As a fan of asymmetrical systems in video games (you know, despite lacking the actual friends to play them) I've always found myself at odds with the way in which few developers actually dedicate themselves to that style. I mean sure, you get the 'dime a dozen' asymmetrical multiplayer showdowns, but I feel like this could be an area of great potential for actual story-driven experiences too. (In fact, I may even have a few fleshed out ideas to that regard.) It's a difficult balance to strike, no doubt; but given how everyone talks about games and 'the power to bring together', it's somewhat alarming that it's not been done justice yet. Perhaps it will take an indie studio to set that ball rolling, because 'Operation: Tango' seems aimed at just that. (That would be the game, and not the military-themed gay erotica novel of the same name.)
'Operation: Tango' is a spy thriller that poses it's players with a choice right off the bat; will they play as an Agent or a Hacker. Now the potential for both should seem fairly obvious from the job title alone, but the gameplay trailer they announced the title with really spelt things out. The Agent would be the person on the ground in an infiltration environment, dodging security systems and bypassing doors whilst attempting to remain as stealthy as possible. The Hacker, on the otherhand, would keep completely off site during the operation and act in a support capacity, taking control of camera feeds and turrets in order to make the way easier for their stealth partner. Now I doubt that's the extent of the cooperation this game will offer but that gives a sound enough base-line for the sort of vision this team is looking for. A stealth game that pushes the envelope forward into codependency, away from solo infiltration missions which were popularised, and arguably perfected, by the Metal Gear Solid franchise.
Metal Gear is dead, so it's high about time that we all move on and see what could be new in the stealth world. Whether or not that was the sort of legacy weighing on the team's mind when they made this, (I'm guessing it most certainly was not) it's still rather evident that significant thought and effort has been put in in order to make this right. That is to say, in a manner that doesn't end up feeling as flimsy and gimmicky as your latest Ubisoft game. In fact, on Playstation Blog the game's director, Mattieu Bégin, compared the development process to "building two games in one." Personally I'll admit I do find this rather fascinating, particularly on the side of the Hacker whose said to have a "Unique Network" in each mission location. Stealth games are an art at this point, so creating a robust and dynamic stealth experience will likely result in an incredibly familiar sensation for folk like me, (Who live and breathe stealth) but I've never seen a game completely based around running tech support, so I wonder how that will shape out. It will certainly be a balancing game as each role needs to feel powerful but reliant on the abilities of the other, colour me intrigued.
When it comes to the actual mechanics of how a game like this will function, as in 'a game that relies completely on teamwork', things are actually very straightforward. This isn't the sort of title that'll be designed for the antisocial to enjoy as well, no, instead each party will be required to have a headset and to communicate together regularly. This alone is the sort of step you won't see a lot of other games taking any time soon as it's somewhat prohibitive to a whole market of potential consumers, I.E. folk like me. But I respect the team's willingness to take that risk in the same vein as modern indie multiplayer-dependant titles such as GTFO. (It's a bold step that I hope pays off for them.) On their steam page the team actually tease about the difficulty of their puzzles, for those that fear things will be too robust and straightforward, which is an important factor to consider as these sorts of games can get boring quickly. I would like to get an example of what some of these puzzles might end up actually looking like, but there's plenty of time for more trailers before the prospective launch window of next year. (Heck, I'm not even convinced that this year will ever end!)
Aesthetically the game has commandeered this colourful, cartoon-y 70's style that's meant to play to the whole 'spy drama' concept. That means a lot of orange, big font text, and a protagonist who appears to sport a huge Afro despite the fact she is the Agent and there's no way that thing is covered when she ducks behind those tables. With a concept like this, and indeed even a thematic style like this, there strikes this pleasing blend with the loud brash colours of the latter and the cold hostile environments of the former. A collaboration of opposites, so might say, to achieve a style that feel fitting allround. So far I like what I'm seeing. The Steam page, too, seems to hint that later on some of the scenarios will "Create classic Hollywood Spy moments", so I look forward to seeing if there'll be 'Moonraker' themed levels and the like. (The movie might suck but it could make for a cool game scene.)
Clever Plays, the indie studio behind this little title, still have yet to 'walk the walk' in terms of the sort of gameplay shown off in the trailer so far. We've heard so much about how these gameplay styles are supposed to combine in a manner that will be inseparable, but all we've seen so far are ways in which a Hacker player would be useful, not essential. The turrets look easy enough to sneak around and the doors appear to be hackable by the Agent character alone, so it looks like progression isn't going to be artificially hampered in order to benefit cooperation. Now, speaking as anyone who's ever walked up to a fence and been told that they need a second player in order to scale it (Screw you, 'Splinter Cell: Blacklist', 'Escapists 2' and 'Resident Evil 5', off the top of my head) This'll probably be a good thing. Forced cooperation is the absolute laziest way to include co-op play into your game. But when the title in question straight-up is designed to be played by two players, the question comes of whether or not the game can be soloed. (Which we shouldn't be asking.)
That isn't to question the talent of the studio, by the by, as they were behind the apparently well received rougelite, 'Leap of Fate', but this is an entirely different kettle of fish in that regard. There's fundamental design questions to be asked that I'm fascinated to see if the team are capable of answering, as I feel it could prove a great example for the industry if they nail it. Cooperative games seem to be making something of a comeback in recent years, with Hazelight's recent 'A Way Out' proving that there's a place of coach co-op in this world of competitive multiplayer. Now 'Operation: Tango' is not, as far as I can tell, a couch co-op title, but it proposes to fill that same void in the gaming landscape; of a dedicated cooperative experience that people can share with their friends. With games like those I've mentioned alongside titans who can pull off both such as 'Divinity Original Sin 2', we could be looking at the rise of a sub culture that I'm very happy to see nurtured.
Ultimately, 'Operation: Tango' shapes up as a unique proposition, if one that I personally wouldn't even be remotely interested in because I don't have friends. The community of co-op players has really been starved these past two console generations, and no, those '3 player party'-based looters shooters don't count. Independent studios often operate with a certain level of creative freedom that most in the industry aren't privy to, and I'm glad that teams like Clever Plays are using that as a chance to shake things up. I'm on board with the idea, would like to see a lot more of the game, but am still willing to say that this is certainly a game to keep an eye if that's your sort of thing.
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