Natural Selection 2 Approaches Alpha Status...

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If you haven't heard of Natural Selection, the famed Half Life mod from Unknownworlds, then I question your gamer status.

In 2002 a free mod for owners of Half Life was released. The game: Natural Selection, the gameplay; "first-person combat with real-time strategy.

It features intense "marines vs. aliens" teamplay, where one marine can become "Commander" and leads players from a top-down perspective." This game saw over 2 million downloads and is still played today. All you need to play this game is Half Life which can be purchased through Steam. You can download NS here. 

(Skulk Perspective, looking for marine fodder to digest..nom..nom..nom!)

In December of 2006 NS2 was announced. With an extensive development cycle, the game is now approaching Alpha status. This stage will prove to be a great leap forward in the games quest for gameplay balance, optimization and fine tuning. With an in house engine providing the horse power and unique gameplay elements such as "Dynamic Infestation" this title has the potential to really blow the lid off our preconceived notion of how a FPS/RTS game should play.

(Marine Perspective, this is no render!)

If you've been tracking the games progress at www.unknownworlds.com, then you're doing your job. This alpha version will be exclusive to those who were wise enough to preorder the game. However with this announcement comes a small condition. Those still interested in preordering NS2 will have a limited amount of time to do so. After the alpha version releases, preorders will cease from the site. If you miss that boat you'll have to wait on the sidelines for your chance to gun down lerks or (if you feel so inclined) chomp the face off of a space marine. There is no official release date for NS2. The game will be released "when it's ready". For now we get an Alpha version and NS2's game director Charlie Cleveland lets us know what we can expect. See below. 

Charlie Cleveland:

"So it's with great pleasure that today we take the next step in our open development and partnership with you. On Monday, July 26th, we will be releasing the NS2 Playable Alpha to all the Special Edition pre-orderers, on Steam. Like with NS1, this is not the complete game, this is the first of many versions. Here's what you can expect on that day":

NS2 Alpha 1 content

• One of our shipping maps (ns2_tram), plus some smaller "test" maps
• Marine, with Rifle, Pistol, SwitchAx, Grenade Launcher (oops, and shotgun!)
• Skulks, Gorges, Lerks and their basic movement abilities and weapons
• Marine armory "buy" screen for purchasing new equipment
• Alien evolution menu for choosing your lifeform and upgrades
• Basic marine and alien commander interfaces including MACs, Drifters
• Much of our final sounds, artwork, animations, etc.

So there you have it folks. Alpha is that much closer to Beta which is that much closer to an official launch! Below is a teaser trailer that everyone should feast their eyes on. I'll have more info on the alpha once I clock in some good play time. NS2 will be available for PC and Xbox360 sometime in the foreseeable future. Lock and load ladies and gents hunting season opens on Monday July 26th!

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Discuss it here [2 replies]

Re: Natural Selection 2 Approaches Alpha Status...

by michaelvash7886

Monday, 19 July 2010 22:12

Pretty interesting game, not sure I'll grab it though.

Re: Natural Selection 2 Approaches Alpha Status...

by bubbles

Tuesday, 20 July 2010 01:36

I wasn't sure about it back when I first started playing NS. Then I tried it and was blown away by at how great the blending of FPS & RTS genres complimented each other and created an incredibly unique gameplay experience. Playing commander with the top down view is definitely a tough job, but rewarding when you do it right and your team praises you for it. Alot rides on that role and how well it's executed. This game is simply increasing everything that made NS so innovative and original. I purchased the preorder last year so I'm really looking forward to trying the alpha. It's definitely not for everyone but, the craftsmanship & ingenuity is something we can all appreciate and respect.

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