One of the most promising games I’ve seen here at WWDC so far this week is iMech Online from new studio Mobula Games. You may remember that iMech was previously released on the App Store way back in 2009, and was noteworthy for offering up to 8 player combat online. That original version has since been abandoned, and Mobula has acquired the IP from the previous developer and is giving the game a massive overhaul and re-releasing it as iMech Online.
iMech Online will again feature up to 8 person online multiplayer in a 3rd-person perspective across a variety of different arenas. It looks extremely similar to the first game, but is being given a decent graphical upgrade as well as some additional features. The biggest change, perhaps, is that it’s being designed as a free-to-play game.
Now, before you get out the pitchforks and torches, Mobula is taking a solid approach to the free-to-play thing, and is modeling iMech Online after the PC hit League of Legends. You may recall that we’re big fans of this approach, and iMech Online follows it pretty closely. There will be 15 different mechs in the game initially, each with their own unique abilities and attributes.
Each week, one will be available to try for free so you can see if you like how they play. If you do, you can purchase it with IAP, and also by using the in-game currency earned during the game. Once you’ve bought a certain mech, you’ll be able to customize it with different skins, various weapon load-outs, and more. The mechs will also come with upgradeable weapons and simple tech trees to advance through so you can tailor them to your taste once you actually own them.
The build of iMech Online shown to us at WWDC is still in an extremely early state, and there’s a lot the team is still planning on implementing, but it’s still looking quite good already:
Another interesting thing about iMech Online is that it will utilize a persistent player profile and combat rating system, so you can level up and grow your character profile and then be matched up against similar players online. For now, it looks like iMech Online will be online only, at least at first, though an offline single player mode remains a possibility for the future.
Mobula hopes to have iMech Online out around September or October later this year, and you can jump in on a discussion for the game in our forums.
