The jetpack FPS is back (again) with Midair

Tribes: Ascend, may it rest in peace, won't be the end of the jetpacking FPS genre. Archetype Studios just put Midair on Steam at the end of last month, but how is it learning from the rise and fall of Tribes: Ascend?

I spoke with Chris Matthews, CEO at Archetype, to get a sense of what Midair is doing differently. For one thing, base infrastructure should be more critical in this 16-on-16 multiplayer FPS: you'll spawn with a default loadout, so you'll have to hit an inventory station each time you enter the game in order to get the exact gear you want, making it all the more important to keep the lights on in your base. Conversely, Midair wants to move away from the stay-at-home style of the engineer role we've seen in previous Tribes games, freeing up turret-builders to get out into the fight without feeling like they're neglecting their defenses.

Hear more in the video interview above, including some details on Midair's approach to jetpacking and skiing physics. Midair's currently in Early Access at $30 on Steam, but will eventually be free-to-play.

Evan's a hardcore FPS enthusiast who joined PC Gamer way back in 2008. After an era spent publishing reviews, news, and cover features, he now oversees editorial operations for PC Gamer worldwide, including setting policy, training, and editing stories written by the wider team. His most-played FPSes are Hunt: Showdown, Team Fortress 2, Team Fortress Classic, Rainbow Six Siege, and Counter-Strike. His first multiplayer FPS was Quake 2, played on serial LAN in his uncle's basement, the ideal conditions for instilling a lifelong fondness for fragging.