By Jim Rossignol on September 28th, 2011 at 7:59 pm.
Blimey, I just thought I’d have an idle gander at the Signal Ops announcement trailer (below), and I was quite taken aback. You see, well, if any of you remember Hired Guns (primitive FPS with four screens simultaneously), it’s a bit like that but with real-time stealth espionage. There’s shades of a bunch of stuff in there, actually, like a caricatured take on the old squad-infiltration games. The indie team behind the game, who are trying to raise funds for its development, have said: “Signal Ops draws inspiration from classic games such as Commandos, Syndicate, and Deus Ex. We like to call it a multi-perspective shooter. While playing you are able to simultaneously see what your entire squad of agents see.” The game is all about sabotage and suchlike, therefore demanding planning and cunning, and all those other things that we are all the hell over.
Really, this looks promising. I mean it. Go watch the trailer. Fascinating stuff.
28/09/2011 at 20:06 LTK says:
That’s quite unlike any game I’ve ever seen. From your description I was thinking of a single-player (or rather single-protagonist) game where you are fed intel from satellites, cameras, mic bugs etc. But to actually control a whole squad of spies on a multi-screen interface is something I never would have imagined.
28/09/2011 at 20:12 nayon says:
There IS a game like this. see my comment below.
28/09/2011 at 22:45 Alextended says:
I Spy on the Dreamcast is probably closer than any other title mentioned here so far. It was janky and awful but also cool and awesome. Although you only gave orders, not direct control. I guess this here thing seems to have the janky and awful parts right so far, let’s hope it gets even more awesome than that…
28/09/2011 at 20:11 nayon says:
There used to be 1-2 games like this back in the late 90s/early 20s. I can’t seem to remember their names, but I want to play them now.
One of them was Warhammer 40K Space Hulk. It was pretty interesting.
28/09/2011 at 20:21 Jorum says:
They need to remake Space Hulk.
So so much.
Please
28/09/2011 at 20:21 Jim Rossignol says:
Ah yes, Space Hulk is a good one.
28/09/2011 at 20:21 Daiv says:
I saw this and immediately thought:
Captive
Captive 2: Liberation
28/09/2011 at 20:29 Subv3rse says:
Space Hulk was brutal.
There was another game similar yes… can’t put my finger on the name, but it dealt with evolution i believe; or rather hunting things, absorbing their dna, then upgrading your squad to use them…. am I right in that or am I just making it up?
28/09/2011 at 20:35 Unaco says:
I was reminded of the Aliens video game from the mid ’80s. It didn’t have multiple views at the same time, but had the ability to switch between all the members of your party.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4qd-9CvnlU
28/09/2011 at 20:37 LionsPhil says:
There was even one for the Atari ST, I believe, with four tiles screens showing primitive flat-shaded polygons-the-size-of-cars 3D. Title escapes me.
That’s going to bother me now.
(Dunno. Maybe I’ve managed to smash Captive and Midwinter together in my head or something.)
28/09/2011 at 20:38 M. Caillou says:
Perhaps this game should be called… Stealth Hulk ?
28/09/2011 at 21:08 Bremze says:
@Subv3rse: Sounds like Evolva. http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/evolva
28/09/2011 at 21:38 SAM-site says:
@Daiv – You beauty, I quite agree but also add in just a little Hired Guns.
28/09/2011 at 21:47 outoffeelinsobad says:
An indie team called Teardown remade Space Hulk. Unsurprisingly, they ran into legal trouble, so they changed the name to Alien Assault. You can get from their ugly website, here: http://www.teardown.se/alienassault.html
Looks like KG covered it a couple of years ago. http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/Alien-Assault/
28/09/2011 at 22:10 Temple says:
I’ve got that Alien Assault in a folder called ‘Space Hulk-a-like’
They are currently nostalgic for this Space Hulk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwOBxoaiJfU&feature=related -jump to about the 30 minute mark for a good view.
28/09/2011 at 23:07 Ultra Superior says:
hidden and dangerous ?
28/09/2011 at 23:56 PodX140 says:
Ahhh, Evolva. A game that desperately needs a remake, it was godly good.
29/09/2011 at 00:23 Mad Hamish says:
Mortal Coil kinda did something like this if anyone remembers it
29/09/2011 at 01:56 Ringwraith says:
If you’re thinking of split-screen, simultaneous character-control games, another one was Hired Guns, I remember that on the old Amiga, all too well probably.
28/09/2011 at 20:14 dartt says:
I’m adding this to the list of spy/thief strategy games that I really want to play, alongside Monacco and Subversion.
My only concern is seeing what is going on in each of the screens but obviously the small youtube video doesn’t help in that regard and the art looks chunky and bold.
28/09/2011 at 21:04 psyk says:
Subversion is going to be amazing. I needs more footage.
28/09/2011 at 20:14 Davee says:
That sure tingles my tactical senses! And it seems pretty unique indeed.
Now I wonder if it will have multiplayer? Teamwork with friends in a game like this could be interesting (especially if one of them gets to play the ‘commander’ and look at what everybody is doing/yell at everybody). :)
EDIT: I just read this on their homepage: “Cooperative multiplayer throughout the entire campaign.” HELL YES.
28/09/2011 at 20:18 Petethegoat says:
AWWWWWWW YEEEEEEAAAAH
Seriously, that is wonderful news and just yes.
28/09/2011 at 21:02 trigonometryhappy says:
Sold. I love the silly little word that is coop’.
28/09/2011 at 21:06 Wulf says:
Given the usual pronunciation of that, shouldn’t it be jeah, and not yeah?
28/09/2011 at 21:25 trigonometryhappy says:
JAE, JAH NOH!
29/09/2011 at 02:41 Petethegoat says:
Who said anything about usual pronunciation, Wulf?
You did. You’re putting pronunciations into my mouth!
28/09/2011 at 20:26 Wizardry says:
Hired Guns is not a primitive FPS.
28/09/2011 at 20:37 Unaco says:
Yeah… It’s an RPG.
28/09/2011 at 21:01 Wizardry says:
Well, it’s more of one than an FPS.
29/09/2011 at 20:04 leeder krenon says:
it was a fucking good game. not that i ever got very far.
28/09/2011 at 20:54 Stevostin says:
Just donated. It’s just too charming.
28/09/2011 at 21:09 sebmojo says:
Wizardry… what the hell else is it then? You shoot things from a first person perspective (split 4 ways) in a primitive (realtime, 90 degree turns, step scrolling) way.
Damn the map screen for that game was a thing of utter beauty.
28/09/2011 at 21:09 sebmojo says:
And it can’t be an RPG because it doesn’t have a conversation skill.
Be consistent, man.
28/09/2011 at 21:12 LionsPhil says:
Anyone know how you control this? The are parts during the trailer where screens other than the active, glowing one, show their characters taking actions. Squad AI? Pre-programmed orders? A mixture using tactical commands? Or is that only going to happen in co-op?
Ah, right, website: “Directly control any agent while giving orders to the others”. “Move your radios to get signal where you need it” is an interesting one; reminds me of flying out a Manta with one of those repeater beacons to get an island into radio range for a Walrus to colonise it in Carrier Command.
28/09/2011 at 22:10 ResonanceCascade says:
I believe the game requires 4 pairs of hands. It’s listed under the system requirements. Looks like I’ll have to upgrade…
28/09/2011 at 23:13 Gonefornow says:
Sarif to the rescue.
28/09/2011 at 23:29 The_Great_Skratsby says:
Mother of god.
Space Hulk mixed with Commandos and some Hidden and Dangerous?
Yes, yes please.
29/09/2011 at 00:16 Binary77 says:
Nayon – That comment has made me realise how much more i enjoyed the Playstation version of Space Hulk (subtitled: Vengeance of the Blood Angels} than the PC version. I think i need to find that & give it a spin on an emulator soon. Such a scary game.
29/09/2011 at 09:52 mejoff says:
Vengeance of the Blood Angels was the sequel, and came out on the PC too.
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29/09/2011 at 01:14 Daiv says:
It looks like the usual spambot is off sick. His stunt-double isn’t very good at this. Get well soon, spambot!
29/09/2011 at 09:13 LostViking says:
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29/09/2011 at 00:23 danimalkingdom says:
This looks absolutely brilliant. Best thing I’ve seen all week. I don’t know why but this pleased me immensely, just watching the trailer. The tone, the art, the gameplay; it just looks like they’ve nailed it. Fucking way to go indie dev team!
29/09/2011 at 00:45 Thants says:
I don’t care if it actually makes sense, I’m going to start calling this a Second Person Shooter.
29/09/2011 at 00:55 Freud says:
When I saw the screenshot I thought that this looked like something I would be interested in. The article and the video confirmed it.
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29/09/2011 at 15:48 Simon Hawthorne says:
This.
29/09/2011 at 07:03 Stevostin says:
I am surprised to see that much interest here while still having the donation meter close to the ground. Do you or don’t you want to s see that game happen, ppl ?
29/09/2011 at 08:25 Goody says:
I was going to preorder then notice that it would cost me an extra $20 to get beta access then decided balls to it ill get it for cheaper if/when its been released, generally if i see a game i like the look of i will preorder to get beta access no issue but not if i have to pay extra for it!
29/09/2011 at 10:03 phlebas says:
Goody: So to punish them for charging for beta access you’re not going to go one level down from that and get the game cheaper than you would when it’s released?
29/09/2011 at 11:00 Stevostin says:
I didn’t ask about making a good bargain, but about making it happen…
29/09/2011 at 08:12 Josh Enes says:
Thanks for the kind words, Jim, we really appreciate it!
29/09/2011 at 11:00 aircool says:
Haven’t read these comments, but I know ‘this’ be here somewhere…
Space Hulk!
29/09/2011 at 11:08 CMaster says:
One of the games in my “fantasty design documents” folder is related to, but not the same as this. The idea is a game where you play the support person/handler to a secret agent type – Deus Ex’s Alex Jacobson, Alpha Protocol’s Mina etc. You ideally get a feed of the agents doings, but for lower budget indie type attempts, might be easier to just get a GPS location and two-way communication. Your time is spent hacking into networks to open doors and disable security (so needs a good (as good as Uplink’s) hacking game), tracking down schematics, picking out key features on sattelite images. And just a little bit of acting as the angel (or devil) on the shoulder of the agent.
29/09/2011 at 14:52 hamster says:
Oh man this looks pretty bad. Why have 4 screens when you can have a top down RTS view that optionally allows you to go into first person mode of the selected soldier?
29/09/2011 at 15:35 sneetch says:
Well that would be a different game entirely.
As it is you’ve got the controller’s first person view, you’re like the guy in the APC in Aliens with the helmet camera feeds from his marines and you only see what they see, it gives a different experience.
13/09/2012 at 22:20 Josh Enes says:
Signal Ops is up on Greenlight with a new trailer! We would truly appreciate your vote or even feedback as to why you do not like it.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=92576481
Thanks!