Andy is of the firm opinion that there aren't enough games set in the Ghost in the Shell universe. It has a 26-year history to draw on, first as serialised manga then an anime series, a number of films and four videogames. The most recent of the latter is Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex—First Assault Online (pause for a moment to catch your breath), a squad shooter from Neople which, not content with a sizable legacy to draw on, is taking the canon in its own direction. At 5pm GMT today, the character roster will be joined by an operative unique to First Assault but designed in conjunction with the official Ghost in the Shell team.
Maven is a guerrilla warfare specialist equipped with a thermoptic barrier to hide behind. At level two, the size of the barrier increases. The SkillSync system whereby operatives share abilities based on their proximity, forcing squad play, was Andy's favourite thing about First Assault, so I'd image any extra depth from the addition of new ability will be welcome indeed.
"We fought a lot (not really) with the creators so that we could make a great character on par with [protagonist] Motoko," Neople said. "For her story, we wanted to find something that would fit the universe and the character itself. We’re happy with what we came up with, and hope the players feel the same way."
Joining Maven in the update will be a new map, inventively dubbed 'Port', a collection of guns and an early stat tracking work-up.
