Generic name aside, Renegade Ops has the potential to be one of this year’s must-have downloadable releases.
Renegade Ops is a top-down shooter where the vehicles have some weight to them. The game takes advantage of the Just Cause engine, which powered Avalanche sandbox series. Along with stellar graphics, the engine gives the vehicles a unique feel.
Where other top down shooters give you full control, Renegade Ops forces you to learn your vehicles handling in order to get around quicker. Once mastered, turning corners as you gun down an enemy is a thrill. The game’s terrain and collision detection also provides amusement, as you accidently drive off a cliff or cause a co-op partner to flip over.
Each of the game’s missions take place in a large open area where the player and three co-op players are directed to primary and secondary goals. Picking up hostages, defending a church and chasing an army of tanks were some of the goals presented in the demo. There doesn’t seem to be much variety in the action, but this is a decidedly simple arcade-style shmup. The bigger concern was whether the game will be able to throw some challenge and interesting enemy patterns at the player, in the full game. After Gattling Gears, this demo felt a bit too tame for my taste.
Along with gorgeous visuals and physics, the game provides more eye candy with comic panels that appear on the screen during missions These panels tells the game’s G.I. Joe-esque story with style, similar to what blank developer did with last year’s Shank.
The large battle areas, detailed terrain and unique vehicle handling make Renegade Ops stand out among other downloadable top-down shooters. With adjustments to difficulty and variety in mission goals, it could easily become an gorgeous and addicting co-op experience.
