On its face, Supervive sounds like a phony, boardroom-pleasing “AAAA” title but this futuristic fantasy hero shooter-battle royale-MOBA hybrid. Yet smaller developer Theorycraft Games has put together a new competitive multiplayer game that feels fresh, distinct, and immensely fun.
Theorycraft Games have an excellent formula and vision on their hands, and, with some luck, might have the next big thing, barreling towards release in its drop pod. But can it break through in this crowded genre that has even more competition coming across every platform imaginable? And how good is Supervive really?
The Good:
- Crisp gameplay, great pacing
- Fast, enjoyable rounds that don’t overstay their welcome
- Excellent hero ability design that leads to interesting fights
The Bad:
- Toxic teammates can ruin games, as with any MOBA
- Steep learning curve
Review Details:
- What Platform Did the Reviewer Play On?: PC
- Platforms Available: PC
- Official Release Date: TBA
Supervive brings a much-needed fresh take on hero games
The “hero” game archetype, taking inspiration from MOBAs and shooters like Overwatch, is everywhere in 2024. There are Battlefield-style games, tactical shooters, action games, and more. If a player wants to lock in a character with unique abilities from an ever-expanding roster, they can do it all over, in numerous titles.
So how did Supervive’s take on all the most heavily saturated video game genres end up so engaging?
Theorycraft Games has a staff stacked with alumni from successful competitive games. League of Legends, Apex Legends, Overwatch, and others appear on the resumes of the developers. The developers creating this new game needed to learn from, and improve on, the titles they hail from.
So, does Supervive succeed at this mammoth task? Absolutely. Supervive has a few unique spins on the battle royale genre that are immediately clear.
Firstly, the map is set on a series of sky islands, and the open air around each of these floating levels is a deathbox if one falls too far. This means there is a constant, ever-present environmental danger to either avoid or leverage against enemies. Every character has an air dash and the ability to pull out a glider by holding down the jump key. However, taking damage causes the character to be spiked into the skybox, causing instant death.
That puts a looming sword of Damocles over every fight in Supervive, adding an interesting positional and timing aspect to combats. Should a team cross a long gap with their gliders, they could be instantly wiped by a team waiting on the other side. This adds an element of danger that quickly becomes one of Supervive’s strongest changes, despite being punishing for newbies.
Otherwise, the Supervive experience feels like many games in its shared hero space. The game has an Apex Legends-like hero selection and drop process with one key change. For better or worse, the choice of whether to the squad leader as they drop is gone. After dropping but before making landfall, there is the option for worried teammates to separate from the main drop pod. Unfortunately, it’s often not enough to escape a truly disastrous drop spot.
Super teams, super heroes, super plays
Supervive’s heroes, while falling into conventional roles, shine through their gameplay.
Sure, there’s the frontliner with a projectile-blocking shield and a huge AoE stun ultimate. There’s the long-range archer with supremely high damage. And of course, there’s an ice mage who conjures up obstructionist protect teammates and block the escape of enemies. But each of these characters has twists and nuances that give them additional depth.
For example, the Reinhardt-esque Oath packs massive healing potential. All-in pyromaniac Felix totes healing blocks and disruptive tools. Each character has something that sets them apart from their forerunners in other games.
One of Supervive’s best choices is its revival system. There are three ways to revive dead teammates; at respawn beacons, at their deathbox, or with Most Wanted. Most Wanted is a crown that can be picked up when any number of teammates are dead. It will begin a countdown, showing every other team where the Most Wanted is, but it will then fully revive the dead members without needing the revive beacon.
This means that if a fight is going poorly in Supervive, team members are often best looking for a chance to escape and run to a beacon or Most Wanted crown rather than stick out a lost fight like in some traditional battle royales.
Supervive’s combat is maybe its strongest gameplay element. Fights feel fast, frenetic, and reliant on teamwork. Button-mashing won’t get one far. Players need to learn the roster’s capabilities and anticipate and respond appropriately, like any MOBA.
The difference is that there is much less downtime in Supervive than in a traditional MOBA. Supervive gives players loads of things to do at every moment. By keeping the team together rather than spread out across a map, it packs in more of that distinctive adrenaline-inducing MOBA team fight action.
After a close round of Supervive with a full squad of friends, it’s nearly impossible to resist the urge to queue again. Supervive gives its players the tools and options to shine, equipping them with interesting and strategically engaging characters that push the envelope of the hero shooter in interesting ways. Supervive has been using genuine player voice comms for promotions since day one for one simple reason. The game is just plain fun, and transcendently so with friends.
The Bottom Line: Supervive is well worth players’ time, offering refreshing new twists and engaging, rewarding gameplay even in its pre-release form.
Score: 8/10
