Overpower, a Fantasy PVP Arena Inspired by Unreal Tournament

The trouble with slapping “MOBA” onto games is that the genre is associated instantly with the likes of DOTA and LoL. But there's also not a great, succinct way to describe a certain class of “FPS-styled multiplayer arenas with MMO PVP combat” (FMAMP does have a ring to it, though) and so “MOBA-inspired” ends up getting tagged on such games.

Overpower is one of those “MOBA-inspired” games, but it's more relatable to Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament than a proper MOBA. The game builds around the concept of fast, fun combat with an over-the-shoulder view of staple fantasy RPG characters – your usual gamut of rangers, warriors, mages, and assassins. Chivalry is the closest, current game we could come up with that matches Overpower's mechanical goals, but there are still distinct differences between these two titles.

Check out our 'indie spotlight' video below for a quick recap of mechanics, gameplay, and flow of Overpower. The word-for-word script is below the video.

- Steve “Lelldorianx” Burke.

Overpower Script

This is our production script. It may contain notation and intentional grammatical errors for the presenter's ease-of-reading and overall flow.

Back in 2007, the gaming world was hit with the insurmountable market failure that was Fury, a revitalized approach to MMO PVP without the grind of levels and punishing time requirements. It was a fantastic idea, but so poorly executed that I'd bet most of you don't even remember the game – let alone its compatibility issues with, yes, [grim tone] Windows Vista.

The world of online battle arenas has exploded since that time. We've seen the strategy-oriented MOBAs take the games industry with ruthless advancement, creating a bandwagon that's sprung innumerable [mocking/cynical tone] “MOBA-like” games which, when distilled into the speak of someone who isn't a seven-times removed marketing executive, translates into online competitive game where you control one character.

Yeah, that's a bit of a stretch.

But not every action brawler has to be like DOTA and League. Today, we're talking about an indie newcomer named “Overpower,” a game that has us cautiously intrigued for its PVP arena roots. Overpower is inspired by Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament, the foundation for its medieval-fantasy, match-based gameplay. Although not a fully accurate description, if we had to slap a genre on this game, it'd probably be “third-person shooter.”

Gameplay mechanics have familial ties to the CS and UT series, and pacing feels familiar for Counter-Strike veterans. Combat heavily relies upon the generation of a complex and dynamic meta game, spawned from the existence of 70 abilities, four classic RPG classes, and a strong dedication to skill-based combat. There is persistent leveling and character progression to some limited extent, but overall, the game's meant to be more of a fantasy TF2-meets-Counter-Strike fusion. So far, we think its gameplay trailers are promising in achieving that amalgam.

For players who like the style of MMO PVP combat, but don't want to fight back to the top of the server just to get there, this style of game offers a solid drop-in, drop-out playstyle similar to shooters. The classes are selected at spawn, currently limited to Warriors, Rangers, Mages, and Assassins. Each class more-or-less does what the name would indicate: Warriors get physical with enraged melee [may-lay] weapons; Rangers use snares, fire, ice, and vampiric arrows to kite enemies across the battlefield; Mages use damage shields, stasis effects, and evocation spells with area damage for field control and manipulation; Assassins sneak in-and-out of combat, using their class-based ability to duck-out when battle gets too hot for poisons and stuns.

Each class is outfitted with four core abilities and two special abilities, called “Gems,” which are earned and chosen between matches. Abilities can be mixed-and-matched with weapons and armor as characters progress, though class abilities remain immutable anchors for lively staples of engagement.

As for the game modes, you can expect the usual assortment of Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and equivalents for Domination and Capture the Flag, which has been changed into something called “Critter Capture.” This last game mode is more-or-less base capturing of cuter flags, but stealing critters from the opposing team will grant various buffs to the thieving team.

Overpower isn't done yet and is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for $22,000. There's not much in the way of gameplay footage just yet, but from what we've seen so far, it's absolutely worth a look for the right player. As always with Kickstarter games, we strongly urge our viewers to thoroughly research games before pre-purchase. It's a good game to keep on the radar, for sure.

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