I have to admit, I really enjoy first and third person shooter games. From the typical run-and-gun like Wolfenstein, to the more adventurous types like Resident Evil, to the down-and-dirty Gears of War series. It’s always interesting to see developers try to mix up the typical formula and see what bubbles to the top. One prime example of this is in Minimum from Human Head Studios. I was given the chance to sink my teeth into the beta.
The gameplay is essentially MOBA based (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) combat, pitting two teams of five against each other. Before each game you have a chance to craft a whole assortment of weapons using schematics that you can buy in the in-game shop with the currency that is dropped during gameplay (or in-game purchases). Right from the start you will already own a good variety of schematics to choose from, ranging from standard blasters, sniper rifles, shotguns, and even different type of swords. You can only have two weapons equipped at a time, which is fine and works well, as it encourages experimentation and different gameplay styles.
Once your character is all equipped, it’s time to jump into the action. Right now there is only one mode to play – “Titan” – where your goal is to escort your team’s giant robot Titan from your base to the opposing team’s base to destroy it. The other team has the same goal too, but the primary objective is to keep your Titan powered up and take out the opposing team’s Titan and members. The match ends when the other team’s base is destroyed, or the timer runs out at the thirty minute mark. If your Titan is taken down you will have to wait for a spawn of little creatures called Creeps. These little guys drop crystals that are used to re-power your robot to get him up and going. The more crystals your team collects, the more powerful your Titan will be. So you have a couple options to go with: go after the Creeps, or stop the other team from getting to them first. This can make for same crazy action, and I found myself getting sucked into it.
As you kill Creeps and opposing players, you gain experience points which goes towards leveling up your character, although what stats get improved is a little unclear at this point. You can also gain experience by completing missions. For example, using a certain weapon and getting a number of kills with it, or killing a certain number of players overall. More missions are promised in the future as the game develops.
Also, blocks will be dropped that you use as resources for building new equipment. While you are battling it out you can craft armor for yourself by using blueprints (you start the game with some, although you can also purchase other blueprints in-game). If you’re good enough you can craft yourself a full set of armor: helmets, chest and leg pieces. They are also upgradeable, but this has a downside – it can slow your movement depending on how much you have on. I really liked this feature, and it added an extra level of strategy to the mix. I did find myself getting killed as I was trying to building something, so I suggest finding a good hiding place to do so. Luckily, the respawn time is pretty quick.
I look forward to other game modes being implemented. There are two others listed (Team Death Match and Dungeon Crawl), which have me rather curious about what they will offer, but they are not accessible just yet.
To best describe the overall look of the game, you need to refer back to the name of the game, “Minimum”. Most things are built out of very simplistic, geometric shapes, and colours can be quite flat. But don’t get me wrong – it’s a striking, unique look, one that works well. Maps are large and made up of various blocks and other shapes forming rooms, tunnels, ramps and valleys. There’s always somewhere to hide and do surprise attacks. There is not much colour overall other than what shows up in blaster fire and explosions. The characters in the game are not your typical well rendered warrior but something that resembles a robot made up of blocks. It all works together well. As you construct more armour for yourself, your character starts to resemble a robot from the old eighties Transformer cartoons, which is a bonus point in my books.
While browsing the menus and battlefields you will be treated to a series of spacey tunes that suit the game very well, and I found myself really enjoying it. I’m a sucker for this type of music. It reminded me of the Phantasy Star Online games. In terms of sound effects, if you a fan of laser fire and loud explosions you won’t be disappointed either.
Right now Minimum is in early release on Steam, and is still being worked on. So updates are still frequent, and the game is gradually growing. I can see a lot of potential here, and enjoyed the experience so far. So if you are looking for something with a unique look and some quick action, it is only a block away.
