Multiplayer Side-Scrolling Shooter: Comrade In Arms

We have just released the first two of four planned teaser trailers for our game Comrade In Arms which will be a multiplayer side-scrolling shooter. Think Contra + Call of Duty + Bionic Commando + a little of our own special sauce!

Our game will be heavily teamwork dependent, based on a game mechanic we call authorization, where only one member of the squad of 4 may use their special abilities at a time.

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A squad is comprised of 4 different members, the Chasseur, Traceur, Commando and Saboteur whom have unique abilities that complement each other. Your job as a team is to decide who gets to use their special ability and when.

Teaser #1 - Featuring the Chasseur

Teaser #2 - Featuring the Traceur

Level sample video

Screenshots


Things are still very much a work in progress and we hope to release more teasers and even gameplay snippets soon!

 

Nice!! Need more teasers And I love the artstyle...

 

didnt ever see an enemy, so dont know how the ai is but other than that i love it

 

The gameplay video was meant more as a level walkthrough and doesn't have any gameplay elements in it yet. We are still working on getting enemies and A.I and hope to show you guys something soon. Thanks for the comments!

 

I've added additional concept art and description of our 4 main character classes. These are the classes you play in the 4-man squad.

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Chasseur
Special: Grappling Hook
Weapon Class: Medium
The Chasseur is skilled in tracking and traveling in all sorts of terrain. He is equally at home in the jungle, in the mountains or out at sea. He is always the first out of the blocks and eager for combat but always observant of the situation around him. His grappling hook allows him to reach places that are hard to get to and allows him tactical advantages in combat. The Chasseur is a fiery but good natured character that is always ready to lend a hand to him team mates.

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Commando
Special: Sniper Rifle
Weapon Class: Large
The Commando is a highly trained ex-special forces soldier. The rigorous selection process of the special forces means that he is grizzled, tough and always ready for war. In any situation he is efficient and quick,and doesn't talk much...but when he does, you better listen. Highly skilled in the use of firearms, he is an expert marksman and his sniper rifle allows him to pick out opponents from afar as well as provide recon for his team.

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Traceur
Special: Forcefield
Weapon Class: Handgun
The Traceur is skilled in maneuvering the environment in a quick and stealthy manner, darting in and out in order to gather intelligence. Rather than go in guns ablaze, the Tracer surveys the surroundings and has the ability to read the situation and find out the best way to proceed..which usually ends in a kill. His forcefield protects him from any projectiles if he is ever compromised and needs to escape, or even provide cover for his team mates.

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Saboteur
Special: Laser guided RPG
Weapon Class: Heavy
The Saboteur is trained in demolitions and explosives and has intimate knowledge of grenades, mortars, rockets and all sorts of explosive weapons. He lost his right arm while handling an IED and was fitted with a bionic arm, one that allows him to launch a laser guided rocket. The Saboteur has a morbid sense of humour and has a very matter of fact attitude towards war which helps him cope with the death and destruction he has caused.

 

Hi guys, hope you had a great Christmas!

We've decided to release some concept art of our weapons. We are trying to stay away from realism and the grittyness of many shooters and are going for a more whimsical approach, but yet keep the sense of power to our weapons and not the "pew pew" feeling you get with some cartoony guns.

 

Wow really beautiful. I like this kind of Game.

 

Hi all, we've released a video of the laser guided rocket in action. This is the authorized mode for the Saboteur class.

 

Looks great technically and artistically, and sounds like you have some interesting mechanics planned.

How will players form strategies? If this is an online game will voice chat be supported?

I have to say I really liked the art style in the animated trailers. When I saw the camera pan in the very first shot of the first trailer I thought I was looking at the game. I would actually consider using that style of backgrounds (layering 2D images) instead of full 3D models. Think something like Braid. It looks much nicer in my opinion and it gives your game a unique style. Maybe the character models could still be 3D though (as long as you are consistent).

 

I have to say the Laser guided rocket looks like a cool weapon, sure to be a few puzzles solved with that thing. Progress looks good and I can't wait to see more.

 

I like it!
I'm working on a side scrolling shooter too
but i have a problem to rotate my gun to the mouse on the X axis.
can you help me please and tell me how you do it that the weapon rotate to the mouse always?
here: http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/73457-Rotate-object-to-mouse-on-the-X-axis-(Help!-)

 

Thanks guys, glad you like it. I'll be updating with some of the other classes' authorized specials too, we've still got grappling hook, sniper and forcefield!

@Crowbarska: We will be using some of the 2D art for the backgrounds, sort of like a matte painting but yes I do agree that a game with that art style would be pretty cool.

 

Please you can help me?

 

Interesting look! Will be watching this to see how it develops. Looks like it could be fun! 8)

 

looks like a good game. How do you intend to package it. Will it be an online in browser game or packaged and sold?

 

It'll be released in 2 flavours, one free-to-play lower res browser based version supported by microtransactions and Ads and a downloadable standalone for sale with higher resolution, extra visual accessories and a level editor where they can create and share levels.

 

Looks good, the leg animations of the run cycle are abit off though. There should be an extension of the foot out as they run; other why it looks kind of like running in place and not really running.

Besides that, great start!

 

sounds great, cant wait for it.

 

Yes, the run cycles... They are a remnant when we wanted that particular character(Traceur) to have a more ninja like run with the body leaned forwards and the legs moving more like they are now. We discovered that that sort of run had ramifications with our aiming system as well as looked strange if the character was aiming up so we opted for a more upright pose but forgot to change the animation from waist down. They were already in the pipeline for fixing, but the queue was long so will only be fixed till this week or so...hehehe.

 

Are you using photon for the multiplayer?

When do you expect to release the free browser version ?

 

So far we have been using Unity's own networking, but we haven't done any extensive testing yet. We'll be releasing a build for the Kongregate contest, featuring training room scenarios for all of the 4 characters so look out for that!

 

when could we expect a demo?

 

I would say in a week or so, we'll have a playable out, so look out for that!

 

sounds great. Cant wait

 

Great game great ideas! Cant wait for the demo!

 

A small video of the Traceur's forcefield in action. Sorry no sound!

The forcefield protects him(or his team mates) from any projectile attack but he cannot move while using it.

 

You named him Traceur, does he get cool parkour moves?

 

looks good, cant wait to see the other classes in action

 

any updates?

 

Hi, you can try out this preliminary version of the Training Room, which are a series of levels to test you in each character's special skill.
Right now we only have a few levels for the Saboteur though.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19623430/Comrade In Arms/WebPlayer.html

Any comments/critiques welcome!

 

wouldnt load in webplayer

 

it works for me, i guessing you have an older version of the webplayer.

 

Yeah, I can't find anything wrong with it either. I also think that webplayers often have problems loading in Safari but work fine in other browsers.

 

works for me now

 

Hi guys, our third teaser is out now, featuring the Commando.

 

any news?