Bandai Namco delays Get Even to 2016

Get Even

I had completely forgotten about Get Even, the Farm 51-built shooter that was announced in very early 2014 with a strange little trailer and a promise of a "photo-realism aspiring, single/multiplayer hybrid first person shooter." But today's announcement of a publishing deal with Bandai Namco—and a delay to 2016—has brought it all back. Unfortunately, what is has not brought back is any clarity over what the game is about.

See what you make of this: "Get Even is the psychological thriller movie genre made video game, blurring lines and blending the frantic tension of the FPS genre with the oppressive intimacy of a complex personal investigation," Bandai Namco said in the announcement. "Eschewing the usual clichés and gung-ho scenarios currently inhabiting the FPS genre, Get Even packs an alternative, mature and intriguing story combined with strong shooter elements."

I cannot help but be impressed by how much that description has interested me, even as it tells me virtually nothing about the actual game. It's a shooter, which we already knew, and it will feature a "mature" story, another detail that was already on the table as well. Interestingly, no mention is made of the multiplayer elements, despite that being a focal point of the original announcement and the "making of" trailer from last April that's embedded above. That may or may not reflect a change in the game's direction; The Farm 51's website talks about removing "the artificial barrier between single-player and multiplayer," but it also still carries a 2015 release target.

2016 is admittedly not much detail as far as launch windows go. The important thing, at least for those of us who think this is a potentially interesting idea, is that Get Even is still being worked on. And with Bandai Namco's involvement, hopefully we'll start to see more of what's in store in the relatively near future.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.