Sometimes you come across a game that immediately makes you think: this could really become something. Rogue Point was one of those games for me. A tactical shooter made by the team behind Black Mesa, fully focused on co-op gameplay. That sounds like a combination that can hardly go wrong. Rogue Point is a four-player co-op shooter where teamwork is central. You complete missions, earn money, buy gear, and try to push a run as far as possible by extracting successfully. It’s a shooter that requires a more tactical approach. You need to plan, check corners, move slowly, and most importantly, communicate. Cooperation is the key to success. Rogue Point is developed by Crowbar Collective and published by Team17.
Demo
I found the demo to be a rather unusual experience, mainly because everything felt a bit unclear, as if I was thrown straight into the wild west without much guidance. It didn’t take long before I realized that the game isn’t really designed for solo runs. The game is clearly built to be played with friends. I especially noticed this when I tried to extract. Enemies started coming from every direction, to the point where there was simply nowhere left to take cover.
Moving to Early Access
Rogue Point will soon enter Early Access. The developers state that they want to create the game together with their community, something I see more and more often with Early Access titles. Whether this is a strong approach because developers listen to their community, or a weaker one because it can also be an easy way to release an unfinished game, is a discussion for another time. As they explain: “During the release of Black Mesa and other Early Access games, we learned that a community can generate ideas and discover things that still need fixing. With your help, the team can deliver a game better than what we could have imagined on our own.” They also mention that Rogue Point is expected to remain in Early Access for about one year. “We are targeting around a year, but we won’t hesitate to increase or decrease that timeline depending on how development progresses.” For now, it’s a matter of waiting for Early Access. Personally, I hope they truly put in the effort, because the game definitely feels like it has potential.
The Current State of Early Access
According to the developers, the goal of Early Access is to deliver a polished foundation that remains fun from start to finish, with clear and rewarding milestones for players to work toward. In its current state, the game is said to include more than twenty weapons, complete with skins and a wide selection of attachments to customize your loadout. In addition, they promise a solid variety of tactical gadgets and more than sixty cosmetic items. The developers also state that they want to balance gameplay and the in-game economy together with the community during the Early Access period (I’m curious to see how far that promise will actually be fulfilled). The idea is that players will play an active role in determining development priorities leading up to the final release, with feedback directly influencing the game’s direction. Rather than following the traditional Games as a Service model, the developers say they aim for what they call Game Development as a Service, an approach where the game grows and improves together with the community during development. A lot of promising statements, but now it’s time to see whether they can actually deliver on them.
Full Release Plans
The developers have also shared how the Early Access version is expected to differ from the full release. They have an extensive wishlist for what they ultimately want to include in the game. Some examples are a well-balanced economy and refined gameplay, new maps, new weapons including attachments and gear, gender and ethnicity options for player characters, workshop support, and improved AI. It’s quite an extensive list, but I have to admit it sounds promising. If the game eventually releases with all these elements in place, it could turn into a very strong overall experience. The developers also mention that a roadmap is available for those who are interested.
If you’re interested in the game, my advice would be to consider buying it during Early Access, as the price will be higher after the full release. As the developers state: “The price of the game will increase after Early Access. We will inform the community before this happens.”
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