What the heck is an “adaption shooter”? That was my first and really only question upon first hearing about Ascendant (fka Ascendant Infinity), PlayFusion’s new first-person squad-centric MOBA-ish shooter, which is launching an open beta at the tippy-top of August. The game’s website, social media, and press releases all refer to the title name as both Ascendant.com and Ascendant interchangeably (and usually in caps).
“PlayFusion announced that an Open Beta Weekend for its upcoming ‘80s-inspired indie Adaption Shooter, ASCENDANT.COM, will be available on PC via Steam on August 3 and 4,” the presser says. “This marks the first time that ASCENDANT.COM will be available publically [sic] to players across the globe. Join the Beta Squad and get a first look at the explosive 3v3v3v3 FPS action coming to ASCENDANT.COM while providing valuable feedback that will shape the future of the game.”
With the word “adaption,” the UK-based PlayFusion studio – yes, the one behind Lightseekers – appears to be touching on the game’s random-gen map layouts. Move over, extraction shooters!
“ASCENDANT.COM introduces a whole new way to dominate as the world’s first Adaption Shooter. Imagine a fluid, ever-evolving arena where no game is the same. Everything on the battlefield is always in flux to keep you guessing, bringing a whole new level of strategy to the shooter experience. Adapt or die is the motto. […] Those are the only options. Every time you go out, the map will be different, and everything wants you dead. With 4 teams and only 3 biocores, someone’s going home empty-handed. To walk away with this life-giving tree sap, you’ll need to plan, coordinate, and adapt when that plan goes to shit.”
Note, on Steam, there are lots of “Ascendant” games, including two with exactly the name Ascendant. The one you’re looking for is, again, all caps.
PlayFusion studio head Mark Gerhard told GIbiz this morning that the company has been working on a “transmedia vision” for the game, including a TV show pilot, toys, a card game, and “Shazam for video,” and “plans to put players’ characters in the TV show.” He also claims “no one has delivered on transmedia,” but I’m guessing Defiance is raising its hand in objection right now.
“Players won’t believe what they’re playing came from an independent studio,” Gerhard says. “People will perceive this as a big AAA production. That’s where we’re all hoping to put a little dent in the universe and defy convention. I think we’re close to that. We’ve still got to breakthrough in a crowded space, but I think we can do that.”
