Dropzone Preview
I’ll admit RTS games have never been my cup of tea. I understand their place in the gaming world and that place is massive. Yet, I never found I had the time, patience or energy to really immerse myself into an RTS experience. So when I saw Dropzone on my E3 appointment calendar, I was seriously contemplating whether I should go for a sketchy bacon-wrapped hot dog outside South Hall instead of heading to my appointment. As delicious as that sounds (or doesn’t sound), I’m quite happy with my decision as Dropzone could finally be that RTS/MOBA-like game that sucks me in.
The best way to describe Dropzone would be that it is a highly competitive 1v1 RTS with strategic multi-unit tactics and map control. It also has the pilot levelling and customization you would see in a MOBA. In the game, you take control of a trio of pilots who control slick looking war machines called Rigs. Available in the game are a number of Pilots, Rigs, and Gear for players to choose from and customize to make it unique to your style of play. All games are 15-minutes long and it’s all about who scores the most points before time runs out.
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“This graphically stunning game is sure to make a good impression with MOBA and RTS fans.”
During my behind closed doors hands-on preview of the game, I was given a brief introduction to what the development team described as a modern RTS but it wasn’t long before I was ready to roll. While I was lined up against a Sparkypants developer for my 15-minute demo, I never felt like I didn’t know what I was doing or that I was over-matched. Granted, I received a ton of help and clearly the developer laid off a little but Dropzone’s accessibility really stood out for me during the demo.
After I selected my three Pilots and Rigs, I was good to go. Unlike many MOBA’s on the market, you do not attack the other player but rather you chip away at the Alien Hive bases located around the map. After you take down one of those Hives you are awarded Cores which you then must take to the center of the map with your Rig. While you are uploading these Cores you are completely vulnerable, so it is critical you have your defenses set up to defend you while you upload. If you manage to upload that Core and survive before the 10-seconds are up, you get a point. It is an intense 10 seconds but one that is bloody rewarding when you score that point.
When you break it all down, it is like you are taking a ball to a goal. Sounds simple enough, but when you factor in the MOBA/RTS elements of the game where you are controlling the 3 pilot’s positions on the map, Dropzone offers up far more strategy then what appears on the surface. The kind developer suggested I send the Tank into battle while my support Mechanic Rig hangs back. This strategy seemed to work really well for me. It doesn’t take long before you figure out map control is a huge part of the game.
Visually, the game is beautiful. Built from the ground up, the demo build at E3 played and looked incredible. The responsiveness of the controls also really stood out. This graphically stunning game is sure to make a good impression with MOBA and RTS fans.
Dropzone was one of the more pleasant surprises from E3 2016. The look and feel of the game is spot-on so far. It is shaping into a hybrid RTS and MOBA game that is unique and accessible. We’ll be keeping our eyes on this one and so should you.
