Have you ever played a demo for a game and thought to yourself, “man that was really cool, I can’t wait until it actually releases.” A few months pass and you’ve completely forgotten about it until a friend sends you an article about a game they find cool and suggest you check it out.

Suddenly, you think, oh man how long has it been? What has changed in the game during all this time? This is what I experienced with Ocean Drive Studios’ Blackout Protocol.

While we were at PAX East this year, we had the chance to catch up with Ocean Drive Studios and see how they have updated Blackout Procol as well as check out the spin-off to Lost Eidolons called Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch.

Blackout Protocol

In 2022, I met with Ocean Drive Studios to preview Blackout Protocol and Lost Eidolons. Due to an injury suffered earlier in the day, I was unable to play the demo so the developers had to show me the games.

Up first was Blackout Protocol. At the time, Blackout Protocol was designed to be a multiplayer experience where each character had a special skill they could utilize in order to help fight off the hoards.

Playing the game solo felt like an uphill battle where you had to play tactically or else you would die quickly. In July of 2023, Blackout Protocol entered early access but the developers were far from done with the game.

With Co-Op as the previous goal, the AI in the game was programmed for a group firefight. Over the last two years, Ocean Drive Studios has been working on fine-tuning the game so that it can be either a solo or co-op experience.

Now, players can choose how they want to play. When deploying, the player can choose which weapons they want to use. Each weapon has different cooldown, ammo clips, and firing rates. As the player explores the level, they are able to find new gear, ammo, gold, and other items.

The core gameplay itself seems to have changed as well. The level design feels more linear than before. The map feels like it was created to help guide single players throughout the level.

Honestly, the updated level design made the game more appealing, though it left me wondering, how does the game change or adapt when you have three players in a level vs one.

The core gameplay was more polished and it felt like the developers have been taking the time to find a level of balance to make the game accessible to everyone.

Blackout Protocol has been available in early access for Windows PC (via Steam) and will hit full release across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.