Abatron Demo

Genre combinations never seem to end up very successful, mainly because the developers rarely manage to include the best of the two worlds. There are a few examples that got it right over the years, the most recent of which is Blizzard’s Overwatch, which successfully integrated both FPS and MOBA mechanics.

Abatron is a real-time strategy game that allows players to take full control of their units from a third or first-person point of view if they wish to make a personal difference on the battlefield. It’s a pretty risky move, given the fact that many have tried this before, but Abatron’s advantage is that it also includes a few other engaging elements that make the action a lot more visceral and enjoyable.

One of these is the fact that each unit has special abilities and hero-like skills, which is a lot like what you get in a MOBA. Granted, everything is simplified to avoid confusing the players, but it’s still quite the fun experience if you are not too proud to enjoy yourself. As always, there’s a slight feeling that the game is neither an RTS nor an FPS, which makes it feel like you’re getting the worse of the two worlds.

The transition between the two modes is quite simple and intuitive, although the controls can be a tad weird in the top-down view. You also have to keep an eye on unit production and resource gathering, which is tough to remember when you are actively shooting cyborg demons. On the other hand, it’s nice to get distracted by stuff, and it should be easy to improve your multitasking after a few hours of gameplay.

In regards to graphics and everything else, the game is quite the looker if you have a powerful system to carry it, mainly because it uses Unreal Engine 4 to render the beautiful landscapes you get to explore. The animations and the unit design are great as well, but it would be nice to see more variety in the future. Granted, the game is still in early access, so this is definitely not the complete product.

All things considered, Abatron seems to be on the right track, even if there are some issues with the controls and the gameplay mechanics. However, these can be sorted out in future updates, and it would seem like there’s a lot of potential at play here.