Bohemia Interactive announced Silica is now available – their new first-person shooter and real-time strategy hybrid game.

Silica is now available for Windows PC (via Steam) via early access and will be in early access for roughly 1 year.

The game was mostly developed by a single creator and has three full playable game modes – Strategy, Prospector, and Arena at launch:

• Prospector is an introductory game mode where players fulfill specific missions in FPS gameplay.
• Strategy is the flagship game mode where players take on the role of Commander, experiencing classic real-time strategy gameplay, or Soldier, bringing an FPS twist to the genre.
• The Arena is a chaotic pure FPS shooter mode that allows everyone to try all combat units.

Here’s a rundown on the recently announced, plus a new gameplay trailer:

Command From Up High or Put Your Boots on the Ground

Silica is an immersive blend of first person shooter and real time strategy, each true to its respective genre. The game allows players the freedom of choice, without forcing them to play as both.

If you prefer sand-filled boots, bullets whizzing overhead, and menacing alien jaws closing in, the infantry role is for you. Not limited to merely foot-based soldiers, you can also take control of any available vehicles, including the colossal Harvester, the speedy Light Quad, or the insidious Siege Tank, just to name a few. Or, if chewing metal is your niche, then the hive-mind, insect-like aliens are your faction of choice. Shift your consciousness between creatures such as the stealthy Crab, the nimble Hunter, or the armored Goliath.

For those who’d rather command their forces from a distance, the esteemed role of Commander awaits you in the relative safety of orbit. Deploy Harvesters to silica crystal fields, hiding the valuable resources you’re after. Construct and place immense structures to produce and dispatch units that will dominate the battlefield.

Three Game Modes to Choose From

The game offers variety in terms of game modes. Strategy is the flagship game mode of Silica. In this mode, players battle for dominance by building, harvesting, and striking the enemy. Strategy mode seamlessly combines both RTS and FPS elements and is playable in any combination, up to a 3-way conflict between factions.

Prospector mode acts as a tutorial for Silica. It is offered as an FPS, which can be played in single or multiplayer mode. Players start off near a landing pod and are tasked with exploring the area in search of a Balterium field. They will encounter enemy forces along the way and must complete all the objectives in order to make it out alive.

The third mode – Arena – introduces a fun and crazy environment where players select their favorite unit and face off in an unbalanced FPS free-for-all.

Features

• • • First/third-person shooter with vehicles
    • 6 unique locations
    • 3 engaging game modes
    • Singleplayer and multiplayer options
    • 5 infantry classes
    • 11 distinct vehicles
    • 8 alien creatures
    • AI control for both commander and units

Introducing Bohemia Incubator: A New Opportunity for Indie Game Devs

Historically, Bohemia Interactive has not only been associated with game development, but with publishing activities as well. Bohemia has successfully helped launch titles by smaller studios and indie developers which have gone on to gain success on the global market.