The first person shooter genre is often one that’s considered stagnant and stuck in its ways, with relatively fresh and exciting takes on the formula like Titanfall and Evolve failing to draw enough interest from the Call of Duty crowds to remain relevant for long. However, back in 2006 The Ship offered something very different indeed. It demanded stealth, guile and a healthy dose of social engineering to survive the murder parties on the various sea-faring tubs.
But that was then and this is now and in 2015, the game’s ageing UI, mechanics and aesthetics, while passable, aren’t quite as charming as they once were. Which is why it’s rather exciting that the game’s original publisher, Blazing Griffin, has announced that an HD version of the game is set to launch in early 2016. It’s even released the above teaser trailer for it.
In each round of The Ship, players are given a target to kill, but no one knows who is out to kill them. You all wander the ship making conversation, gathering makeshift weapons, and hunting your target without alerting them to your plans. Meanwhile, another player is your would-be assassin, hunting you across the frigate.
While unfortunately the original team that developed The Ship, Outerlight, is long gone, two of the original developers are acting as technical director and lead programmer on this new project. We also know that the game is in its very early stages and that what we see in the trailer is the original models from the game, plus a motion capture model with some prettier skinning.
The publisher has also confirmed that the game will mostly be a visual upgrade from the original, though don’t rule out some more functional changes and tweaks too. It’s intended as a multiplayer only release and there are currently no plans for workshop support.
It’s also worth noting that the original The Ship is currently discounted during the Steam Summer Sale. You can pick it up here, for just $2.50. It even comes with a single player component. Just bear in mind that accessing a populated multiplayer server takes a bit of hoop jumping.
