Old-School FPS Homage ‘Visorman’ Heading to Ouya

After the phenomenal Kickstarter success of Ouya, the $99 Android-powered games console, the main concern has been whether the device will attract sufficient developer support.

After the phenomenal Kickstarter success of Ouya, the $99 Android-powered games console, the main concern has been whether the device will attract sufficient developer support. Thankfully, as we gear up for the Summer release, such doubts have largely been put to bed. Unofficial Ouya hub ouyaforum.comhave compiled a list of all games coming to the forward-thinking console, as confirmed by the developers, and the total currently stands at a whopping 539.

Of this list, Polygon Gaming ‘s Visorman is one which particularly piques my interest. The game intends to capture the essence of early console FPS’ such as Goldeneye 64 and Perfect Dark , whilst showing some degree of scorn towards the prevalence of military shooters in today’s market. Visorman himself is very much designed in the mould of a 90s hero, as he is a Bond-esque superspy who wears a black visor over his eyes, the very antithesis of the gritty heroes we see today.

The game’s concept is simple — the titular Visorman is positioned as the saviour of old-school FPS design, gunning down generic army men in generic locations in order to find and destroy the ‘modern day formulas’ of AAA game design. Despite the over-familiar setting and enemy types, Peter Saunders of Polygon Gaming has been keen to stress that the game will still feel like a 90s homage. “The levels, playing out like retro titles such as Goldeneye , are inspired by the games of old,” he said.  “But they will be satirically placed in environments similar to popular games of today… Even the controls are alike to [an] FPS that you would play on a Nintendo 64.”

Peter is by no means alone in his nostalgia for early console FPS titles, as Goldeneye ‘s split-screen multiplayer is often cited as an example of gaming at its best. In fact, the power of local multiplayer is an element which Polygon Gaming intend to explore with Visorman, with plenty of Goldeneye -inspired split-screen game modes currently in development. Maybe it’s time to add an extra controller to your Ouya pre-order?

Just as a slight caveat, Polygon Gaming have stressed that the game is currently mid-development, meaning that the screenshots featured here are subject to subsequent improvements along the way. However, even as it stands right now, Visorman is shaping up to be a very promising Ouya title. To keep up with development, why not follow @PolygonGaming_on Twitter?