From V1 Interactive and the co-creators of Halo and SOCOM: US Navy SEALs, Disintegration is the upcoming team-based shooter, in which players control aerial-combat Gravcycles and lead Crews of ground forces in battle.

While the campaign will feature a specific character with a dedicated group of allies, the multiplayer modes enable players to choose between different Crews and their unique abilities to build a diverse team of soldiers.

In the closed technical beta that I played, two modes were available to test—zone control and retrieval. Each one requires coordination in the air and on the ground. Unit abilities affect what’s happening below, and each Crew utilizes distinct Gravcycle weapons to turn the tide in the conflict.

*The following comments are based solely on gameplay in the closed technical beta.

GAMEPLAY

The Gravcycle mechanics and movement are underwhelming at first. Coming from first-person shooters, it was jarring in the initial game to get used to navigating on the hover-bike. Changing elevation and deploying the occasional speed boost felt cumbersome.

After switching between some of the Crews, though, and adjusting the sensitivity settings, piloting the Gravcycles becomes more natural. Swiveling to face a new threat, dashing to the side to avoid incoming fire, or keeping in line with your teammates to block the enemy advance—all of it comes easier.

And beyond adapting to the new control scheme and the novel idea of coordinating ground units from an aerial position, finding the right Crew is crucial.

The diverse and motley assortment of Crews is where Disintegration really excels in creating a compelling world with intriguing characters. Each Crew is completely different, and I gravitated toward two or three of them more than the others, no matter the tactical scenario. Killer clowns with sticky grenades. Ronin warriors with burst-rifles and cluster missiles. Armored knights. Mad Max-inspired outlaws. All the Crews have memorable personalities that players can identify with.

Once I discovered the two or three Crews that I preferred, the game opened up for me, and I started to enjoy the combat more.

A distinctive element in Disintegration that separates it from other multiplayer shooters is the two-pronged combat. Aerial combat with Gravcycles engaging each other or attacking the AI units, and the ground combat where those same AI units follow commands and pursue objectives.

In the Ground Control and Retrieval modes, the ground units are essential to playing the objective, so it’s a balance of attacking enemy Gravcycles and managing control of the battlefield.

As far as modes go, there’s not much in Disintegration that players haven’t seen before. A third mode is promised at launch, but the two offered in the technical beta did not do anything new. Controlling zones and delivering a payload are typical modes found in many multiplayer games today. The only difference is in the execution where the Gravcycles and Crews work in unison.

EXPECTATIONS

I’m not sure that the Gravcycle movement is there yet. It needs some adjustment so that it feels less heavy. The machines don’t fly as nimbly as I’d hoped. V1 Interactive has some work ahead of them to give the gameplay experience a more immersive quality.

For players to enthusiastically jump into this multiplayer game, the combat experience needs to be really special. The dynamic of aerial combat informing and directing AI ground units has potential, though, and I’m excited to see what changes and improvements the developers make.

The Crews are the best part of Disintegration, and I think that V1 Interactive needs to lean heavily into emphasizing these interesting characters.

CONCLUSION

While the maps don’t create a convincing or alluring sci-fi world and the game modes can create some stale combat encounters, Disintegration has enough potential for V1 Interactive to release an exciting multiplayer shooter by building on existing strengths.