Polaris (2024 video game)

Polaris is a 2024 cooperative third-person shooter game developed by Polaris Team and published by Variable State for Microsoft Windows.

The game was announced in June 2024 during IGN Live. It is due to be released on Steam sometime in 2024.

Gameplay


Polaris is a 1 to 4-player co-op PvE shooter set in an original sci-fi universe. All in-game structures – installed by the Regime, the game's enemy faction – can be crushed, blown apart, and otherwise annihilated over the course of every match, and the same is true of the natural environments and terrain upon which they've been constructed. Players control superpowered freedom fighters who utilize guerrilla tactics to take back their territory while flying through dynamic open levels, destroying enemy infrastructure, and unearthing coveted mysteries that drive the Regime's war of conquest.

In promoting Polaris, the game's creative director, Jonathan Burroughs, has cited a number of games as inspirations, including the Halo franchise and Bullfrog Productions's Syndicate Wars. The game's store page also makes references to games such as the Wipeout video game series, Colony Wars trilogy, and G-Police and its sequel by Psygnosis, and franchises such as Red Faction, Just Cause, Crimson Skies, Ace Combat, and Earth Defense Force, and the 2007 video game Warhawk.

Plot


Polaris takes place in a region of space overtaken by a ruthless force known simply as the Regime. In the game, players must reclaim their homeworlds and bring down enemy strongholds using guerrilla tactics.

Development
The game was announced in June 2024 during IGN Live. The game is developed by a team of 11 people.

Polaris is developed by Polaris Team, an offshoot of Variable State, and the studio's first self-published title.

Marketing
The game was announced in June 2024 during IGN Live. At the same time, access to a closed beta was announced, with invites available to anyone subscribing to the game's mailing list.

Release
Some early reactions to the announcement incorrectly assumed the game would operate as a live service, would be free-to-play, or would be released via early access. A FAQ section on the game's store page clarified that none of these would be the case and that Polaris would be released as a complete, standalone title.

Polaris is due to be released on Steam sometime in 2024.