HomeNewsCrossfire: Legion
“Streamlining will allow players cognitive capacity to focus on combat,” say devs
“I argue that in the recent resurgence, we haven’t yet come across an RTS game that offers players an experience comparable toStarCraftor Red Alert,” says game designer Maurice Grela. “We’re hoping to fulfill that gap.”
What does that mean forCrossfire: Legion? Units that burn rubber. Simple build queues, and harvesters that can be left largely to their own devices. “We believe that streamlining the building experience will allow players more cognitive capacity to focus on the combat loop,” Grela says. The designer has a background in the FPS genre, which reflects the snappy pace of Legion - a game of feints and fast retaliation between distinct factions.
Crossfire: Legion announcement trailerWatch on YouTube
Crossfire: Legion announcement trailer
“Global Risk provides a familiar, comparatively simple army-building strategy,” Grela continues. “Combined arms, with an emphasis on quickly reinforcing fallen units. Black List provides sets of mechanics that allow them to ambush, outflank and limit the combat efficacy of their opponents.”
You might remember Blackbird as the maker ofHardspace: Shipbreaker, a game that channels the eerie beauty of Homeworld in aid of selling a very specific fantasy - a blue-collar salvaging job in space. Grela says we can expect similarly dense and atmospheric worldbuilding from Legion’s single-player campaign and level design - though he notes that Blackbird’s story won’t tie into the shooterRemedy is also building in the Crossfire universewith CrossfireX.
Whatever world Legion winds up building, it’ll be very different in tone to the glacial terror and economic commentary of Shipbreaker. Grela describes the Crossfire universe as “shlocky” - a setting that plays up its counter-terrorism premise for dramatic effect. Based onthe little I’ve played, speed and accessibility appear to have been prioritised over spectacle and aesthetic novelty. Multiplayer is a clear focus, with Blackbird targeting hardware specs that should suit the majority of PCs found in internet cafés.
