Hey marines,
A new update is live now! And as the Summer has just begun, it is time to start your mission and the long-awaited Campaign mode Beta! It's an open Beta, you can try this new mode and let us know your thoughts! The Steam Summer Sale is starting, and USC: Counterforce is 40% off until July 11!
Explore what the Campaign mode has in store for you and experiment with its exclusive mechanics and features! You will be able to create your avatar, choose your affiliation, manage your marine roster, and go on the first missions of the Campaign, both on a global and small scale, with the strategic map!
Here are some important elements to know before you dive in:
- The translation in Simplified Chinese for the Campaign is still ongoing. This means that the Campaign Beta is currently only partially localized in Simplified Chinese and will default to English for currently untranslated terms.
- The Campaign Beta previews its exclusive mechanics but lacks final narrative content and objective progression. Expect potential issues, and saved progress won’t carry over to v1.0. Full features will launch with the final update.
Player Avatar Creation and Affiliation System
Customize your Campaign and make impactful choices that influence your tactical opportunities while offering diverse pathways and outcomes, making each journey distinct and impactful.
Avatar creation: In the new update adding the beta version of Campaign mode, you can now enjoy the feature of creating your own avatar and customizing it to reflect your unique style and preferences.
Affiliation system: Additionally, you will be able to choose your affiliation. You can buy different upgrades, prototypes, and even nukes through each unique affiliation and make use of the black market for acquiring critical resources.
Strategic Map and Persistent Mechanics
The Campaign mode introduces the strategic map with global dynamic events but also small-scale sector-based missions. Your progression in the Campaign mode is persistent, this includes your inventory and marines.
Sector-based missions: Each sector presents its own challenges, and you must strategically build and defend your bases against the ever-moving hordes of aliens! These missions will let you engage against alien hordes with a task force, explore derelict sites, and eradicate nests on-site.
Strategic map layer: The map also features a dynamic weather and day-night system that affects outdoor missions, adapt your plan to the events of the map. Take direct control of any sector by landing squads and establishing an outpost, and also manage on a global scale by monitoring any activity on the planet, including alien hordes and weather events. Gather information and organize your course of action by scanning the sectors and nuking dangerous areas.
Persistent progression: What you obtain, lose, and consume is persistent throughout the whole Campaign. This works for both units and inventory, which means that a death is permanent. All your marines are unique and have their own XP bar and leveling systems, along with a status system tracking their availability, injuries, and condition, adding depth to the roster management and making each of your decisions critical for your long-term success or demise.
New environment: Step into the crystal caves, available in nest missions!
Upcoming Features
The Campaign mode Beta already brings a big part of what you will find in the full version on July 18. However, while the beta version showcases many new features, several key elements are still under development and will be available in the full release. These include the general campaign progression, the story and narrative with special missions and multiple outcomes, and your personalized avatar mechanics, including the game over and personal stake. Other content like corporation-given missions tied to the affiliation system, cutscenes, the Campaign tutorial, and the in-game help system are not yet implemented. It's also important to note that save files from the Beta will not be compatible with the final release!
Read the full patch notes here.
Store.steampowered.com
During the making of the Campaign mode, we've published Dev Diaries introducing in details its content and mechanics, read them here to learn more!
- Dev Diary #3—Campaign Squad Management Preview
- Dev Diary #2—Campaign Mechanics Preview
- Dev Diary #1—Campaign Feature Preview
Get the game at a 40% discount from today to July 11! Experiment with the Campaign modes and its new and unique features!
We can’t wait to know what you think about the Campaign, feel free to share your feedback with us in the Steam discussions! Stay tuned for the full launch of the Campaign and the 1.0 release!
The USC: Counterforce team
