Gameplay

If you remember that alien spaceship level from Crysis, you have a good idea of what to expect from Shattered Horizon. You maneuver using an omni-directional jetpack, and without the force of gravity to interfere, inertia is conserved at all times. This means that, once you’ve started off in one direction, you can let go of the keys and continue floating forever. Don’t wander too far from the battle zone, though, because micro-meteorites will tear you apart! As long as you reverse direction in time, your suit will slowly patch itself back up.

Every player has the same piece of equipment: a multi-function assault-rifle. It holds 60 rounds in a magazine (you have unlimited ammo) and is normally fully automatic. Zoom in with the scope and it becomes a sniper rifle, firing 10 rounds in a super-accurate burst every couple of seconds. Recoil is a bitch in zero-G, so you might want to land on a surface to stabilize your aim and get your bearings. You’ll move slower, walking along without boosters, but that also means you’ll be stealthier because you won’t be glowing like a firefly.


Lastly, your weapon has a blade attached for melee and can spit out 4 grenades of varying types. An ice capsule projects a smokescreen effect to cover your movement or disorient someone caught in the cloud. EMP blasts can fry a suit’s electronics, disabling the HUD, weakening boosters, and eliminating audio simulation until they reboot. Finally, an MPR grenade has a concussion effect, useful for moving enemies away from you or out from behind cover. None of these does direct damage, so don’t worry about being ‘nade spammed to death.


There are three modes of play in Shattered Horizon, each with their own objectives:

Battle - Both teams attack and defend simultaneously. Protect your control points while capturing the enemy’s, in an effort to dominate the map.

Assault - Each team takes turns attacking and defending. To win, you must hold out until the timer expires or capture all of the control points from the enemy.

Skirmish - This is a good old-fashioned deathmatch. You must rack up more kills than the opposing team in the time allotted.

Controls

You navigate in your spacesuit somewhat like you would in many games’ helicopter, except you can use the mouse to turn and roll in any direction without restraint. WASD handles forward-backward movement, as well as strafing left and right, but you also use the spacebar and the shift key to move vertically up or down. Aligning your horizon with a surface allows you to land on it, giving you steadier aim and easier cover. You’ll walk along it without booster aid, which means you’ll be slower but also more difficult to spot.