The long cinematic video ofOff The Grid almost ended up being a slap in the face of the Future Games Show this Wednesday. Fans of Neill Blomkamp’s universe will most certainly find themselves in this cocktail of dusty cyberpunk action. But the devil was well and truly in the details of this trailer.
pale figures
Two pitfalls indeed come to tarnish what at first glance looks like a very good technical demonstration.
The first jumps out quickly enough, it is even the case to say it. Whether the sets, vehicles and animations are particularly worked, it is quite different for faces. The “One More Thing” of the Future Games Show thus presented characters with figures that are far too smooth to stick to the hyper-realistic universe of Blomkamp. Expressions and minimalist graphic details clash with the rest of the images presented. Hopefully the devs will have plenty of time to polish this.
Obscures intentions
Then comes the question of the relevance of such a demonstration. The fights are very scripted, since it is a cinematic video. The choreography is effective, the realization nervous as desired. Finally, the music refers directly to the themes heard in Elysium et Chappie, both from the South African director. But keep in mind thatOff The Grid was presented to us from the start like a battle royale. What interest then to focus on such a scripted sequence? Would the game really offer a new experience in its category? Or is Gunzilla Games upping the ante to better let it fall later? The mention “Part One” at the very end of the video makes us hope for answers very soon.
Although very appealing, this trailer thus leaves a taste of incomplete. We will have to wait for the next speech around the title to understand where the studio is heading. Off The Grid will be released in 2023 on Xbox Series X|Sas well as on Playstation 5 and PC.
