A comprehensive guide on everything we know so far about one of the most anticipated web3 games, Off The Grid.
Mostafa Salem
Head of Gaming Research
Off The Grid (OTG) is a cyberpunk-styled Battle Royale third-person shooter that brings a fresh and innovative approach to the genre. Set to launch in 2023, OTG will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, utilizing the power of Unreal Engine 5. The title "Off The Grid" holds a special connection to the game's narrative, with more details promised to be revealed later.
The gameplay is designed to emphasize narrative progression and player freedom, allowing up to 150 players to fight in PvP (Player Vs Player) skirmishes and engage in PvE (Player Vs Environment) storyline missions on the same map. Players have control over how the story unfolds, with their decisions having a significant impact on everyone's gameplay experience. Unique crafting, customization, and trading of in-game items are core to the OTG experience, offering players a multitude of ways to engage with the game.
The developers were inspired by games like PUBG, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Tom Clancy's The Division but wanted to add more depth with action-packed storytelling elements. In OTG, players will feel invested in their characters and the world, where every match has the potential to advance the story in meaningful ways. The game explores the cyberpunk genre in a tropical setting with a dystopian twist, including new conceptual structures like a space elevator. HUGE importance is placed on cyberlimbs, crucial to gameplay, each enhancing the player with unique abilities.
OTG's world-building and narrative are deeply rooted in cyberpunk elements, featuring interdisciplinary themes commonly associated with the genre. Set in a distant dystopian future, advancements in material sciences are due to metals brought down from outer space. The space elevator brings down massive wealth but has created mass social stratification, with corporations profiting and others in poverty. An AI named Voyance is the leading "board member" of a mega-corporation, making business decisions but also having other intentions.
The creative team behind OTG's world includes Chief Visionary Officer Neill Blomkamp, known for directing "District 9"; Script Writer Richard Morgan, the author of "Altered Carbon"; and Exec. Narrative Director Olivier Henriot, who has worked on popular titles like "Assassin’s Creed" and "Far Cry." Their combined expertise has crafted a game that offers a fresh take on Battle Royale, with an innovative session flow and a deep narrative experience that promises to captivate players and redefine the genre.
Players will be able to obtain 25 different cyberlimbs upon launch, with more added every month. Only one squad of 3 players can win in 150-player PvP battle royale skirmishes, but others can finish with achievements like extracting high-tier loot or accomplishing narrative missions. One of the squads will have the power to choose the final stand zone, and narrative missions will have three different outcomes based on player choices. With more than 260 unique weapon combinations, OTG offers more opportunities for crafting, customizing, and trading than any other existing Battle Royale game.
Utilizing Unreal Engine 5, OTG boasts high-quality graphics through Nanite technology and stunning lighting effects enabled by Lumen technology. The game will support cross-play, allowing players to connect across PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Additionally, the SWITCHER Series, filmed with Unreal Engine 5, introduces concepts like replaceable cyberlimbs and decoding HEXES for in-game items, further expanding the rich and immersive world of OTG.
During Gamescom 2023, Off The Grid released its gameplay premier trailer. The gameplay preview showcased a character named Kobra, providing a comprehensive narrative throughout the entire video presentation. The sequential labeling of the trailer's outset hints at the potential arrival of multiple gameplay segments in the near future. Within the trailer, we are granted a firsthand look at the assorted mechanics that Off The Grid pledges to deliver to its players.
Given its classification as a battle royale encounter, the trailer exhibits instances of parachuting onto structures, alongside the inclusion of mobility tools. These facets encompass the ability for your in-game persona to utilize a slingshot mechanism, affording attachment to a moving train—whether to extricate oneself from a precarious predicament or to instigate an assertive confrontation. Another segment within the gameplay unveiling underscores a participant equipped with traps, specifically wire mines, strategically positioned to ensnare adversaries in close proximity.
Set in a massive cyberpunk world, "Off The Grid" (OTG) is a game that promises an intricate and immersive experience, especially with big names like Neill Blomkamp and Richard Morgan behind its development. The narrative focus of the game is expected to delve into complex themes such as social inequalities, corporate dominance, the absence of institutions securing people's rights, and the multifaceted role of technology in shaping society.
The world of "Off The Grid" (OTG) is not only confined to the game itself but extends into various media and content. A miniseries titled "Just Deal with Delia" is set in the game's universe, providing additional narrative content to enrich the player's understanding of the world. Furthermore, the first short story based on the universe, developed by Neill Blomkamp, has been released as a cinema episode. To give players and fans a glimpse into the game's aesthetics and themes, multiple teasers and trailers are available, showcasing the unique visual style and narrative direction of OTG.
Players may find themselves taking on the role of mercenaries within this dystopian world, navigating complex motivations and alignments. Their characters could be driven by various forces, and their decisions may have far-reaching consequences within the game's universe. The corporate landscape in OTG's world is controlled by AI, where board members of big companies are managed by artificial intelligence. These AI entities use money and influence to control various aspects of the world, including hiring mercenaries for dirty jobs.
The combination of a cyberpunk theme, a strong narrative focus, and the potential roles that players may assume creates a rich and engaging backdrop for the game. The inclusion of corporate AI control adds another layer of intrigue, reflecting contemporary concerns about technology's role in society. Together, these elements form a cohesive and compelling story and worldbuilding framework that sets the stage for a unique gaming experience.
In addition to the rich media content, OTG is integrating an innovative approach to in-game item trading through the incorporation of an NFT platform called GunZ. Utilizing blockchain technology, GunZ aims to give players true ownership of in-game items, addressing a common issue in free-to-play games where players don't actually own the items they earn or pay for. Trading within the platform is completely optional, and Gunzilla, the studio behind OTG, assures that progression or features will not be hidden behind a paywall, and they will never sell NFTs directly to players.
Gunzilla's CEO, Vlad Korolev, emphasizes that this integration is about "re-inventing the system" and "putting the power back in the hands of gamers." Through the use of blockchain technology and the GunZ platform, OTG is taking a bold step in reshaping the relationship between players and their in-game assets, aligning with the game's overarching themes of innovation and player empowerment.
Gunzilla's Off The Grid is shaping up to be one of web3's most exciting shooters, and with the immense talent at their disposal, it is bound to deliver a memorable experience, both in terms of gameplay and cinematic value.
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updated:
February 18th 2024
posted:
August 18th 2023