Rogue Trooper Redux has a strange and long history. The series itself started out as a story in the British comic 2000 AD about a genetically enhanced super soldier who happens to be blue. From there these stories garnered a strong cult following and a number of video games were made because of this. In 2006, a game entitled Rogue Trooper came out for PS2, Xbox, and PC. And a few months back, the original creator, Rebellion Developments, announced out of the blue (pun intended) the game was getting a remaster for the Ps4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
For those needing a refresher, here’s what Rebellion had to say about their title:
“Rogue Trooper Redux will remaster the Rebellion classic for a new generation of players, taking them to the chem-blasted battlefields of Nu Earth. Rogue, a bio-engineered Genetic Infantryman (or “GI”) immune to the planet’s poisonous atmosphere, is the last soldier standing against the colonial Nort regime. Carrying three fallen comrades as biochips in his equipment, Rogue is a one-unit squad of death and destruction, and he only has one thing on his mind – Revenge.”
While a few videos have been shown giving a history of the titular character and some small glimpses of the redone graphics, today marked the first trailer with actual gameplay. The preview is narrated by the original programmer, Rich May and contains the first section of the story.
Our protagonist Rogue is dropped in the middle of a battle zone with the nafarious Nort regime. The action feels quite smooth but with the mid 2000s trappings of a third person shooter. The pace moves from one canned cutscene to another with different gameplay opportunities thrown in for good measure.
At one point you’re firing a gigantic ‘lazooka’ (laser-bazooka I assume) to take out turrets on a tank and at another you’re using a mounted gun to take down an enemy aircraft. There are cover mechanics here and there and stealth kills to show that this is not just another 3D run and gun.
The most interesting aspect comes from your fellow super soldiers Gunnar and Bagman. Spoiler: they’re killed early on (one even croaks in the gameplay trailer) but they are saved via microchips. These pieces of technology are then integrated into your gear (Gunnar in your gun, and Bagman in your backpack) and give you the option of implementing new skills. Your upgraded carrier for instance will allow you to craft bullets out of the materials you scrounge from the battefield.
Even with the enhanced graphics, the game still looks pretty old by today’s standards. But, the action does look smooth and if the game plays well, the visuals are less important. The video also makes clear that this is ‘pre-beta’ footage as well.
Unfortunately no release date has been given with this first gameplay look. You can either hold your breath until your blue in the face or check out Rogue Trooper Redux for yourself with the trailer below: