TimeGate Announces Section 8 Sequel

TimeGate Studios has shocked the world with the announcement of Section 8: Prejudice, a follow-up to the 2009 multiplayer FPS Section 8.

The big announcement that was promised earlier this week has finally arrived and it’s Section 8: Prejudice, a “full-fledged sequel” to last year’s Section 8. TimeGate hasn’t said much about the game at this point but the debut trailer makes it look very much like its predecessor: A high-speed, team-based FPS with an emphasis on multiplayer.

Section 8 added an interesting twist to the online shooter formula by eliminating fixed spawn points. Instead, as part of the elite 8th Armored Infantry, players would drop onto the battlefield from hovering dropships, allowing them to enter the fray from anywhere. It added an element of tactical unpredictability that worked both ways: Players could spawn behind enemy strongpoints but could also be shot down during their descent.

So what’s the shock? As cool as it sounds, Section 8 wasn’t terribly well-received. Review scores were middling and the single-player campaign was essentially just a tutorial for online play, but it never really caught on and populated games are reportedly hard to come by. In other words, it’s not the sort of game that really screams out for a sequel.

On the other hand, a sequel is a chance to get right what you screwed up the first time around, so maybe this one will be closer to TimeGate’s mark. Platforms have not yet been announced but the original Section 8 was released for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Section 8: Prejudice is currently expected to hit in early 2011.