Silica is a Czech shooter/strategy hybrid.

We had the opportunity to see and try this game less than a year ago directly at the Bohemia Interactive office. AND some of us even continued to test and provide feedback to the authors long after the presentation ended.. Although the official release of the game is just now, we can present it based not only on official information and materials, but also on our own experience and impressions from the battles on the arid planet Baltarus, where Silica takes place.

The setting of a fictional planet thousands of light-years from Earth may be familiar to fans of the Dune saga that was born in the writer’s books. Frank Herbert. Of course, this similarity is not accidental, since Silica is, to some extent, a tribute to the classic real-time strategy Dune II. since 1992. At least that’s how the development manager presented the whole project to us from the beginning. Martin “Drum” Melicharekmain creator Take Marsformer employee of Bohemia Interactive, now an independent creator, also involved in the development in the past. Carrier Command: Mission Gaia or data disk Arma 2: Operation Arrow. And who mostly works alone or in a very small team on a new project.

But Silica is more than just Dune II in the new version. Yes, here we are also talking about the search and extraction of rare raw materials, in particular, a substance called balterium. However, not some ancient clans with noble names compete for it, but human and alien squads. Insects are alien units, to be exact. Thanks Silica does not skimp on really remarkable and interestingly designed specimens, reminiscent of ordinary beetles, scorpions or crabs.

However, these creatures are not only different in appearance, they also mostly behave differently and have a different focus, which often leads to significant differences in size. And trust us, once you see a giant Goliath in the sand dunes that can turn into a ball and attack like a barn-sized Pokemon, you’ll never forget it. On the human side, in addition to differently armed foot soldiers, we also find various vehicles.which include a high-speed ATV, a formidable siege tank or harvester, a massive harvester Balteria.

Throughout the course, both human and alien factions can be recognized. matches that can be played both in multiplayer and in single player with artificial intelligence. And not only from a safe distance, i. from the position of a commander playing Silica as a classic real-time strategy game, but also at close range thanks to the first-person shooter mode. Thus, both genres that the game combines are fully represented, and at the same time, no one forces you to use only one of them..

Thus, great strategists in the role of commander can constantly send Reapers to the field of silicon crystals from which Balterium is mined, arrange the construction of various buildings or send all possible units into battle. Needless to say the ability to give orders to players who prefer to run around the battlefield alone with weapons in their hands – or something else that Mother Nature provided to the insect aliens.

They also have in stock the ability to take control of any vehicle or other alien species. Thanks to this, you can create really memorable scenarios. There is nothing better than playing the role of an ordinary infantryman trying to defend his base, while glowing projectiles rush past, other structures grow out of golden outlines, inert Reapers are mining crystals in the distance, and a massive creature that can kill you in the distance rushes right at you. one moment to make a grease stain.

Such a predicament and more can be experienced in a total of six unique maps and especially in the main game mode, simply named “Strategy”, which benefits the most from a combination of shooting and strategy. It’s not even a problem to oppose each other with three factions, for example, two people and one alien. But there is also the explorer mode, which has undergone significant changes during the development of Silica.

When we first visited the game, in this cooperative game mode, you had to find an armored car in the environment, and then go around areas of Balteria with it and defend against waves of alien enemies controlled by artificial intelligence, which, of course, will not give us anything. But now Prospector serves as a tutorial of sorts that can be played in both single player and multiplayer. and first person view when you start next to the lander. Subsequently, it is necessary to look for balteria fields and perform various tasks in an attempt to escape at least with a bare life.

But sometimes procrastinating and not taking the conflict on the planet Baltarus too seriously is not a good idea. That’s why Silica offers more Crazy arena mode and also rather unbalanced deathmatch. The task of the players is nothing more than to choose their favorite unit and try to destroy all opponents, no matter which side they are on and how big or small the unit they control is. Total Silica offers 5 infantry classes, 11 vehicles and 8 types of alien creatures, so there is definitely plenty to choose from. Although, given the history of Bohemia Interactive, we are still a little sad that the game does not have a futuristic Škoda. Although you may come across certain Easter eggs during the game. That is if you know where to look.

In any case, whatever you choose and whatever game mode you choose, you can always enjoy a very impressive audiovisual side. At the same time, Silica does not use the Enfusion engine that should be used in most of the new games from Bohemia Interactive, including Army Reforger and Army 4, or Unreal, which we encounter when playing Vigor for a change. The beauty of the planet Baltarus has been brought to us quite unexpectedly by Unity., which is why Silica is a great proof that even with this engine, respectable visuals can be achieved. It also contributes to a good impression. spectacular musical accompaniment from the talented Scott Buckley.