From the studio that brought you Smite, Paladins, and more recently, Realm Royale, comes Rogue Company - a slightly familiar but I guess in some ways new spin on the objective-based arena shooter. It's has guns, it has attitude, and it probably has some other redeeming qualities in there somewhere. Most importantly, however, it has a new trailer and launch window.
After watching the trailer, my first impression was that it looks a whole lot like what I'd imagine a Saints Row game would if it were trying to chase that Overwatch money. This is by no means a bad thing in my opinion, but it's unclear if that's the vibe they were going for. Mind you, the trailer features mostly alpha footage and therefore is subject to change.
Gameplay-wise, Rogue Company doesn't look to be breaking the mold too much, sticking to genre norms by pitting teams against one another to complete objectives and rack up kill counts. Not exactly a novel concept, but at the very least the game looks like it has some heart. Players can also earn cash by securing objectives and scoring kills, though it's unclear whether it's spendable or simply points being framed as currency to meld with the game's theme.
The game's "lore" centers around a group of mercenaries that seem to really love being in the business of shredding ass for money, which is fine. The trailer gives us a brief glimpse at the sort of personalities we'll be able to choose from, each with their own schtick: There's a gal who can throw katanas (which seems really inefficient but who am I to judge), a masked man with an affinity for hand grenades (at one point he literally says "I really love these grenades), Agent 47's Yakuza doppelganger, and an "American" - whose nationality I'm assuming is enough to imply that he is handy with guns. There were a few others in there, but they sadly didn't get enough screen time for me to make witty jokes about.
Lastly, it's worth noting that Rogue Company is coming to PC and consoles (including the Switch!), and supports cross-play amongst all platforms, which is a real plus.
I'm not typically one for these sorts of games, as their competitive aspects more often than not breed hostility amongst otherwise reasonable people - not to mention wreak havoc on the blood pressure. All to say, it's just not my bag, baby. However, anyone with an interest in trying Rogue Company for themselves can head over to the game's website and sign up for the Alpha.
