I've said this before, but I still struggle to match up Bossa Studios' previous work with its incoming MMO Worlds Adrift. Somehow assuming the role of a slice of bread, or removing organs as a fumbling surgeon just doesn't align in my head with what the London-based outfit is working on next—particularly when new footage of the forthcoming ambitious unscripted multiplayer surfaces.
The latest snippet of gameplay showcases Worlds Adrift's more tranquil side via pensive exploration, craft building and resource mining. Even its more strenuous endeavours—such as base jumping—have a calming quality about them, yet things are abruptly taken up a notch around the halfway mark of the following trailer.
Cannons, lasers, railguns, and grenades shatter the silence and, while still a wee bit rough around the edges in parts, Worlds Adrift bursts into life. Recently delayed, Bossa's next outing isn't due until next year however it's these sharp shifts in direction and pace that I'm looking forward to most when it arrives. During a recent hands-on, Andy wound up entangled in a brutal airborne battle and barely lived to tell the tale. Here's an excerpt from his experience:
"And, of course, it all goes wrong. I’m staring at the gauges, when I see one of the cannons fly past me and knock them clean off. They twirl into the storm, never to be seen again, and suddenly I’m blind. Bolts of lightning strike the ship, tearing it to pieces. My crewmates are gone.
"Then the ship turns upside down and I fall off, watching the wreck get smaller as I plummet into the depths of the storm. I can respawn at the nearest island, but my ship is done for, and my attempt to get through the storm wall is over."
Worlds Adrift is on the cusp of its "biggest alpha playtest" yet. Its full release is due in 2017.
