Metastasis
By Adam Foster

Metastasis begins with an intro scene, where a camera follows a helicopter as it flies over the island. To convert this to coop, so all players can experience the intro as the designer intended, we had to make new systems for the support of cameras and teleportation in coop. Our camera system lets us switch between experiences shared by the group of players simultaneously, or those of individuals, depending on the circumstances of the map. The same type of system applies to the teleportation of players, for example in the beginning of Metastasis, the teleporter that places all the players on the beach simultaneously (at designated spawn destinations to avoid tele-fragging) at the start of the game, is also used to place individuals when they respawn after dying.

The players go straight into action, storming the beach under fire as soon as the intro finishes. The rebels must infiltrate the defences around the island, and then enter the huge underground base. Well placed, and cleverly scripted, Combine attacks threaten the players all the way down into the bowels of the base.

These maps are huge and with elimination on and the difficulty up its a good challenge. As you go deeper into the base you will find some gorgeous mapping and vicious fire fights.