Imagine a multiplayer shooter where the floor could also be the ceiling, where your weapons are always silent, and where bullets travel forever. In the cold void of space, what is up and what is down is all a matter of perspective. All that’s certain is death can strike from anywhere, and you’ll need to be alert because you won’t hear it coming.
Such is the tantalising premise of Boundary, a multiplayer shooter where there’s no gravity, no sound and no limits. A competitive multiplayer FPS set in space, Boundary offers an authentic portrayal of Zero-G combat. The game’s weapons, equipment and maps are all based upon contemporary industrial technology, while Boundary also stays true to the physics of human space exploration. Movement in Boundary is three-dimensional and momentum-based, with players using EMU jet-propulsion backpacks to glide through its maps with six degrees of freedom. Sound also propagates realistically. In the vacuum of space, the only noises you’ll be able to hear are your character’s breathing inside their helmet, your team radio, and vibrations through your suit, such as from your own weapons.
The result is a unique FPS experience. Full 3D movement enables players to employ tactics impossible in a standard FPS, using verticality to evade enemy gunfire and ambush opponents from any angle. The minimal audio also creates a tense and eerie atmosphere. With no ability to hear enemy gunfire, you must rely on visual cues like bullet traces to identify when you’re being attacked.
And these are only the basics of Boundary’s FPS play. Boundary’s team-based multiplayer lets you assume the role of six distinct astro-operators – special forces combatants who excel in orbital engagements. Each of these characters is geared toward a different play-style. Vodka, for example, is Boundary’s all-rounder operative, equipped with an AKM rifle designed for mid-range combat, and a grappling hook that enables fast manoeuvres around orbital structures. Spiker, meanwhile, is a close-combat specialist who can operate silently by switching off her electronic devices, and kill enemies from behind with a deadly melee attack. One of the most unusual characters is Probe, a support character who specialises in information gathering. He can deploy special detectors to identify enemy radar signatures, and use these signals to launch tracking missiles at opponents.
Boundary is a fascinating concept, one that’s delivered with cutting-edge visuals and effects. As well as being highly tactical, combat is also fast-paced and spectacular. The game’s maps are highly destructible, with bullet impacts on station pipes and solar panels causing explosions of shrapnel and debris. The level of authenticity and attention to detail on astro-operator suits and the architecture of the game’s orbital stations, is also highly impressive, and makes Boundary stand out from other space combat games.
Boundary is due to launch later this year. If you’d like to know more about the game, you can check out Boundary’s website, or follow Boundary on social media via Twitter, Facebook, or Discord. If you’re intrigued by Boundary, you can also wishlist the game on Steam. Doing any of these will also put you in line to win a brand new Nvidia RTX 3080, so you can play Boundary on a PC that truly shoots for the moon. Follow this link for more information, and be sure to keep your eye on one of the most distinctive-looking shooters of 2020.