriction, not Futuremark’s. Again I stress that Microsoft decided not to service XP, they declared that it was too ancient to be worthwhile. It’s Microsoft that needs to be raged at if you feel that the lack of DX 11 on your system is unjust.
“[...] you have in place, it seems to be you’re going to have a hard time doing that.”
So you say, but let’s wait and see.
I’m excited to see a PC developer embracing current generation hardware again, it sets a fascinating precedent.
You go, Futuremark guys.
03/11/2009 at 07:15 Vinraith says:
“they couldn’t make it look like they wanted on much older hardware.”
No one is talking about hardware, hardware requirements go with PC gaming. I have very high end hardware, suffice it to say.
As to not being able to make it look the way they wanted on DirectX 9, I simply don’t believe that. I’ve seen comparison shots like those before, for a little game called Crysis. I’ve also hacked a few .ini files and seen the results.
Most of the rest of your post is about hardware, which again simply isn’t at issue. The sales numbers and market fraction for Vista speak for themselves, and while I’m sure Win 7 will do better it’ll take a long time to reach critical mass. Until then you’re looking at an under-populated MP-only shooter, and what happens to those goes without saying as well.
03/11/2009 at 14:31 phuzz says:
From the Steam Hardware Survey (sept 09):
40.41% are DX10 systems (ie Vista/Win7 and a DX10 GPU). An aditional 28% have a DX10 GPU on XP.
I’d assume that % will have gone up since Win7 was actually released.
05/11/2009 at 01:54 Tyshalle says:
The irony is that after looking at those comparisons from Wulf’s link, it’s left me just kind of blinking at how comparable they are between DX9 and DX10. Certainly DX10 looks better, but it doesn’t look so much better that it’d be worth upgrading for. It looks 99% identical, except for the grass and really small details like that, which just kind of leaves me wondering why I should give a shit.
The DX11 shots are kind of intensely superior to both, and suspiciously so. If you notice in the Dragonstatue images, in the DX11 image to the left of the statue are stairs, while in the DX9 and 10 images it’s just a ramp. Last time I checked DX9 was capable of making some freaking stairs. Same thing goes with the roofing on the third set. I’m not saying this is anything more than conjecture, but the whole thing seems rather suspiciously biased toward DX11, and I’ve seen DX9 look better than what’s presented in those images.
02/11/2009 at 20:26 Hmm says:
Here’s the thing: THIS is what I’ve been waiting for. THE reason to upgrade. We need more PC exclusive games that push hardware to its limits, if you ask me – an average Joe will only upgrade his rig if games he wants to play aren’t available on consoles.
Too bad there’s no single player, the whole concept of survival and fighting in space is great. Tons of cutscenes showing off the graphics, puzzles and so on… *sigh* Maybe in Shattered Horizon 2… I’ll buy this as soon as I upgrade.
02/11/2009 at 20:26 Joinn says:
Two issues:
1. Sound in space (yeah, I know, suit “generates” it. Not bought)
2. Projectile weapons should propel you backwards, or at minimum, slow your forward momentum…
Other than that, looks fine from what I’ve seen in that trailer
02/11/2009 at 20:31 Joinn says:
Urg, needs an edit button :(
Anywho, related to my second point, off center firing (as shown in the trailer) should also make the player spin clockwise.
Yeah, physics is a bitch sometimes
03/11/2009 at 02:11 theineffablebob says:
Never design a game. Please.
03/11/2009 at 11:51 Joinn says:
darnit, just as I was planning to announce to the world my shoot-stuff-in-space game design based on the hyper-realistic Left4Dead!
For those that haven’t played Dead Space, IMHO the vacuum and no gravity sections were just right, sound, movement etc.
Anyway, can’t help that I like realism when it comes to space, but I’ll probably buy this game nonetheless ’cause I really like shooting stuff. In space. With guns.
03/11/2009 at 18:46 blah says:
I know it’s only a game:
1. Vibrations picked up by laser scans (like a laser mic), as part of the HUD radar?
2. The (exo?)suit compensates for any (minimal) force that is shifting your position in space using stabilizers/retros automagically? Caseless ammunition to reduce recoil (are there shells) or magnet boots)?
Might give the game a try sometime…
05/11/2009 at 13:14 Alexander Norris says:
It’s a bit late, but:
1. no sound in space. The suit simulates sound so you don’t feel disoriented; running silent or getting EMPed turns the audio simulation off and you only hear your breathing plus the very muted sound of your gun from the vibrations travelling up your arms.
2. the recoil compensation is a feature of your suit. Power down and you lose it.
02/11/2009 at 20:33 Sam says:
I’m tickled by the identical “Oh Heavens! I’m dead! In Space!” pose everyone gets into when they are killed.
02/11/2009 at 20:39 Serondal says:
They need to secure the rights to Ender’s Game and make a game about that.
02/11/2009 at 22:15 SteelMilquetoast says:
The first thing I thought when I saw this trailer was “The enemy’s gate is down.” Someone better make an Ender’s Game mod for this or something, simply because it would fit so well.
02/11/2009 at 21:04 ManaTree says:
What was the music in this? Please reply! I liked it. Also, good trailer.
And…yeah…gameplay vs. realism is where it gets at. You improve on one, you compromise the other, sadly.
03/11/2009 at 18:50 Droniac says:
That’s the official soundtrack of the game. I don’t think there’s a way to get it separately.
02/11/2009 at 21:17 Ravenger says:
I made a pitch for a zero-G marines game about six years ago whilst working for a now sadly defunct developer. The idea was proposed to a few publishers I believe, but no-one was interested at the time.
Nice to see that someone’s decided to do something similar, as I always thought there was a good game in the concept.
I look forward to checking this one out.
02/11/2009 at 21:28 Rogerio says:
It looks like a space flight sumulator. But without a ship. Not bad I suppose.
02/11/2009 at 21:47 wombatmatt says:
Love the look of it.
Strangely, I’m quite tempted to purchase it, even though I won’t be able to play it until at least the new year.
Hmm.
02/11/2009 at 22:28 Nick (FGS) says:
Woah.. I’d love to reply to all of you, but as I am the sound-guy, I’ll keep to it. :) Yes, the game comes with the music you heard in the trailer, and also all the sound-fx. If you like the music, you need to check out the previous trailer/interview combo we did with the composer. You can find it all on http://www.shatteredhorizon.com.
Before this comment sounds way too much like a marketing-post, I’d like to say a few things; A) no, this is not Descent in any way though both feature a free 360 degree movement, B) the controls are actually really easy to grasp, just check out the reviews posted (you can find a list of them on our forums) C) the game runs on both Win Vista and 7 and you’ll need a DX10 compliant GPU but no WinXP, D) the sounds are all simulated, in other words if you get EMP’d or go into “Silent Mode” you won’t hear anything else than your own breathing and heart-beat (+ vibration-sounds coming from your weapon).
For more info, please visit our official site and forums. There’s A LOT of more info available!
See you all in space! :)
Cheers,
Nick / Senior Audio Designer
02/11/2009 at 22:56 Gorgeras says:
ZOMGZOMGZOMGBBQUFO! Devs posting here!
Wish-list for Shattered Horizen content updates:
1. Space-Frizbee, with sawblades.
2. Gaffy-sticks.(am I stealing both these from Predator?)
3. Solar-powered railgun that doesn’t work when you lose LoS with the sun.
4. Jarate. In space. Without the jar. Still a weapon.
5. Area-denial stuff like shrapnel or flak.
6. When you run out of ammo you can throw your gun at them.
7. Hand-to-hand space fighting for when you’ve thrown your gun at them and missed.
8. Map/arena-based deaths. Falling to Earth = dead.
9. Grappel-hook for getting about in ‘stealth’ mode.
10. Suprise meh.
02/11/2009 at 23:20 iQue says:
Is there only one single weapon in the game or did I miss something?
03/11/2009 at 18:57 Droniac says:
It’s a single weapon with four firing modes: regular machine gun, burst fire sniper rifle, grenade launcher (with various types of grenades: EMP, smoke, etc.) and melee.
02/11/2009 at 23:22 autogunner says:
i reckon there would be sound in that environment, theres shit loads of dust and gases suspended to carry the soundwaves, if they are firing normal bullets using gunpowder or similar then they are generating lots of gases (ie room fulls) from a couple of grams of explosive, ditto for those rockets.
cant be bothered to do the maths now, but one mole of TNT generates (i think) about 5 moles of CO2, which will cover a large area in a vacuum – remember it wont all blow out, like in a pressurised environment, though it will disperse very quickly
05/11/2009 at 01:58 Tyshalle says:
I reckon you ought to go back to science class if you really think sound would carry in that environment. ;P
03/11/2009 at 01:32 Mister Yuck says:
Marathon didn’t have iron sights.
More seriously, most paramilitary folks (as I understand it) are trained to move around with their guns up and their eyes down the sight all the time. I don’t really mind games abstracting this out to a crosshair if it means half my screen isn’t taken up by a static gun.
03/11/2009 at 01:33 Mister Yuck says:
This is a reply to Lh’owan way up there, but replies are still broken somehow…
03/11/2009 at 08:38 Adrian says:
i dont know something just doesn’t feel right wen i watch these trailers…. i can’T seem to figure out what it is…..
03/11/2009 at 09:54 Electrophotonic says:
*spacegeek*
I love you RPS. I just saw “Buy Shattered Horizon?” on my to-do list (everyone has a to-do list with stuff like that on it, right?), but couldn’t find much new info online. Trust RPS to have an article with a heated discussion going, and devs joining in too!
I’d usually never buy a game from a new developer without a demo first, but I guess Steam and its special offers brings out the worst in us. Though it seems you get 25% off from the Futuremark store if you’ve bought benchmarking stuff before, does the copy of Vantage I got with my graphics card count? Would I miss out Steamworks integration though, assuming there is any?
Jickelsen
03/11/2009 at 13:57 Electrophotonic says:
To answer my own question, yes, any Futuremark benchmarking key seems to work (hooray!), and you always get a Steam key when buying this through the Futuremark store. Already preloaded!
Oh, and devs, please give us a silent mode server option! :D
03/11/2009 at 15:29 Hideous says:
Regarding the physics thing – the suit has built-in boosters and stabilizers. If you turn off the suit, thereby entering stealth mode, all the sound disappears, as well as your HUD, the stabilizers don’t work etc. Firing a rocket (or firing at all) propels you.
03/11/2009 at 19:06 blah says:
“it features lots of dudes in spacesuits going limp … into the void. Just like in my dreams…”
;)
03/11/2009 at 20:07 Toka says:
Such a crying shame the game has gunfire sounds after all. The realistic zero-sound (only jetpacks and such) concept was one of the reasons I pre-ordered it.
Too bad.
03/11/2009 at 20:10 Vinraith says:
Already extensively discussed and explained in this thread, by the devs themselves no less.
03/11/2009 at 21:27 Profit says:
I was looking forward to this game…. then it came out that the game is MP only with no DX9 support… No thanks, I already have a pretty MP-FPS with no one playing it (UT3).
04/11/2009 at 18:12 Kingmarzo says:
How do you get 25% off? I have my 3DMark Vantage code but where do I put this in? Link on their website doesn’t seem to say.
Cheers
04/11/2009 at 18:22 Kingmarzo says:
Nevermind, Think I got back from work too late. Shame, as it looks good.
25/11/2009 at 00:33 Voidzor says:
I heard that a laptop similar to mine can run this game at 1366 x 768 resolution medium settings aa off. Here are my specs.
Vista 64-bit Home Premium
Nvidia GeForce GT 130m 1 GB dedicated
4 GB ram
intel core 2 duo processor 2.26 GHz
Is it possible that mine can run it too?