Natural Selection 2 is ramping up finally. I remember following the sequel’s progress a long, long time ago, back when it seemed like just an updated version of the half-life mod original. Apparently creator Unknown Worlds decided that wasn’t enough and the results of an extended development time look like they will be paying large dividends.
I personally think part of the appeal of the first Natural Selection was that the game assumed you were really smart and that you knew a thing or two about how video games work. In our world of aim-assists and quick-tips for everything, that’s sort of a hard trait to find these days. Natural Selection 2 looks, at least at face-value, that it will bring that sort of steep learning-curve, FPS-slash-RTS action that the original was so well known for.
What’s most impressive isn’t just the fact that the game has been updated for the modern generation, its that everything looks so detailed and organic. This is a project made out of love and not just for the sake of a sequel. Since I was never a devotee of the original game I have a tough time gathering whether or not the gameplay is much different. It doesn’t need to be in my opinion, the FPS genre needs more games like this as-is and I think fans of the original will probably want little changes made anyway.
Natural Selection 2 is slated for a “version 1.0″ release some time in the summer.