NEWS: Old-school WW2 FPS Battalion 1944 available on Steam Early Access

Derby-based studio Bulkhead Interactive have released a new World War 2 shooter, titled Battalion 1944, on Steam Early Access as of Thursday, 1^st February 2018. As a project, it’s clear from the game’s trailer (shown below) that Battalion 1944 is intended to evoke feelings from classical WW2 shooters of the sixth (PS2) and seventh (360) generation of videogames. While the tagline ‘return to roots’ seems slightly inaccurate given FPS games trace their heritage to the likes of Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, it is encouraging to see a contender in the market that aims to bring those experiences back to the forefront of gaming.

Of course, the WW2 shooter is now in vogue, with the likes of Call of Duty WW2 proving stiff competition for any newcomer to the market, and it remains to be seen whether Battalion 1944 can find an identity for itself in a market so highly dominated by big players in the market. It is still encouraging to see a smaller company try. With the game published by Square Enix Collective (a branch of Square Enix dedicated to indie games), they certainly stand a chance of carving out a legacy.

It’s clear from Bulkhead’s studio lead, Joe Brammer, that the game is a labour of love: “Battalion 1944 is the game I’ve always wanted to make[…] we’ve enjoyed success at Bulkhead before, but we’re all gamers who grew up playing the best FPS games, so the idea of making one that stripped things back to the competitive nature of the shooters of old has been a dream come true.”

It is encouraging that the game has been made by people who very much love the competitive multiplayer FPS genre, and this stands to the idea of making an authentic experience that will hopefully capture such nostalgic times. Whether Bulkhead’s efforts can be successful in a highly cynical and saturated genre, however, remains to be seen. Given the game has a mixed rating on Steam, the future of Battalion 1944 game will certainly be interesting to watch, while the game itself looks suitably compelling for fans of a certain type of arcade, competitive FPS gameplay. 

More information can be found at the game's website, viewable here.