E3 is an opportunity for those of us in the media to get a peek behind the curtains and see what new and interesting titles will grace our presence in the next few months (or in some cases years). While the show tends to focus on the big titles that everyone is talking about, there are also opportunities to see some games that look to be just as fun and exciting as the next big blockbuster title. So, I was excited when the fine folks at Gearbox invited me to get a little hands-on experience with their top secret upcoming title Project 1v1. The game was kept under wraps until this past August when its Closed Technical Test was announced so getting to have a first look was an extra special treat.
Most people know Gearbox for their incredible first-person shooter game, Borderlands (and its sequels/prequels). Therefore, it should come as no surprise that when it comes to first-person shooters, Gearbox has a fairly good handle on what it takes to not only be successful but to have a lot fun doing it. Project 1v1 takes a familiar arena style shooter, and mashes it with an old-school “king of the hill” type system, effectively making this a one on one FPS that feels a lot like Quake but adds some collectible card game special effects to keep the game interesting.
The premise to Project 1v1 is fairly simple. First, you select a character who also has a “card hand” of three unique abilities and then you have five minutes to face off against another player and whoever gets the most kills wins. The winner then advances to the next round, getting cards from the defeated player and moving on to face off against another player. The winner continues to play until they are defeated. The maps are fairly small, which is understandable as there is only one other player involved, and there are environmental hazards which can also kill you. It’s a fast-paced game where, as we learned from the movie Top Gun, “there are no points for second place”.
I loved the high intensity and speed of the game, and the chance to square off against only one other player. While the game is still in the very early stages of development, it certainly already feels like a game that is quick to pick up and play. With the promise of leaderboards and other game modes, I’ll be excited to see what the final game looks like once it’s released. For fans of Quake or Unreal Tournament, I think this will likely be a no-brainer purchase. If the matchmaking works as well as we hope it will, it could lead to some very interesting matches as players continue to work their way up “the hill”. Keep an eye out for the announcement of the upcoming Closed Alpha Test and for future updates.
