The year is 2008, you have just gotten back from school or work, and sign on to Xbox Live. You check your Xbox Live messages and see that you have an invite to Halo 3. At this point in time, you have probably already completed the Halo 3 Legendary campaign and well versed in the multiplayer. So what is the alternative? The easiest answer is Halo Forge. Do you remember the wild Duck Hunt or Mongoose races? If those goofy game types were your favorite and you miss those fun days then you are in luck! Introducing to you, MisBits a game by 3BlackDOTS.
At PAX East 2020, we had the opportunity to sit down with 3BlackDots and have a slight preview of MisBits. Sadly, this preview was a lot shorter than we were expecting, but the preview did a great job of showing what the game is all about. MisBits is the love child of Halo Forge meeting a toybox. The player chooses their own head and has the power to control objects in their world.
The start of the demo was a tutorial on how to control the world around you. First, we were tasked with choosing a body. Once we popped our head onto the pirate captain, we were off to the races. The tutorial showed us how to pick up equipment, swing them, and use special attacks. The arena that we practiced the basics in was easily a soccer arena. We wish that the demo was an open arena so we could compete against others.
Obstacles
After the tutorial level was complete, we were tasked with completing an obstacle course. This obstacle course was to test the player’s ability to maneuver the head between bodies while thinking about how to overcome different obstacles. The secondary aspect of the obstacle course was to show how players can create dynamic maps with different challenges. The obstacle course felt like something right out of Ninja Warrior. Between the two of us, we were able to clear the level but had to think outside of the box. There was something soothing about trying obstacles and gave us nostalgic memories of Halo 3.
Creator Mode
For the last part of the preview, the developers sat down with us to show how open-world their designed sandbox could get. Not only can players create custom design levels, but they can modify different components of each attribute to change the game mode however they want. At one point, the developer showcased two giant T’Wrex’s battling it out. Each unit showcased had their own unique abilities. The player can jump onto a stand and shoot gumballs.
Not only was MisBits an interesting sandbox game. This could be an indie title game that will be more impactful than Halo Forge if given the chance.
MisBits Game Modes
- Playhouse: roll from room to room, try different head/body combos, play mini-games, and discover hidden secrets
- Team Deathmatch: knock competitor heads off their bodies, or just take them out, for points, street cred, and MisBits fameTeam Deathmatch – all the deathmatch fun played in teams!
- Kick Brawl: best described as “combat-style soccer,” compete to score goals where heads – and the ball – will roll!
- Arcade: curated, ever-growing, collection of custom maps designed for new challenges like death runs, racing, King-of-the-Hill and many more. New ones added every week!
- ToyBox: our game creator system gives you access to every in-game asset, to build your own experiences or edit existing maps/modes with your rules.
MisBits is now available on Steam as a free to play game. When we previewed it, MisBits was $14.99. Although the game seemed like it will be a lot of fun, we were shocked even more by a unique fun and quirky booth and amazing merchandise for sale. Because of this, We awarded MisBits/3BlackDots The Best Swag Award.
Will you meet us in the Toybox? What innovative creations will you create?
https://youtu.be/dYMmDvrPsdw
