Coming off the heels of the success ofDave the Diver, developer MINTROCKET is taking a surprising direction with its upcoming game,Wakerunners.Dave the DiverandWakerunnerscome from two different teams within the studio, so the goals of these games are very different. Rather than followingDave the Diver’s cozy single-player aesthetic,Wakerunnerstakes the ball and runs in the opposite direction to deliver players a fast-paced, competitive multiplayer experience from a top-down perspective that aims to introduce a new element of skill using physics-based movement.
Game Rant recently spoke withWakerunnersdirector ChaeHyun Lim to learn more about how the game will iterate on past competitive multiplayer titles and carve out its own niche within the gaming space. While several games have inspiredWakerunners, this new title hopes to deliver a brand-new experience for players who invest the time needed to hone their skills. Part of how MINTROCKET looks to stand out from othercompetitive multiplayer gamesis withWakerunners' unique acceleration and deceleration mechanics that will make movement in the game a tricky skill to master.
How Wakerunners Builds its Gameplay Around Movement Mechanics
Wakerunnersdraws inspiration from competitive action games likeTekken,Call of Duty, andOverwatch, but recontextualizes these fast-paced multiplayer battles into the top-down perspective ofMOBAs likeLeague of Legends. As such, players will need to work as a team withinWakerunners' different 4v4 and 5v5 game modes, while also managing their character’s movement and skills in real-time as the match progresses. To emphasize how necessary player skill and team coordination are, players will need to understand the foundation ofWakerunners' movement physics. As Lim describes,
They are designed to be applied as the difference in skill between players and a factor in skill progression. Due to the physics of acceleration, it is impossible to stop instantly in the game, so how you control acceleration and deceleration will determine if you can win the battle between players.
With this in mind, it seems likeWakerunnersplayers won’t be able to pick an overpowered character and be guaranteed success. The game uses its acceleration and deceleration physics as a barrier between players' skill levels, with the players who master movement being more successful in the long run. This mechanic seems to be blended with theteam-based aspects ofWakerunners, which will require players to hone their skills in multiple areas of play and strategy to come out victorious.
Characters and Their Skills Will Also Be a Factor for Success in Wakerunners
While theunique movement mechanicsofWakerunnerswill shape how players engage in combat, the game will still challenge players to use their character’s various skills to maintain a competitive edge during matches. According to Lim,
Every character has melee and ranged attacks, special skills, and ultimate skills that can make the difference between winning and losing a game in critical situations. If you use them carefully and according to the game’s situation, the psychology and expectations that you play around can turn the tables at any time, even when the odds are stacked against you. This keeps you focused until the end of the game.
The design of in-game skills forWakerunners' characters points to the typical team-based multiplayer strategy of relying on the role of a given team member for success to be true, while also putting a greater emphasis on an individual’s skill with a character and knowledge of the game to create a series of equally crucial elements.
As players start to dive into the gameplay ofWakerunnersvia itsSteam Next Fest demo, they will see how these aspects of the game’s competitive battles intertwine. For fans of action-oriented competitive multiplayer games,Wakerunnersmight provide the twist they’ve been looking for in a new title. Meanwhile, this demo will likely give newcomers to the genre a chance to familiarize themselves with the game’s physics-based movement and team-oriented gameplay.
Wakerunnersis now in development for PC. A demo of the game can be played during the February 2024 Steam Next Fest.
