New gameplay footage for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – First Assault Online releases, showing off the title's first-person shooter action.

Since Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – First Assault Online is now playable on PC through Steam Early Access, a fresh compilation of gameplay footage has been put together, courtesy of the fine folks over at GameSpot. Despite Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – First Assault Online's mouthful of a name, the FPS has style to spare.

Set in the universe of the popular anime television series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and based on the original comic by Shirow Masamune, developer Neople's and publisher Nexon's First Assault is a shooter that features cyborg customization that supports up 5,000 different layouts. As it happens, some of the skills themselves wouldn't be out of place in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, as they're reminiscent of the Treyarch-developed title's Cybercore abilities.

As far as actual gameplay goes, there will be PvP and PvE modes in First Assault, with players having the ability to use thermoptic camouflage, power armor, and various mecha. Also while playing in-game, fans will be given additional attributes to customize characters, such as power, which grants weapons; stealth, which is used for invisibility; detect, which allows the use of reconnaissance drones; and support, giving the ability to construct turrets. Perhaps what's most interesting about First Assault, though, is the fact that these skills can be shared with nearby allies. For a better idea of how all of this works, check out the gameplay video below.

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Of course, some might be quick to point out that First Assault's gameplay elements are simply reproductions of features from other FPS titles, such as the stealth ability that can be found in various Halo titles with its camouflage cloak, and the capacity to construct turrets being a trait of Team Fortress 2's Engineer character. Nevertheless, it isn't as if first-person shooters don't ape, imitate, and inform one another on a consistent basis. So, while First Assault's usage of genre staples may be somewhat unoriginal, reinventing the wheel has never really been something that FPS titles are known for anyway.

While developer Neople is primarily known for the beat 'em up Dungeon Fighter Online, First Assault isn't publisher Nexon's first shooter, as it released a post-apocalyptic variant of Valve's own FPS with Counter-Strike Nexon Zombies. At any rate, according to the criticism from players on Steam, both the developer and publisher have done a solid job with First Assault, as it's garnered mostly positive user reviews.

Should fans wish to spend time with First Assault, Early Access for the title can be obtained on Steam with a $5 Recruit Pack, a $7 Operative Pack, a $9 Specialist Pack, or fans can go all-in for the game and every bit of its DLC with the Elite Pack for $30. However, it's important to note that the Early Access version of First Assault means that it's an unfinished product, and gamers are bound to encounter Steam Early Access games' completion issues since it's still a work-in-progress.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – First Assault Online is available now for PC through Steam Early Access.

Source: GameSpot 1, 2