2021 is packed with extremely unusual FPS game releases, and Boundary is no exception. The game, which is currently being developed by Studio Surgical Scalpels, takes the established gameplay of tactical shooters like CS:GO and moves it into the cold void of outer space. In Boundary, players fight in and around operational space stations in low orbit over Earth. The game is a team-based first-person shooter somewhat reminiscent of Rainbow Six Siege, but quite different in its mechanics and setting.
Gameplay and modes
Boundary is a competitive multiplayer shooter with no single-player modes. Players engage each other in teams of five, using an assortment of firearms and gadgets to defeat opponents in elimination and objective-based game modes. As expected of a tactical shooter, Boundary puts a big emphasis on the tools it offers to players. There are multiple playable classes, each with signature loadout options like gun shields, scanners, and medical arrays. Players can further customize their loadouts with different items, gun attachments, and cosmetics.
The biggest difference between Boundary and other shooters is the absence of gravity. Players float freely through space and move around by using jets, grappling hooks, and other three-dimensional propulsion methods. The environments of the game also feature plenty of destructible terrain, allowing creative teams to shape the maps to their needs.
At launch, Boundary will have four playable game modes:
- Facility Capture is an objective control mode, in which teams will have to fight over specific areas of the map. The longer a team controls an objective, the more points they score.
- Skirmish is a mirror-match elimination mode, in which both teams spawn with identical loadouts: everyone plays as the same class, with the same weapons and items.
- Team Deathmatch is, well, team deathmatch. The team which scores the most kills wins.
- Orbital Purge is the classic bomb defusal mode players are familiar with from CS:GO and pretty much every other tactical shooter out there. An attacking team has to plant a bomb and defend it, while the defending team attempts to disarm the bomb or wipe out the attackers. This is the dedicated competitive mode of Boundary.
Release date and platforms
While Studio Surgical Scalpels was originally planning a late 2020 launch, it had to delay Boundary due to the unforeseen challenges of developing games during the COVID-19 pandemic. Boundary is currently set for a Summer 2021 release. The game will be available on PC through Steam, and also on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. There is no word yet on whether Boundary will find its way to next-gen consoles.
