So what’s the recipe for success? If you ask Hi Rez, developers of the new tactical third person hero shooter Rogue Company, you take the shooting mechanics of a juggernaut like Fortnite, you mix in the hero shooter components of Apex Legends or Overwatch, you add in a healthy amount Counterstrike, and you bring it all together with just the right amounts of originality and personality. Hi-Rez isn’t exactly a company known for it’s originality. When MOBAs started taking over and League of Legends was on top, they dropped Smite. When hero shooters like Overwatch became a dime a dozen, they dropped Paladins. When Fortnite became the winner winner chicken dinner, they dropped Realm Royale. They have a track record of riding the wave and Rogue Company is no different. When I put it like that, it sounds like I have some sort of issue with the game but really my main issue is that I’M NOT PLAYING IT RIGHT NOW! The game is in an absolutely massive closed beta period and, after dropping a good amount of time into a game that isn’t even officially released guys, I can say without a doubt that Hi Rez has a hit on their hands.
First and foremost, we’re going to break this down by the numbers. Rogue Company is a 3rd person game released and crossplay accessible through 4 platforms. These are the Xbox One, Playstation4, PC, and the Nintendo Switch. There are 2 Game modes available in beta, Demolition and Strikeout, which can be played across 7 maps. You choose from a cast of 12 different rogues, each with their own active and passive abilities to help them fight for control areas highlighted in each game mode. For a beta, this is really good. Hell, for a full release these days, this is pretty good. We’re used to seeing titles like this release with barebones content and insane monetization. So far, Rogue doesn't have these specific content issues and it looks like they will be expanding upon this as time goes on. There are already plans in place to add game modes,legends, maps, and skins.
The first thing you’ll notice, and one of the best things about this game, is the presentation. The interface looks really clean and the menus are easy to read and understand. The character designs are top notch, with distinct features to easily tell which player is outlined across the map from you. The character select screen breaks down all of the Rogues and their abilities for you and once you pick, you’re treated to maybe the coolest intro I’ve seen in any video game. This really doesn't get old.
The 12 Rogues are all unique from each other, though they can fall into the trap of falling into hero shooter archetypes. Many of the characters have some sort of else world equivalent in other similar titles. Lancer and Octane come to mind immediately, as do Caustic and Vy. Note to all game devs, give me as many sniper waifus in bodysuits as you want. That being said each character is fun and when stacked properly with others, can be used together to do some serious damage. There are, of course, Rogues who excel at certain game modes more than others, so your pick can depend on what game type you’re playing. I’d always recommend specializing in at least 2 because your favorite won’t always be viable and realistically, you probably won’t get your main every single time. There will be breakdown videos on each specific Rogue coming in the future so subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for more on them.
The maps in the games are all designed to be tactical with the third person aspect in mind. There are plenty of corners to peak and walls to hide behind. Controlling lanes is a big part of this game, and each lane is more than wide enough for some hectic engagements to take place. Flank routes are prevalent so you’re going to want to spread your team wide enough to cover all angles, but tight enough to cover each other. As it stands, my only issue with the maps is the lack of verticality to take advantage of more range based Rogues and weapons.
The modes in the beta are Strikeout and Demolition. Each mode is focused around control points in the map, though the goals are different. Strike out is a more casual, frag friendly mode where the goal is to bring the opposing team’s Life Ticket counter down to zero. It reminds of the Team Deathmatch mode in Gears of War with a slight difference. There is a single control point and every time that point is captured and held, the enemy team loses a life. This keeps the combat moving. I’d say assault Rogues like Lancer or Scorch excel in this game mode. If you’re just picking up Rogue Company, this is the game mode I’d recommend you start with. The ability to make mistakes and respawn is very useful, even though your team may hate you for using up all of their lives.
Demolition is for all of my L337 MLG pros out there. It’s essentially search and destroy from COD or plant the bomb mode in Rainbow. There are 2 control points, A and B. The attackers must choose a point and plant the bomb or wipe out the defenders. The defenders must defuse the bomb or wipe out the attackers. Defensive Rogues like Anvil, Vy, or even a good Phantom can completely lock things down on this mode. If you value a slower pace in your shooters, this is going to be the one for you.
As I said earlier the game isn’t even out yet. It’s available on all platforms as we speak if you’re a founder or you can get a code. If not, the game is going to be free to play in the coming months. If you enjoyed this and want more Rogue Company content from me, like the video, hit that subscribe button, and let me know. I’ve been considering doing character guides as well as throwing together some montages for the channel. Follow me on social media to keep up with what I’m playing and please stop by my Twitch for live gameplay.