Project Magnum is something of a trip down memory lane. The gameplay trailer that recently hit the internet is taking it by storm. Korean developer Nexon seems to be taking some of the best elements from third-person shooters of the past two generations to craft something wholly unique. The basic skeletal structure of Gears of War and Lost Planet seems to be intact here. From what was shown in the trailer, Project Magnum appears to be a co-op experience. Squads of players can seemingly team up to take down large enemies that take up the entire screen. This game is apparently going to be a looter shooter in which combat is going to be squad-based. There isn’t much of a story to detail as of now. From what was showcased, this title appears to be a post-apocalyptic world where decked-out futuristic soldiers are warring with alien invaders.
This IP is going to have heavy RPG elements and will come with a slew of upgradable abilities. The trailer is teeming with wild moments that make it difficult to digest what exactly is going on. What is clear is that this game will have a sense of verticality with the combat. The characters will evidently have grappling hooks to scale up cliffs and clear large gaps. Not to mention that they come with heavy firepower and even melee weapons. Project Magnum is just the working title for Nexon’s next IP. So, when the release date nears this game is going to have totally new title to it and it can be easy to miss. With that said, this game seems to have tight gameplay, slick visuals, and explosive action. Fans of Destiny and maybe even Outlanders should keep their eye on this.
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Metal Vs. Metal
The alien threat in Project Magnum appears to be in the form of biomechanical beings. Something that’s akin to Skynet’s minions in the Terminator franchise, or perhaps the Sentinals in The Matrix. They range from flying, tentacled drones to hulking brutes towering up into the horizon. The footage shows a hearty mix of shootouts with varying rifles and grenade launchers. This is strictly going to be a PVE experience. Even though the thought of this game being PVP is enticing. Nexon has no plans of doing that with this title at this moment. This high-octane fantasy shooter is a far cry from the other games that Nexon has published. They are mostly known for Maple Story and other MMORPGs. Sometimes, developers stepping out of their comfort zone can create games that are something special. Gamers have seen this happen time and time again. Most notably with Naughty Dog and Insomniac, just to name a couple.
Project Magnum sure seems like a large undertaking for this developer. The basic gameplay mechanics will be basically akin to a standard action RPG. However, this game will play like a third-person shooter in the highest degree. The characters will have robust move sets. Everything from sliding down hills, charging hordes with crushing melee weapons, and sprucing up upgradable exo-suits. It is hard to determine which format this game will have. Could it be open-world or more of an arena shooter? Nothing is really stipulated regarding this. It is very possible that this game might just come with a handful of explorable areas that is similar to Anthem. The thing is that this game has a facet that not very many other looter shooters have. That is the fact that it’s a focused co-op experience.
The Elements of Battle
Nonetheless, there is also more than what meets the eye with Project Magnum. Astute gamers will notice that this game comes with elemental powers with the characters. Given that the avatars in this game look vastly different from one another, one could only assume that there will be classes. It is shown that one warrior harnesses the power of the wind. She lifts up the enemies with a cyclone and hurls them away. Thus, there is also quite a bit of cyromancy shown in the footage. Ice powers riddle the battlefield as the protagonists dodge a frigid death from the alien forces. Thus, there appears to be a hulking character that players can play. It looks like Marcus Phoenix adorned with Minotaur-designed Iron Man gear. This person can apparently summon large plasma cannons, war hammers, and other melee attacks.
On top of that, there is also one character that has a gauntlet that can summon that can manipulate gravity. He can form a small “black hole” of sorts and cluster enemies together for an easy kill. So, every character will come with unique skills and powers that can be upgraded. It is not known whether or not they can be customized in any way. It might be possible to have shared perks and skills among all the characters, or it all might just be exclusive. Nexon hasn’t really detailed how exactly the RPG mechanics will play into the character’s abilities. It is safe to assume that it will be along the line of tweaking stats with different gear, enhancing the grappling hook, better armor, and things of that nature. Given that players will be going through this adventure with a squad, the upgradable abilities might be associated with the dynamic of teamwork. Things like faster healing powers, etc. This is all just speculation, however. It is established that this game will have a story with epic boss battles and lore. Therefore, this isn’t going to be just a hallow multi-player experience.
Fighting An Unknown Threat
Project Magnum is certainly a refreshing spin on the looter-shooter sub-genre. Hopefully, the gameplay won’t be too hung up on grinding and it will give players a constant sense of progression. Making a new looter-shooter is a slippery slope. Needless to say, Nexon seems to be on the right track with Project Magnum. This game is still currently in development and Nexon still has some work to complete. However, it is slated to be released fairly soon under a new title. Project Magnum will launch on the PlayStation, Xbox, and PC upon release.
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