We had a blast at GDC this year, and it was so awesome to connect with so many VR enthusiasts and gamers over our latest demo build. Last month we revealed our final two classes, and the crowds of GDC showed us the power of teamwork and class-based synergy!
But this begs the question: who are the Optera?
In this update, we'll explore the Optera background, as well as a sneak peek at just a few of the enemy types you'll encounter!
History
The enemies in Evasion are called the Optera and very little is known about their origins. Scientists theorize that they evolved from insects, but it’s unclear whether they wear exo-suits or if the Optera themselves are cybernetic organisms. They use energy weapons, have the ability to instantaneously teleport from location to location, and can propel themselves using anti-gravity technology. Since their attacks are highly coordinated, it’s assumed that are governed by a hive mind or use some non-verbal method of communication.
The main campaign in Evasion takes place on a moon that orbits the Optera homeworld that is rich in a mineral called chloragen, which the humans use to power their ships and colonies. When humans first established a mining operation on that moon, there were some initial skirmishes with the Optera, but a peace accord was struck.
Gnats
If you’ve ever walked into a hovering cloud of tiny black insects (and probably started sputtering and frantically waving your hands in front of your face), then you’ll recognize these creatures. Gnats are the most ubiquitous enemy in Evasion. They typically travel in small groups, and while they don’t do a ton of damage, they are great at slowly whittling down your health as you focus your energy on the larger enemies. Their movement patterns are erratic and can be hard to predict. But grabbing onto them with your tether and chucking them against a building is extremely satisfying – and they die with a very pleasing scream (courtesy of our talented Sound Designer, Gonzalo Lopez)!
Paragords
These are the Optera’s foot soldiers. Since there are no other bipedal Optera, it is believed that the Optera create Paragords by using parasites called nematodes to enslave humanoid races and use them in their legions. Paragords lumber into battle and use cover in a human-like way. They will often hide behind cover and lob mortar fire on the player. They fire their weapons in short bursts, machine gun-style, often while moving and changing tactical position. Paragords are dangerous because they’re so different than the rest of the Optera troops.
Bombers
Bombers are modeled after pill bugs, or woodlice, a type of insect often found in old wooden houses. We thought it was cool how they ball up when threatened, so in our game Bombers roll into battle, plant themselves on the ground and then unfold into a mobile turret that spews blaster fire at the player. As an added bonus, if the players get to close, the Bomber will explode! (Which causes major area-of-effect damage). The best way to defeat a Bomber is to destroy it before it gets too close. As our testers have discovered, you ignore a Bomber at your peril!
Hope you’re excited to tackle the Optera swarm in game, and we’ll be back with more news soon! Be sure to add Evasion to your Wishlist, and follow us on Twitter, Reddit and Facebook for the latest news on Evasion.
Two new hero classes revealed: Warden and Engineer
It’s been a while! But we’ve returned with some really exciting updates that we’re proud of, and we hope you can see why!
First thing’s first: We are demoing our brand new build at GDC 2018. Want to try Evasion? Want to try a new HTC Vive Pro? Knock down two birds with one stone with us. Find us at the Intel Booth, #623 on the South Hall, Expo Floor. Hope to see all of you there!
Last (but of course not in the least), we revealed our final two hero classes this week: The Engineer and The Warden.
We’re stoked on having class-based game play, and excited about bringing everything we love about FPS into virtual reality. Different players have different play styles. Some people prefer to play more aggressively, charging into the fray with guns blazing. Other people having a more tentative play style, prefering to hang back and focus more on supporting their teammates. We wanted to cater to all these preferences and create space in the game for everyone.
Without much further ado, we present:
The Warden
Our tank. The Warden is ideal for players who like to charge into battle. He can take more damage than any other class and has unique abilities that allow him to get up close and personal with the enemy.
The Engineer
Our most versatile class. The Engineer can use her tether to grab enemies and whip them around. She can also deal incredible damage and energize teammate’s weapons.
The Warden and Engineer join the Surgeon and Striker in our previous demo build that was seen at IEM Oakland and IEM Katowice.
The Surgeon
Our combat medic. The Surgeon is the only class that can heal other players, making him invaluable to any team. The surgeon can also turn his abilities against the enemy in deadly ways.
The Striker
Our fast mover. The Striker is agile and deadly. Her weapons deal awesome damage, and she has unique skills that allow her to bolster teammate’s weapons.
Hope you dig what we’ve been cooking up for you behind the scenes, and let us know:
Which class will be the first you try on Evasion? :)
Hope to see you at GDC!
Welcome Vanguard! Greetings from the Evasion Team
The word is finally out... Evasion is here!
Finally.
Today we can officially talk about Evasion, our VR co-op bullet hell shooter, now that it's finally been announced to the world! We've been working hard on Evasion for over a year and a half (!) and now we can’t wait to show it to you.
Evasion is our passion project, our love letter to VR gamers like ourselves who’ve been waiting for a high quality VR shooter that is built from the ground up for locomotion. We’ve been working with the very best leaders in technology including Unreal, Intel, Ikinema and NVidia to deliver the highest quality avatars, destructible and FX that really bring this game to the next level. We hope you like ducking and dodging massive amounts of firepower as much as we do! While there's a lot of work to do before Spring 2018, know that we are pushing hard to deliver one of the best quality experiences VR has to offer.
