Mad Max developer unveils new open-world shooter inspired by Stranger Things [Video]

The start of E3 2018 is just days away now and the announcements are coming fast. We are set to kick off the big E3 showcases this Saturday with EA, followed by Microsoft and Bethesda the next day. However, that hasn’t stopped publishers from dropping Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Fallout 76, Pokemon for Switch and more. While we are expecting to hear more about what appears to be Hitman 2 in just a couple of hours, Avalanche Studios has now unveiled its new open-world shooter title.

Based out of Stockholm, Sweden, Avalanche Studios has been developing titles with Eidos and Square Enix for years on titles like the Just Cause series, Mad Max and more. It was recently tapped by id Software to lend a hand with work on the new Rage 2 we reported on a couple of weeks back. Although as of late, the company has broken off on its own to some degree to begin self-publishing its own games and we now have details on the first one.

Generation Zero is an open-world, third person shooter set in Sweden circa the 1980’s. The lore and vibe of the game world appears to be heavily inspired by the likes of the film Red Dawn and a popular Swedish tabletop game known as Tales from the Loop. As some have already suggested, Tales from the Loop looks to be pulling ideas from IP like the classic film ET and the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things.

Clearly Avalanche is calling on many of the same inspirations here considering the look and feel of the characters and what could be described as a Stranger Things meets Terminator soundtrack (in the trailer at least).

While not much is officially known, players will be able to go it alone or band together in groups of 4 to fend of a mysterious robot presence that has taken over the area. We see what appears to be your typical 80’s looking kids (or young people) as the main characters with a complete arsenal of military-grade weapons from rifles and machine guns to rocket launchers and frag grenades. Weapons will include realistic ballistics and there is a full day/night cycle.

Experience an explosive game of cat and mouse set in a vast open world. In this reimagining of 1980’s Sweden hostile machines have invaded the serene countryside, and you need to fight back!

From the trailer (above) we can see loads of minion-style robot enemies, but there will also be some giant behemoth bots to take out as well. According to official descriptions of the game, players will be able to stalk larger prey “by utilizing battle tested guerilla tactics, you’ll be able to lure, cripple, or destroy enemies in intense, creative sandbox skirmishes.” There is a level of persistence in the world, at least when it comes to the enemies. You’ll be able to wear down larger bots and then return to them later to finish the job.

While the actual gameplay doesn’t really sound all that unique or interesting, the game world certainly is. Hopefully there’s a deep story as to why the robots have taken over the Swedish countryside and this isn’t just some multiplayer, PvE battle royale knock-off. The Stranger Things-like aesthetic sounds like a good deal to me, and likely to others as well, so here’s to hoping the gameplay can hold up its end of the bargain.

Generation Zero is coming to Playstation 4, PC and Xbox One in 2019. We will be hearing more come E3. Stay locked to Toys all month-long for all the biggest announcements from the year’s most important event in gaming.

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