[PAX East 2011] – Trenched

Double Fine was on the floor showing off its newest game, Trenched, which is set to be released on Xbox Arcade.

The game focuses around an up-to-4-player co-op that pits you and your teammates against the mono-vision forces.  You and your teammates are part of a group called the mobile trench brigade.  You control a mech suit, complete with all the bells and whistles you could hope for.  You are also able to mark places to build defense turrets and satellites.  As you shoot down the mono-vision forces you collect tubes that allow you to upgrade your defenses.  The game stresses actual cooperation (I know it sounds crazy, right?), and, no matter who actually shot down the enemy, you all share the goods.  While talking with the Double Fine rep he commented how many of the guys designing the game had found that they had been playing less and less games online because of the atmosphere many games foster.  To try and get a more enjoyable time out of the online experience the company is really trying to make gamers play as a team, instead of griefing each other.

I played on a map from Europe, where the landscape had been devastated by the mono-vision forces.  The controls handled very well, and I found myself quickly shooting down the invading forces with relative ease.  Building defenses was also a lot of fun, as you were able to mark the area and watch as a missile-esque pod shot into the ground and burrowed in only to come back up as what you called for.  As usual with Double Fine, humor was at the forefront of the game, and despite all the noise on the floor, the humor still came through in the opening cut scene as well as at the end of the match.  Here, my character engaged in some severe machismo.  The game is looking great and will be a lot of fun to play when it drops later this year.