2old2play Community Manager Waterborn recently scored pre- release access to the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade release Monday Night Combat from Uber Entertainment. He came away with the inside scoop on some unique game play and a little something special for you, the members of 2old2play. Check out his impressions and find out how to enter to win a custom Pitgirl print signed by the Uber Development Team.
During my recent trip to Seattle, I had the opportunity to sit down with Chandana “Eka” Ekanayake, Art Director for Uber Entertainment, developers of the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade shooter Monday Night Combat. Now if you have been following my Twitter Feed or blog you know that I have been pumped for this game since I first put my hands on it at PAXEast this past March. Eka was kind enough to give me some playtime with him and the rest of the Uber Development Team and he showed me some new additions and tweaks that have been made to the game since that first encounter in Boston. I am here to tell you that this will be the “must have” game featured during the Summer of Arcade on Xbox Live.
Monday Night Combat is a class-based, first-person shooter that, on the surface, resembles Team Fortress 2 with regard to art style and genre. However, the stylized look of the game is not simply an attempt to capitalize on the success of Valve’s blockbuster hit from 2007. Eka indicated that early on the Uber Development Team decided that they wanted to create an exciting shooter experience that did not take itself too seriously. Specifically, their goal was to develop a title that would display a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor while providing over the top action and strategic team-based game play. One look at the videos coming out of the Uber vault and you will have no doubt that they have succeeded on all accounts. Monday Night Combat shares more in common with classic arcade games such as Smash TV and Quartet than the obvious comparison being made to TF2
The primary objective of the game is to protect your team’s Money Ball (think a disco ball crossed with a money laden piñata and you start to get the idea) while wearing away the opposing team’s defenses to gain access to cache of cash. Each team includes six members and each player can choose from six character classes, including Assault, Tank, Sniper, Support, Gunner and Assassin. Eka showed me a conceptual drawing of a seventh class tentatively planned to be made available as via downloadable content after the game releases. All I can say is that the drawings of this additional class were simply sick. Unfortunately, I was threatened with dismemberment by tweezers if I took any pictures, so you will have to wait to check out this content when it goes live later this year.
Each class comes with its own weapons load-out (one primary and one secondary weapon per class) and allows the player to choose from and upgrade three special active skills and one passive trait. All players begin with a minimal amount of money to purchase upgrades. Additional funds for further upgrades must be earned on the field of battle by annihilating bots and players from the other team, performing special moves and picking up loot dropped on the field of battle. The ultimate payoff comes in a shower of coins and cash when one team is able to drop the opposing squad’s shields (an action that can only be performed by your bots, requiring the need to provide active support as they storm the enemy’s base) and destroy their Money Ball.
To make the game play even more chaotic, various traps, turrets and ledges are scattered throughout the stadium - the game will release with four maps and more will be made available via download later. Add randomly appearing mascots who ramble around the arena dropping money and prizes when shot (a definite nod to Smash TV), and you have the perfect mix of skill, strategy and wackiness that will ensure many late night sessions filled with curses and laughter as you and your friends go at it on Xbox Live.
What truly sets Monday Night Combat apart from any other shooters available via download on Xbox Live Arcade is its persistent system of rewards and perks, overall complexity and giddy sense of humor. My favorite quote from the Uber web page concerning the origin of the mascots, reads as follows:
Team mascots in MNC are contest winners and are among the most fiercely loyal fans of the sport. Despite the obvious dangers, they are willing to risk their very lives to share the field with their heroes and view the action from a vantage point most fans will never see. As one ex-mascot put it, “It’s like going into space for the first time, only better. I’d give my left arm to do it again, but then I’d be armless.”
Monday Night Combat will be available to download via the Summer of Arcade on Xbox Live Arcade (release date unconfirmed at this time) for an insanely reasonable 1200 Microsoft Points. That is a small price to pay to get your piece of the Money Ball. Win a Custom Signed Pitgirl Print From Uber Entertainment and 2old2play
As I promised, we are giving you a chance to win this custom (note the 2old2play logo in the bottom right hand corner) Pitgirl print, signed by the Uber Entertainment Development team that worked on Monday Night Combat. To enter post the following message via your Twitter Account – "@UberEnt @2old2play & @Waterborn_2o2p are giving me a chance to take Pitgirl home #MondayNightCombat - www.2old2play.com”. All posts must be made by 5pm (Eastern) on Sunday, July 4th to be eligible. A winner will be randomly chosen from all eligible entries at 6pm (Eastern) on that date. The winner will be notified via Twitter by Direct Message, so be sure to follow @2old2play and @Waterborn_2o2p to ensure we can get in touch with you.
