Back in 2012 outspoken Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinksi (aka CliffyB) left his longtime home at Epic Games. After a bit of a layoff, Bleszinksi announced a new studio, Boss Key Productions, and game, LawBreakers, which is a multiplayer hero shooter looking to get into the Overwatch racket.
LawBreakers was originally announced a free-to-play title, but that was eventually dropped in favor of a more traditional pay-to-play approach. The change in format seems to have come with an increase in scope and budget. Early looks at LawBreakers weren’t terribly impressive, but the game’s latest trailer is much more promising. Sure, it’s all pre-rendered footage, but it’s slick stuff, and it looks like Lawbreakers will have some interesting characters, which is what makes or breaks a hero shooter.
Videos by ComicBook.com
LawBreakers has also been announced for PS4 (it was previously PC-exclusive). According to Boss Key COO Arjan Brussee the PS4 port will be developed in-house in order to ensure its quality.
“The thing we realized, developing on console, some of this stuff — like tweaking controls — is so close to the gameplay and so close to making the game playable, that there’s nobody else outside of us that can do that. You need Cliff in front of the TV, hands on the controller, giving feedback. You can’t outsource that.”
Of course, LawBreakers faces the same question as every new hero shooter: Why bother with the game when Overwatch already exists? Bleszinski attempted to answer the question…
“Overwatch is a great game, but it has its own kind of Pixar art style, and we’re not that. They’re a game that feels more like a game that has abilities and characters made into a shooter, and we’re a super-core shooter that happens to have characters and abilities. I’m happy that your average person out there, with Overwatch, now knows how to play a character-based game. It’s kind of prepped people for us to hopefully come in and be Pepsi to their Coke. I’ll even settle for RC Cola.”
LawBreakers will cost $30, and all additional characters, maps, and other content will be free. The game doesn’t yet have a release date, but Boss Key promises it will arrive on PC and PS4 at the same time.
[via GameSpot]
