When you`re trapped on an island with danger around every corner, you`ll have to use anything at your disposal to survive. Outpost Games` upcoming battle royale game SOS takes this thinking to heart, but adds in some rather unorthodox twists that asks players--or `performers,` as the developers say--to go out of their comfort zone. Taking part in a life-or-death game on a reality TV show, 16 performers, along with some dangerous infected creatures, have to fight to survive, and only a few will make it out alive. While there`s plenty of guns and axes to find, the best weapons you`ll use are your very own words.Spending some time with a closed-alpha build of the game ahead of its closed-beta, we had the chance to talk with CEO of Outpost Games Wright Bagwell and creative director Ian Milham about their ambitious take on the now popular Battle Royale sub-genre--and what strange situations it`ll force players into.As a survival game, you`ll have to manage your meager resources while contending with the ravenous infected and other survivors. The main goal is to find the one of four relics, signal for extraction, and then make it onto the helicopter. While this may sound simple, 16 players have the same goal, and with only a few seats on the helicopter, alliances can quickly shatter when the time for escape draws near.What sets SOS apart from other online free-for-all games is the focus on the social aspect of online gaming. It requires a microphone to play, and your social skills and sense of showmanship will be put to the test, with each player having to present themselves in an interesting way to stand out. As a quasi-reality show--which includes live pre-match introductions--how you play the game (and your audience) will make or break your chances of success. Each game is broadcast live online via the social gaming platform Hero, with spectators voting on possible in-game events like supply drops or bombing runs and while also sending their favor towards particula ...
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