Rogue Point Revives Classic Shooter Action

Rogue Point arrives in Early Access as a direct response to the demanding, grind-heavy shooters that dominate the modern landscape. This cooperative PvE title from Crowbar Collective champions a back-to-basics philosophy, focusing on quick, replayable sessions meant for pure fun with friends. The developers explicitly designed it as an antidote to the “sweaty,” time-intensive nature of many contemporary first-person shooters.

Brad Sheremeta, the studio’s marketing lead, contrasts the experience with competitive titles like Counter-Strike, which can often lead to frustration. The aim with Rogue Point was to create a title that was more about having a laugh with friends. It joins a growing trend of accessible “friendslop” games that prioritize social play over intense competition. Its retro-inspired, no-frills approach also taps into a market desire for simpler, complete experiences, reminiscent of a bygone era in gaming.

Adam Engels, owner of Crowbar Collective, describes the project as a return to fundamentals. He emphasizes that everything is contained within the one package, avoiding the common industry practice of segmenting content across numerous paid DLC expansions. The team looked to player-friendly models from the past, such as the straightforward unlock systems in classics like GoldenEye 007, as inspiration for post-launch content.

Respecting the player’s time is a core tenet. The game features eight missions across four maps, where squads of four battle escalating enemy waves. Sessions are concise but highly replayable due to randomized elements and variable difficulty. “It’s a shorter, tight-knit game,” Sheremeta notes, acknowledging that many modern titles trap players in a perpetual grind. The goal is a flexible experience where players can choose to rush in recklessly or employ careful tactics.

The retro feel extends to its technical design. The game uses peer-to-peer networking, which Engels argues ensures longevity, allowing people to play it easily even a decade from now. The team is also proud of the game’s lean 10-gigabyte size, a stark contrast to the massive installs required by many AAA shooters. They achieved this partly through efficient “trim sheet” texturing techniques, a lesson learned from their extensive work on the Black Mesa remake.

That prior experience was invaluable but didn’t make development easy. Crowbar Collective, structured around profit-sharing from its fan-project origins, faced significant funding challenges. Securing a publisher was a chaotic process of vague rejections and ghosting before finally partnering with Team17. Engels observes that the barrier for developers is now even higher, with publishers often demanding a polished vertical slice before any serious discussion.

The shift to developing Rogue Point was a major leap. Moving from Valve’s Source engine (used for Black Mesa) to Unreal Engine 4 for a brand-new multiplayer project meant starting from scratch. “We knew we didn’t know what we were doing,” Engels admits. While Unreal Engine 5 released mid-development, the team stuck with UE4, prioritizing performance and a consistent art direction over cutting-edge graphical features.

Engels strongly believes that art direction is much more important than technology. He cites games like Titanfall 2 and the recent Pacific Drive as examples where a strong artistic vision creates a lasting impression beyond raw technical specs. He hopes Rogue Point can help demonstrate the viability of the AA market, a space for testing interesting ideas without the enormous financial risks of AAA development, ultimately fostering more creativity in the industry.

(Source: Games Industry)