The Squadron 42 Vertical Slice, Vertical Slice or simply VS - was a recorded demo for Squadron 42 shown during the Holiday Special 2017, showcasing a one-hour "vertical slice" of the game's content/story/features. The demo was initially intended for CitizenCon 2016 but could not be completed to a satisfactory state in time for the event.[1]
Highlights
The demo showcases a segment of Squadron 42 around 1/3rd of the way through the story[citation needed], with a mix of game-play styles and environments. Most of the demo takes place from the player's perspective, however some scenes switch out to a cinematic camera to highlight elements of mo-capped acting or to give a cinematic experience.
Crew Interaction
The demo begins with a cinematic shot of the UEES Stanton arriving near Archon Base. The player wakes up onboard the Stanton sometime after the events of The Morrow Tour and the Holiday Special Teaser. Walking around, the player interacts with several members of the crew including Captain Noah White, Lars Neuer of the Security Team, and Chief Mechanic Cara Webster. The Render to Texture technology is utilized in the Briefing Room for live 3d video calls as well as military maps. It is also used later for ship-to-ship comms.
Spaceflight
After selecting a loadout from the Armory, the Player and "Old Man" Steve Colton depart on a mission into The Coil to rescue a missing Starfarer. This segment of the demo shows off procedural tech for nebulae and dust clouds. Upon reaching The Coil itself, we see lightning effects bolting between the two sides of the opening, creating very cinematic lighting.
EVA
Later in the demo, the player must EVA to examine the wreck of Advocacy Agent SAIC Rebecca Trejo's Avenger Titan in the orbit of Gainey. This environment shows off a lot of procedural scattering of orbital debris.
Atmospheric Flight
Descending to the planet, there is a break in the action to let Geoff Zanelli's soundtrack break through the sound design. The location features orbital debris raining down and burning up in the atmosphere. The destination - a rusting Chemline facility, is a sprawling complex showing off advancements in the procedural cityscape tech shown off earlier in 2017 in the Procedural Cities Demo.
Puzzle, Stealth and FPS
After landing, there is a gameplay segment involving a fairly light puzzle with the objective of turning on power to the elevator and resuming progress. Approaching the OMC's location, the player cuts through a grill using the Pyro RYT Multi-Tool, then moves the grill out of the way using the Interaction System. Within the facility, numerous stealth takedowns are used by the player, and later there is full-on FPS gunplay, concluding with finding and rescuing the captured Agent Trejo.
Gameplay Video
Gameplay With Director's Commentary
References
