Despite June 2022 winding down, and there already having been plenty of big gaming reveals via the Summer Games Fest and other major events, it seems gamers should still be on the lookout for new titles being shown off. One such event that is still ongoing is IGN's Summer of Games, which has seen some exclusive content from Sega, including the publisher's latest new IP, Hyenas, developed by Creative Assembly, the studio behind Total War and Alien Isolation.
Creative Assembly did speak about Hyenas in a recent magazine interview, but fans didn't know the name of the game at that time, only that it seemed a departure from the studio's previous works. The game takes on a sci-fi setting where humanity has made Earth uninhabitable, leaving the super-rich to colonize Mars. The player will be on one of a few teams of mercenaries tasked with stealing from the billionaires that have taken over the red planet. More specifically, three teams of five players will work against each other to steal treasures and "merch" from a spaceship.
Rather than just forcing players to kill each other, Hyenas will feature objective-based gameplay with the team carrying the most loot ending up as the victor. Alongside fighting human opponents, Hyenas players will also have to contend with AI enemies, known as the MFPF or "Murphs." These guards are employed by the billionaires of Mars and will stop anyone trying to loot a spaceship. Considering the praise Creative Assembly received for its AI work in Alien Isolation, it is possible the "Murphs" will be intriguing enemies to face alongside other players.
Beyond the enemies players have to face in Hyenas, the ships themselves are also packed with defenses. "They’re full of security," explained Creative Assembly's Creative Director Charlie Bewsher explained to IGN. "Sensors, switches, interactive systems, and gadgets. It’s a great environment for this competitive game to take place in.” With plenty of traps for players to trigger, Hyenas seems to be a video game heist combined with a competitive shooter.
In the cinematic trailer for Hyenas, fans didn't get too close of a look at any gameplay, only being told what they could experience when playing the game, such as its zero gravity sections. However, there are plenty of features to get gamers intrigued in the upcoming game, such as different playable characters, classes, a unique art style and more. It seems Hyenas might make a new niche as well, as while the maps are too large to be considered typical for a PvP deathmatch, they also are too small to be comparable to the map sizes of battle royales like Call of Duty: Warzone. With interesting objectives and a lot of promising ideas from Creative Assembly, Hyenas could be a refreshing title for competitive FPS players.
Hyenas is currently in development.
Source: IGN