Online multiplayer games have moments of thrill, teamwork, and competitiveness, more so when designers throw in a world that reacts to all your actions. Think of PvE games where you work as a team to achieve a goal, but fight through many challenges not necessarily controlled by other players.
Such a game’s potentially good AI system and environmental challenges can make for some excellent gameplay. Think of the Heists from Grand Theft Auto Online, Raids from Destiny 2, and Payday’s classic gameplay with a few somewhat trustworthy friends. Now, there’s a new kid on the block – Fairgames.
Fairgames: Blueprints, guns, and lots of tricks
Fairgames is giving us a similar vibe. The game’s trailer during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase had us wondering if this is finally our chance to play something like PayDay 3 (which we hope releases someday). It’s pretty clear from the trailer that players get to strategize and sneak or shoot through tech-based puzzles to finally crack open the final objective.
However, the game will likely feature a PvEvP model, where players go against each other under a specific time frame to complete a similar objective. In doing so, they also have to battle each other and use solid gunplay and puzzle-solving mechanics.
As far as individual game elements go, Fairgames seemingly includes usable smoke grenades, grappling hooks, deployable shields, and many weapons that may potentially disable systems and technology around the players.
The primary objective is making as much money as possible, getting away with the stockpile while avoiding other players, or engaging them in combat to take what they have. To add to that emergent sandbox feel, there are AI systems to go against and security systems that add a roguelike challenge to every heist.
Who’s the mastermind behind this?
Originally introduced as a brand-new Montreal-based studio in 2021, Haven’s mission was to “create worlds where players can escape, have fun, express themselves, and find community.” After leaving Google when its Stadia-focused lab there was shut down, Jade Raymond launched Haven Studios.
Raymond formerly held the CEO positions at Google’s Stadia Games and Entertainment, EA Motive, and Ubisoft Toronto. Haven Studios was established in March 2021, and Sony PlayStation bought the company a year later. At the time, Haven Studios’ unnamed Fairgames was marketed as a “AAA multiplayer experience”, and is their first original intellectual property.
It seems like Haven Studios has a vision that will lay a strong foundation for a multiplayer game that shows immense potential, especially when they might offer more Fairgames content in the coming months since Payday 3 developers, too, have something for us this year.
