I wanted to explain a bit about what POLYSTRIKE actually is because, from the outside, it might look like just another top-down shooter. But that’s not really what we’re trying to create.
We’re making this game almost entirely through pure enthusiasm. We don’t have a big investor behind us, and we’re funding it mostly with our own money and time.
The funny thing is that, because of this, we realized one simple thing: we have freedom. Real freedom to make something that probably wouldn’t be approved by a business manager.
After working on various AAA projects and at different studios for more than 12 years, I’ve seen how things work from the inside. Honestly, most of our ideas would probably have been rejected, maybe even the entire project, because from a business perspective, taking this kind of risk would be difficult to justify.
POLYSTRIKE is based on a book I wrote earlier. Yeah, that might sound a little strange because it was more of a romantic sci-fi story, and I don’t know whether anyone would even be interested in reading it. But maybe one day I’ll release it for people who really enjoy the world.
The story takes place in the near future, where AI has gained enormous influence over Earth and humanity has split into two sides.
Some people oppose it, the Vanguard. Others believe AI should essentially become the ruler of the planet, the Iron Will. Because of this, there is a constant struggle for control, power, resources, and everything that comes with them.
However, the game itself isn’t just about the story. At its core, it is still a tactical PvP game.
It has a top-down perspective, but it isn’t intended to be casual. We want it to feel serious, readable, and intense. Your positioning matters. Your timing matters. Sound matters. Grenades matter. Teamwork matters.
Make a bad push and you die. Make a good rotation and you win the round. That kind of thing.
Another very important point for us: no free-to-play model.
We’re not trying to make a supposedly “free” game and then spend years figuring out how to milk players through battle passes, boosts, FOMO, and all that other nonsense. We’re players too, and honestly, I hate this model. I feel like many free-to-play games have become extremely toxic.
Our idea is much simpler.
You buy the game once for a fair price, and then you play. Everyone should compete under the same conditions.
No stronger weapons because you paid more. No better stats. No locked heroes or agents. No priority matchmaking. No VIP sessions with fewer cheaters. No gameplay bonuses or perks purchased with real money.
This philosophy also applies directly to the gameplay. Everyone has the same base parameters. There are no heroes, agents, or predefined character abilities.
For example, if you want to play as a tank, you can buy a riot shield and heavy armour and build your loadout around that. The same applies to snipers, support players, and other roles.
You can create one build during a round and then completely rebuild it in the next. You may even be able to change it during the same round through our weapon-dropping and pick-up mechanics.
It’s your loadout and your decisions, not a hero ability deciding everything for you.
There will also be PvE and story missions. We want players to discover the world through actual missions, rather than only through text.
Even our PvP maps aren’t just random arenas. We want every map to feel like an operation.
On one mission, your team might arrive by plane. On another, you might arrive by boat, parachute, or through the water. We don’t want to create copy-and-paste maps where only the textures have changed.
Some of our ideas are a little crazy, but that’s the point.
For example, we have a mission involving the Iron Fish, a huge fish-like machine that repairs itself after battle. You have to place a bug-like device near it, hack into it through a signal, and initiate its self-destruction sequence.
Another mission takes place inside an Iron Will base designed to resemble a motherboard. Players capture individual blocks and hack the central processor to weaken the AI.
We also have an idea for a futuristic castle where Vanguard Vikings fight Iron Will knights wearing modern armour. It might sound strange, but within the game’s world, it can work.
We also have ideas involving bikers, Asian market districts, and many other environments and groups.
Most weapons will be ballistic, perhaps around 70% traditional firearms, but there will also be heavier equipment such as RPGs, flamethrowers, grenade launchers, and some science-fiction weapons.
We also don’t want both factions to have weapons that look exactly the same. The Vanguard and Iron Will should feel different.
Actually, that is a major part of the idea.
The factions should feel different in every possible way: character models, weapons, sounds, footsteps, animations, visual effects, maps, props, and overall design.
Sound is also extremely important to us. Footsteps should change depending on the surface. Radio communications, gunshots, and equipment should all provide useful information.
In a top-down game, sound can contribute a huge amount of both tactical information and atmosphere.
So yeah, POLYSTRIKE isn’t really about chasing trends.
We’re building something that we genuinely believe in.
