By Adam Smith on December 11th, 2012 at 6:00 pm.
Voxel team-based constructoshooter Ace of Spades is out tomorrow and I’m looking forward to seeing how it compares to my fond memories of yesterweek. With the free version beginning a pure game of digging and shooting, I was worried that the classes available in the commercial release would be annoying, but they have drill-guns and rocket launchers, which are the opposite of annoying unless they happen to be destroying the towering fortresses that I’m constructing. Even then, watching the battlements topple isn’t all bad because I tend to enjoy watching any sort of structure fall over. I thought Red Faction: Guerilla was a Fred Dibnah simulator. Here are some videos showing Ace of Spades’ classes and their gear.
In the few hours that I’ve played the game, I’ve been a miner twice and a marksman approximately 7,428 times. I dig straight through a hill and then snipe from inside the hole where nobody expects a sniper to be. Tactics, ladies and gentlemen.
11/12/2012 at 18:05 GernauMorat says:
Those videos are desperately trying to be TF2
11/12/2012 at 18:08 megazver says:
Not a bad choice, if you’re trying to build a team-based, class-based shooter.
11/12/2012 at 18:10 Wreckdum says:
Yeah I see no problem with paying tribute to a powerhouse.
11/12/2012 at 18:13 GernauMorat says:
Perhaps ‘desperately’ was a poor choice of words. Tribute would be better, yes
12/12/2012 at 00:05 tiffanydean6 says:
I quit working at shoprite and now I make $45h – $74h…how? I’m working online! My work didn’t exactly make me happy so I decided to take a chance on something new… after 4 years it was so hard to quit my day job but now I couldn’t be happier. Heres what I do..Read More
11/12/2012 at 20:57 SelfEsteemFund says:
True but some originality wouldn’t hurt. This voxel/cube fad sure is tiring.
12/12/2012 at 04:14 Shralla says:
You think it’s a fad? These games are the first real steps towards truly interactive and destructible environments. There’s nothing “unoriginal” about something that enables such unique gameplay mechanics.
13/12/2012 at 07:46 zbeeblebrox says:
I’m inclined to agree, although it’s important to remember that Ace of Spades showed up right on the heels of Minecraft. So it’s not exactly responsible for flogging the concept to death.
11/12/2012 at 18:10 Luringen says:
How? Just because they present a calss, does not mean they are trying to be TF2. The videos are completely different, here, the developers discuss the classes and their strengths. In the TF2 ones, they are narrative videos showing off good animation, humor and the personality of the classes. Even though TF2 made class videos popular, these are not similar at all, and classes existed far before TF.
Edit: Alright, only the first video has developers talking. The others are more gameplay clips showing off weapons and tools. Still no narrative or personality though.
11/12/2012 at 18:11 Wreckdum says:
He’s referring to the presentation and music. It is definitely paying tribute to TF2 “Meet the…” videos.
11/12/2012 at 23:25 Universal Quitter says:
Which in itself seems to be referencing heist and other action movies, with a kick-ass team of reprobates. Everything is derivative. If no one ever copied anyone, we’d all still be sitting in the savannah, eating bugs and roots.
12/12/2012 at 05:29 Samwise Gamgee says:
For a moment there I thought you said ‘sitting in the savannah, eating bugs and robots’. It conjured up an amusing mental image.
12/12/2012 at 11:22 Ovno says:
Indeed the entirety of human progress is down to one thing, our ability to take what is known and communicate it to others, who accept it and then work from there…
Or ‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’ as its known.
11/12/2012 at 18:48 Dangerdad says:
TF2 with destructable terrain instead of stupid hats? Sign me up!
11/12/2012 at 18:23 Vaedresa says:
Oh how I wish they’d have just developed the first one more. It was the best WW1 FPS I’ve ever seen, only to be turned into a churned out class based multiplayer shooter.
11/12/2012 at 18:48 TT says:
+1
Sort of disappointed with the direction they took.
11/12/2012 at 19:00 DellyWelly says:
Yeah, I agree too. As soon as the devs brought in the smg I was out. It was really tense knowing it was an even fight and the only real difference between the sides was ‘how’ you attacked. Tunnelling into the other base was so satisfying when you pulled it off. It might still have that tension, but it’s not what the videos seem to portray. Bam Bam Boom Boom!
12/12/2012 at 11:33 Alextended says:
That’s what the miner seems to be there for.
Also, I don’t see why it would lead to uneven sides, I assume all classes are available to all sides.
11/12/2012 at 19:04 Doomsayer says:
If the new game allows modding, then an even better WW1 like game variant might come out, which would be great. If modding isn’t allowed, though, all hell will break loose.
11/12/2012 at 19:11 Brise Bonbons says:
+ whatever number I am. I thought this was wonderful as a WW1trench warfare simulator, but this info just irritates my generic Modern Warfare class-based FPS fatigue. EDIT: I.e. it’s not bad in itself, just that it’s become a sort of game I’ve already had too much of.
I wonder if it wouldn’t make more sense moved to an SF setting, even? Or some alt-history magitech WW1 setting. Something?
I have a lot of good will towards these folks, but goddamn, my library of games is already overflowing with contemporary-setting class-based shooters. I just can’t summon much excitement for the same + destructible terrain…
11/12/2012 at 18:34 dontnormally says:
So the commando fires rockets and the rocketeer commands the skies.
Looks neat!
11/12/2012 at 19:08 Zankmam says:
As some of the comments have already implied… Eh.
I don’t want to spread malevolence, but I want this to fail so bad. They ruined one of the best and most unique and satisfying gaming experiences by making some commercial and overproduced shit.
Also, yes – I am bitter that it isn’t free anymore.
11/12/2012 at 19:08 plugmonkey says:
“In the few hours that I’ve played the game, I’ve been a miner twice and a marksman approximately 7,428 times. I dig straight through a hill and then snipe from inside the hole where nobody expects a sniper to be.”
You represent everything that is wrong with society.
11/12/2012 at 23:49 The Random One says:
That’s quite a harsh comment over something so miner.
12/12/2012 at 04:55 Reefpirate says:
I guess he just isn’t digging it.
13/12/2012 at 07:15 Hastur says:
I think it was intended in a humorous vein.
13/12/2012 at 07:28 Hastur says:
Ore not….
11/12/2012 at 20:49 MrLebanon says:
“This is war, only better”
As if to insinuate war is a good thing
12/12/2012 at 11:44 Ovno says:
Playing at war has always been a good thing…
12/12/2012 at 05:15 Kitsuninc says:
TF2 is the only good multiplayer shooter I can think of that isn’t a generic ‘This is like real war only glorified and not really like real war’ shooter.
I don’t see a problem with there being another shooty game that doesn’t take itself seriously. I would think that an emphasis on destructible environments would be enough to set it apart. I’m certainly buying it.
12/12/2012 at 11:16 The Random One says:
I’m just waiting for the WiT to make sure it isn’t a total disaster.
12/12/2012 at 09:03 Roz says:
As an EX-runescape player, all I will say is don’t expect too much from Jagex. (IDK if they will have much in the development, but they will find a way to ruin it.)
12/12/2012 at 18:14 Tams80 says:
I was just about to make the same comment. I recently cancelled my RuneScape subscription for the final time (after not playing it for at least a year). They’ve managed to ruin RuneScape and it’ll be the same people behind this.
I am prepared to give it a go, but I’m hardly inspired with confidence.