Angels Fall First is a title that aims to be that kind of all-rounder, do-them-all shooting game that 90s teens only dreamed about.
In later years, many combat games specialized themselves and targeted niche areas of warfare. Metal Gear Solid focuses on stealth, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive caters to fast-paced players, and the Battlefield series brings joy to engine-powered gun enthusiasts. A pinch of sci-fi later, Titanfall appears and makes mech-fighting interesting again.
What if gamers had all these traits rolled into one title?
Angels Fall First is the first commercial product of Strangely Interactive Ltd, which has been working on the game for the past seven years, mainly in their spare time. Their experience includes working on Unreal Engine and Homeworld, so the credentials sound promising.
The scope of the game is ambitious, to say the least. Players start on orbit, where epic space duels between spaceships take place. The purpose is to clear the way to the enemy capital ship, so players can invade it using space infantry.
Once inside, first-person shooting commences. Each player has to coordinate with teammates (human or A.I. bots) to take down the enemy team. For missions and modes involving land battles, a myriad of vehicles is available. Just jump in one and wreak havoc at the enemy base, or repair and assist squad partners in their assault.
The game can be tested now on Early Access.
Since the game is in the Early Access phase, some patience is required to enjoy a better gameplay experience. A couple of bugs and performance issues can dim the seamless transition from one battle scene to another, and some content is visibly still underdeveloped. However, racing from the controls of a spaceship to its hangar, laser dueling in orbit and obliterating the enemy team are fun, and promise to reach even better levels of enjoyment.
It is great to see the A.I. behave in a rather smart, intuitive manner. This makes way for extensive training with bots in the different arenas and vehicles, so that when the game is released, combatants are prepared for human confrontation.
The Steam page of the game announces that Angels Fall First will be released at the earliest in 2016. Until then, have a look at the gameplay in the video below.
