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Quake Champions Introducing the heroes Quake Champions was rightfully the last game featured at Bethesda’s welcoming festivities at QuakeCon 2016. Id Software’s Tim Willits excitedly took the stage to show off the game in action, beginning with a demo demonstrating just how fast the game can get. The demo character bounced across platforms rapidly, an action that made people in attendance roar with applause. Willits also showed off the return of the rocket jump, which also brought giggles from the crowd. Apparently, people attending QuakeCon really like Quake. The presentation moved just as fast as the characters in the game, revealing that fan-favorite weapons are coming back, such as the shotgun, rocket launcher, nail gun, lightning gun, machine gun, and, well, pretty much all of them. Quake Champions’ environments, while looking retro in their layouts, feature stunning details, such as sunbeams shimmering off of rocky walls, waterfalls pouring in the distance, and disturbing touches like a giant eyeball chained to the floor in the basement of an area. The game runs on a hybrid engine designed by id Software and Saber Interactive. The combat moves much faster than the recently released Doom, but doesn’t look like a reinvention of the series. One look at the game and most gamers should be able to tell you exactly what it is. While designed to deliver the action Quake players know and love, Willits says Quake Champions adds unique powers tied to each character in the game. The ranger, for instance, can teleport, whereas a new character named Scalebearer can smash other characters to bits using a bull-charge. Quake Champions’ beta hits next year with over a dozen playable characters, and more will be added as it is tested. “A lot of people say hero shooters are everywhere,” Willits told us earlier this year at E3. “Yes, that’s true, but I truly believe it’s a natural evolution of the genre. You have your core gameplay – the things that make the game great – and then adding personality, abilities, and differences to these individual characters allow you to play differently and adds a layer of gameplay.” The addition of champions was met with skepticism by the crowd, many of which voiced fear that the new hero abilities will throw off the combat balance. A character like Visor appears to have a clear advantage on the battlefield with his ability to track enemies through walls. Bethesda and Willits are adamant that champions won’t ruin the core experience, and should only expand its scope for players and eSports competitions. We’ll find out next spring when the beta hits. Willits says the beta will be as long as it needs to be, and adjustments will be made throughout. “We got to get it right,” he says. “Otherwise we’re dead in the water.” http://technotif.com/starbound-satisfying-endless-space-sandbox/