SCUM Preview E3 2018
SCUM is hoping to change the way people play open world survival games online. I was allowed into an extended hands off demo at E3, and what I saw held a lot of promise. There are an incredible amount of systems at work under the hood of this game. For the most part, all of this will go unnoticed by the average player. It’s all fascinating stuff, but you can still approach this like any other survival/deathmatch shooter. The interesting differences come from the modes you can engage in. If you like, you never have to deal with other players. SCUM has an actual story with a proper ending, which frees you up to succeed in one of three ways. You can either participate in combat events, make your mark as a survivalist, or complete all of the story missions. Of course, the more dangerous events come with bigger rewards. You can tromp around in the bush if you like, but the viewers really appreciate violence on screen.
You play a convict trapped on a huge island, forced to fight and survive for the amusement of a captive audience. Your time on the island will be easier or harder depending on how famous you are with the people back home. SCUM even has a system in place to let viewers see more of you after you die. In the event of your untimely demise, a clone will be equipped with the standard monitoring device and shipped to the island.
If you want to escape, you can try and remove said device, but there’s a risk it could explode, taking most of your skull with it. Make sure you enlist the help of someone who knows what they’re doing, in other words. Your body type will impact your time on the island as well, with smaller or bigger combatants coming with their own advantages and risks. One of these advantages is tied directly to your fame level. Apparently viewers love watching overweight convicts successfully murder other convicts. I wasn’t told how the other two body types play with the viewers, but one would assume they’re either more or less popular to watch. I can’t imagine it’s nearly as much fun to watch a super buff dude lay waste to his enemies. There’s no telling how players will react to and use these systems. I’m intensely curious as to how they’ll push the limits of this game when it’s eventually released.
