Don’t call it a comeback: Boss Key Productions is hot off of the development, launch, and death of its debut game LawBreakers, and is moving on with a brand new game, which launches in Early Access tomorrow. The new game is called Radical Heights and it’s — you guessed it — a Battle Royale game. Check out the gameplay reveal trailer above!
So here’s the shtick: You can play this game, for free, starting tomorrow. The team at Boss Key have made it abundantly clear, however, that this game is in “x-treme” early access. What they’re trying to do is introduce players to the core concepts and vision, and start gathering feedback in order to form a solid foundation for launch about a year from now. As players get their hands on this game and offer feedback, things are going to change, and the game will continue to receive additional coats of polish as time goes on. The official game description, per the Steam listing, offers this elevator pitch:
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“Partake in high-stakes battle royale gunplay in a sunny SoCal dome as contestants drive-by on BMX bikes or stalk other contestants from the shadows in search for weapons and prizes…but also CASH that you can bank – win or lose! Whether you spend that cash on righteous customization in your personal prize room or pull it from an ATM to purchase weapons early in the next game — building a wealth of cash is as important as taking down the competition in this irreverent 80s-themed action game show where everyone wants to be rich and famous!”
Reactions so far have been mixed. On one hand, the project seems a bit reactionary following the failure of LawBreakers, which was actually a really creative and well-polished shooter. On the other hand, more competition in the Battle Royale space is always welcome, because it will help to drive the genre (or mode) forward and inspire innovation.
It should be remembered that the team is taking the term “x-treme” early access very seriously. This is very much a work in progress, and they published the following warning to players: “The core gameplay experience is complete. However, players should expect to experience placeholder assets in the world including; models, audio, animation, and even entire buildings. We are actively working on improving performance and bringing the level of polish up across the entire experience.”
The bottom line? Don’t judge this book by its cover; judge it by its content. Play it for free, and see if you have fun. If you love the experience and think that this could be something big, make sure you keep up with the forums and Steam community page, because the developers will be looking for your feedback! Who know, you could be a major part of the shaping of the next big Battle Royale phenomenon!
