Bulkhead Interactive has just launched Battalion 1944 into an early access phase. Backed by Square Enix Collective, the shooter is designed to hearken back to the 90’s, when shooters were shooters, and we walked uphill, in the snow, both ways, just to get a chance to play them. Battalion 1944 is an obvious love letter to the early days of the Battlefield series, but it looks to set itself apart by learning from the last 20 years of gaming innovation.
Check out the trailer, in which a bunch of soldiers kill each other to a unique choice of music. Pretty sure it is period appropriate.
Even with the odd choice of soundtrack the game does look “old-school”.
Speaking about the game, Joe Brammer – Studio lead at Bulkhead had this to say:
“It’s no exaggeration that Battalion 1944 is the game I’ve always wanted to make. We’ve enjoyed success at Bulkhead before, but we’re all gamers who grew up playing the best FPS games, so the idea of making one that stripped things back to the competitive nature of the shooters of old has been a dream come true.
“What’s even better is seeing the reaction of the gamers who have been able to play it so far – it seems they’re as excited as we are.”
Phil Elliott, Director of Indie Publishing and Square Enix Limited also chimed in:
“For us, Battalion 1944 represents a step into an entirely new genre. Square Enix Collective was set up with the intention of releasing indie games from a wide range of studios working on a diverse line up of titles, and Battalion 1944 and its focus on an old school FPS ethic is something we’ve never done before. We’re sure it’s going to be a major asset in our line-up for years to come.”
The game looks to tap into a market that has been sorely missing with the new crop of hero based shooters and Call of Duty kill-streak fests. As someone that grew up on the classics of the genre, I can say this is one that is worth watching.