This article was first published in the July 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online "Games like Call of Duty are gigantic," says Piotr Iwanicki, director of first-person shooter Superhot. "To compete, you need a guerrilla strategy."
Iwanicki, 30, conceived the title at 2013's online 7DFPS (seven-day first-person shooter) game jam. With one week to build a working game, his small team brainstormed ideas. "What works best is smashing ideas together," he says. By mixing shooting with strategy games, they created one where time -- and enemies, and bullets -- only moves when the player does. The result: a combination of chess-like tactics with stylised drama.
Despite Iwanicki's initial team missing an artist -- the 3D models were built by two high-school students who offered to help -- the game was a hit. Fan hype and a successful $250,000 (£170,000) Kickstarter followed, with legendary Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski promising to contribute a level.
After two years of polishing, the finished version takes the innovative gameplay in new directions. "The first version was a game about shooting," says Iwanicki. "Now, it's more about fighting in your own style." Superhot for PC, Mac, Linux and Xbox One, is out this month
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
