The Story

Background Story

Shattered Horizon is set 40 years from now. Man is back on the Moon and the companies that took him there are reaping huge profits. Their greed soon leads to the largest mining accident in history, when overexploitation of a risky new technique leads to a catastrophe of unprecedented scale. An explosion throws billions of tons of rocky debris into near-Earth space, its aftershocks threatening to tear apart the Moon itself.

Fragments of the Moon settle around the Earth and become known as the Arc, named after the dramatic shape they draw across the night sky. With Earth surrounded by debris there's little chance of rescue or return for the thousands of people stranded in space.

The International Space Agency's (ISA) astronauts and scientists trapped in the battered International Space Station are given the task of apprehending those responsible for the catastrophe. Weapons are among the last supplies they receive before the supply route from Earth is cut.

The Moon Mining Cooperative (MMC) finds itself facing serious charges after only barely surviving the cataclysm. Cut off from Earth, they see independence and self-sufficiency as their only possible future and the ISA as a threat to their existence.

The two sides are drawn into an armed conflict. Desperate battles are fought over strategic locations and the scant supplies from Earth that make it through the shroud of debris. Control of the Arc now means the difference between survival and death in the cold of space.

Levels

Moondust

Moondust is an oxygen-rich fragment of Moon rock where MMC miners have set up a mining facility. This is a risky venture, as the Arc's rotation brings it right under the ISA's nose. The MMC has little choice: with most of Moon's oxygen farms destroyed, they are literally fighting for air

Moondust is designed to be accessible to new players. It features a lot of indoor spaces, corridors and caverns. There are man-made structures which give a natural sense of "up" even though there's no gravity. Combat tends to be close range and sudden.

Flipside

The remains of Hadley Science Station now orbit the Moon. The station contains stockpiles of high-purity nuclear fuel that could sustain the conflict for years. Determined to cut the MMC's fuel supply, the ISA launches a mission to confiscate the supplies or destroy them.

In Flipside players fight on both sides of a broken disc of Moon rock, moving between the two through cracks and fractures in the level. As players move from one side to the other, up becomes down. Teams must control both sides to win.

ISS

A meteoroid impact has severed the International Space Station nearly in two. MMC troops seize the opportunity to raid the crippled and understaffed station. A skeleton crew of ISA astronauts must hold out against the attack.

ISS is the most open of the three beta levels. The long axis of the station provides clear direction for the players. In this level players can make full use of zero gravity resulting in fast paced tactical play.

The Arc

En route to Hadley, an ISA shuttle spots a target of opportunity. Radio signatures reveal an unexpected MMC presence on the Arc. As a strike team descends on what looks like an unmanned listening post, they walk straight into an ambush. The miners have set up a trap to capture an invaluable prize: the shuttle.

The level itself is set in the elliptical ring of rocky debris that orbits the Earth. The rocks provide cover for advancing troops, and fights take place along the Arc. When forces meet, they typically engage in furious mid-range firefights. Work closely with your team-mates; you'll need them to watch your back.

Game Modes

Battle

In Battle two teams compete to capture control points and dominate the map. Teams must defend their own control points while attacking the enemy's.

Assault

Assault is a turn-based control point capture game. Teams take turns attacking and defending. Control points cannot be recaptured by the defending team once lost. The attacking team must capture all control points in order to win the round.

Skirmish

Skirmish is a team deathmatch game mode. At the end of the round, the final score determines the winning team.

Weapons and Grenades

Multipurpose Rifle

In space it is impractical for an astronaut to have a large amount of weapons and equipment. For that reason each player in Shattered Horizon carries a single multifunctional assault rifle. Using this weapon, the player is equipped for every type of combat scenario: up-close melee attacks, medium range fire fights and accurate long range combat.

Our weapon has 60 rounds of ammunition in one magazine. You can see an ammo counter and a grenade counter on the side of your weapon. Make sure you reload before engaging the enemy. You have unlimited magazines, but if you have to reload in the middle of a firefight, you cannot defend yourself. The weapon's firing sound changed when you have 10 or fewer rounds left. In scoped mode, your rifle expends 10 rounds of ammunition in one powerful, concentrated burst.

For that reason each player in Shattered Horizon carries a single multifunctional assault rifle. Using this weapon, the player is equipped for every type of combat scenario: up-close melee attacks, medium range fire fights and accurate long range combat.

Grenades are fired with the rifle's under-slung launcher. In zero gravity, grenades have special properties: they fly straight and true, with no drop to limit the range. Players can also ricochet grenades off surfaces to attack beyond their line of sight.

All the grenades in Shattered Horizon are non-lethal. Rather than provide cheap one-shot kills, they are designed to support team tactics and enhance the zero gravity experience.

ICE

The ICE grenade releases a fine cloud of water particles which flash freeze in the vacuum of space. The ice crystals block both sight and radar. This grenade can be used to provide cover, block lines of sight or disorient enemies caught in the cloud.

EMP

The EMP grenade disables an astronaut's suit electronics. When a player is caught in an EMP blast their HUD crashes, taking away their radar and audio simulation. Their rocket pack also becomes less responsive, inhibiting movement until the suit's OS reboots.

MPR

he MPR grenade's blast pushes away astronauts and floating objects. Players can use the MPR grenade to dislodge defenders from their cover, or protect themselves from charging enemies by knocking them back.

Achievements

About Shattered Horizon™

Description

Shattered Horizon is a multiplayer first-person shooter where players fight in zero gravity surrounded by the broken remains of orbital infrastructure and billions of tons of rocky debris thrown into orbit by a huge explosion on the Moon.
With simple and intuitive controls players have complete freedom of movement, making full use of the distinctive environment to control the battle. Shattered Horizon rewards players with gameplay and tactics impossible in games constrained by gravity.
Stunning lighting effects and zero gravity physics give the look and feel of real space, bringing to life an extraordinary and epic vision of the future.

Website

www.shatteredhorizon.com

Genre

Multiplayer first-person shooter
Tactical shooter (gameplay involves teams capturing control points)
Science fiction shooter (set in near-Earth space 40 years from now)

Platforms

Windows Vista, Windows 7 - DirectX 10 graphics card required

Developer

Futuremark® Games Studio

Game Engine and Technology

In-house DirectX10 engine using PhysX and optimized for multi-core PCs.
Shattered Horizon carries the NVIDIA "The Way It's Meant To Be Played" seal.

Rating

The game has not yet been rated by ESRB, PEGI or other rating bodies.

Release date

November 4, 2009

Legal

© 2009 Futuremark® Corporation. Shattered Horizon™ and Futuremark® Games Studio trademarks and logos, Futuremark character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation.