fter Earth's holy wars of 2200, a new empire emerged. This new regime, known as the Collective, unified Earth and established numerous colonies throughout the solar system. Now, after a half-century of peace and prosperity, the Collective is starting to crumble. As civil wars rage on Earth, demanding the full attention of the governing powers, many of the outer colonies have declared independence and plunged themselves into battle with dozens of emerging factions, all vying for superiority and freedom.
But this is no ordinary war. In addition to the technological barbarism that rages as far out as Pluto, a new phenomenon has appeared in the colonies: psionics. For unknown reasons, life in the outer solar system has transformed some humans into paranormal powerhouses with spectacular psychic abilities. As a result, the chaos and carnage of war have been elevated beyond anything humankind has ever seen before. And the battle is just beginning.
This is the universe of Infantry, the new Internet-only multiplayer game that's also the flagship title of Harmless Games. Currently in open beta test, Infantry is a fast-paced, real-time strategy game for online play only. Players will be able to download the game software, dial up, and enter one of many game arenas. Each arena has room for 150+ gamers and can also be linked together via portals to create one huge game universe. Once online, players control the actions of an individual soldier on a vast alien battlefield. Several types of battle are offered, from the intricate strategy of two large warring factions to the frenzied action of every grunt for himself or herself. But there is more to this game than simply running around and shooting (although there is quite a bit of that). There are many modes of travel for the little soldiers...and boy are there a bunch of ways to do the shooting.
Hardcore action and involved role playing
Infantry boasts more than 200 weapons, including lasers, heavy and light machine guns, sniper rifles, carbines, shotguns, all manner of grenades, rockets, mines, flamethrowers, mortars, artillery, scatter-pack weapons, sonic weapons, explosive demolition charges, static emplacement guns and pretty much anything else the designers could think of. There are also dozens of vehicles for players to use, such as tanks, buggies, jetpacks, hover boards, bikes, skimmers, flyers, transport craft, ambulances and even tunneling machines. Some vehicles are capable of carrying multiple crew members, each using their individual skills to better control the craft.
And as if all of that were not enough to wreak sufficient havoc, there is the aforementioned matter of psionics. Soldiers with psionic powers are able to see through walls, "throw" objects at opponents at high speed, create fireballs and literally tear their enemies' brains apart.
But the game's creators also hope to make characters as complex and varied as their accoutrements. Players will be able to choose from several character archetypes, such as medics, engineers, drivers, demolitions experts, commanders, spies, heavy weapons specialists and the ever-important infantry. Over time, these characters can be developed extensively, allowing them to purchase more and better equipment and develop the skills needed to operate them. The designers of Infantry intend for character development to be just one of the ways players can influence the course of the game's universe. The plotline and settings of the game will actually be forged by the outcome of each match in each of the linked arenas, which should result in a fully realized, evolving SF setting.
Simply stated, this game will be huge. The heaps of weapons and equipment, the extremely customizable characters, the size and variety of the intricate and moody maps, and the sheer number of players embroiled in a big, ugly war all make for a unique, immersive, and raucous gaming experience.
