Brick-Force – Preview

When Notch and Mojang released Minecraft back in 2009, they became a near-overnight success story that proved the time old saying of “if you build it, they will come”. Enter 2012, and Mojang have more money than your mind could ever imagine, and their rise to fame hasn’t gone by without imitators to the throne. One such competitor has embraced the creativity that comes with building your own worlds and paired it with the manic action of a first person shooter to conjure Brick-Force, where the only limit is your imagination.

With over a million registered players already, Infernum’s community-driven FPS has already begun to make a name for itself, and at Gamescom, we were introduced to the new modes that they’re about to unleash on their rapidly-growing fanbase. The first of these new modes was “Defense”, a PvE co-operative horde mode that tasks the players with banding together to stop ever-increasing waves of enemies from attacking and destroying your base. As every level in Brick-Force is created wholly by the players themselves, they get to decide where the bases are and where your enemies spawn, meaning that the more experienced constructors can design stages as elaborately as they like.

There’s an incentive to get inventive, as players can judge any maps you create, and commonly-used and high-scoring levels reward you with more points to spend on the array of weapons and designs available in the game’s store. Those who aren’t as creatively inclined or just can’t wait to unlock that shiny new gun can boost their points haul via micro-transactions, though it is possible to play as much as you want without spending a penny. Popular and well-revered levels appear higher on the leaderboards, and examining each map will give viewers access to a myriad of stats, not unlike the battlelog system. There are already clans and communities well known for their world-building prowess, and to this effect, we were shown a time-lapse video with viewing figures well into six digits that begun with a blank canvas and ended in a sprawling world perfect for gun-fighting mayhem.

The second new mode shown was dubbed “Build and Destroy”; two teams of eight are given five minutes to construct a level from scratch, forcing players to think on their feet and get creative under pressure, which the developers claimed has given rise to maps people wouldn’t ordinarily think of when confronted with a larger timeframe to build. Once the timer runs out, the match reverts to a team deathmatch across the newly created map, meaning that those entering the mode are bound to find something new every time they play.

Those pining for shooters of old can find themselves lost in Brick-Force, as some members of the community have recreated their favourite maps from shooters of the past so that they can play again with their peers. Those with fond memories of Quake will also soon find themselves at home, as Infernum are planning to bring in an anti-gravity mode similar to the id title. Other future additions include the implementation of post-match leaderboards, tournaments and daily challenges that will reward players with additional points, adding to the RPG element inherent throughout the title. Don’t expect to be able to skip out of matches and reap the benefits, as you’ll only stand to receive any rewards if you see the skirmishes through to the end.

Infernum are eager to introduce clan support as well as a friends list and messaging system, as they’re intent on having Brick-Force become part of the competitive-gaming scene and have been in heavy talks with several companies to add the sandbox shooter to their leagues. With such a rapidly growing community behind it and the burgeoning amount of competitive modes being added into the title, it’s more than likely that you’ll be seeing Brick-Force in a whole range of competitive events, especially with modes like Build and Destroy adding a whole new kind of pressure for those eyeing the top prizes.

Last but not least, we were told that Brick-Force’s full build mode would soon be coming to the iOS and Android platform, much like Minecraft’s creative mode on said platforms. The key difference between Mojang’s masterpiece and Infernum’s system is that not only can players create and edit on the go, but they can upload their creations so that they’re ready to play by the time they get home. Couple that with even more new content in the form of a superhero themed brick pack and the inclusion of explosive barrels, allowing for destructible environments for the first time in the game’s history, and Infernum’s competitors might start bricking it.

Brick-Force has recently released for the PC, and is free to play and download from the Brick-Force website at www.brick-force.com.

• Best of 2015: Journey's End: A New Beginning
• Journey's End: A New Beginning
• You Can't Choose Your Happy Ending
• Okay, Let's Fix Comedy In Games - The V-Effekt
• Time Keeps On Smashing Away