Everybody like Pokemon, am I right? Well what if there was a space Pokemon? And what if instead of Nintendo, it was developed by Ratchet & Clank progenitors Insomniac Games? And on Facebook? And free?
Well then I suppose you’d have Outernauts.
Everybody like Pokemon, am I right? Well what if there was a space Pokemon? And what if instead of Nintendo, it was developed by Ratchet & Clank progenitors Insomniac Games? And on Facebook? And free?
Well then I suppose you’d have Outernauts.
Aiming to debut later this summer (and currently in a closed beta), Outernauts is a role-playing game set in the far reaches of space where players will collect and battle with an assortment of wild alien critters. Unlike Pokemon though, you can expect to participate in 3 on 3 battles, which should force players to mix up their strategy a little more than they might have in previous monster battle games.
And while Facebook games might not be known for their depth, Insomniac is hoping to change all of that. In speaking to IGN, the team behind the game promised “a deep storyline, elaborate quest structure, and plenty of humor.”
They also promised some truly social gameplay. In addition to Player vs Player battles, friends can team up to clear dungeons together in a unique asynchronous mode. So while you might want to work your way through a particular dungeon after dinner tomorrow night, your friend can pick up where you left off the following morning as he’s eating his Cheerios, and together, you’ll reap the rewards.
“We see a huge opportunity to reach an entirely different audience of gamers through Facebook,” Ted Price, president and founder of Insomniac Games said in a statement. “As we have demonstrated for nearly twenty years in the console games space, we’re confident we can help evolve the definition of a game experience on Facebook. WithOuternauts, we are delivering a deep story with real RPG strategy, coupled with Insomniac’s signature sense of humor.”
Monster collecting games seem to be the next big thing in freemium this year, with everything from Micromon to ZENFORMS: Protectors on the way. That said, this seems to be the first big free-to-play “catch’em all” game announced for Facebook in a long while. But can Outernauts live up to the Insomniac name? Find out this summer.
