The ongoing revival of Atari’s library of arcade classics continues today with the announcement of Missile Command Delta. Unlike some ofAtari’s other recent releases,Missile Command Delta isn’t just a bigger and flashier version of the original. Instead, it delves into the question of why a missile command would be needed in the first place.
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The main gameplay loop is also going to be a bit different, offering players a turn-based tactical experience rather than the real-time shooting fans of the original would be familiar with. It’s actually kind of tempting to call Missile Command Delta a sequel, but perhaps it’s more apt to call it a fully modern reimagining.
In Missile Command Delta, players once again take on the role of missile commander, but their job isn’t quite as clear-cut as it was last time. See, the missile bunker they’re supposed to be commanding from has, apparently, spent the last several decades abandoned and has thus fallen into a state of severe disrepair. In all likelihood, the commander is probably only there to perform aninspectionrather than actually attempt to carry out operations.
As players explore the facility, they’ll find locked doors, super computers, messy office spaces and missile command terminals that are, somehow, turning on by themselves one after another. What’s more, there are actual missiles to defend against, or so the system claims, at least. It’s a threat that must be dealt with regardless, and doing so will require careful use of one’s own arsenal of ballistic destruction.
Using one’s complement of missiles properly is the difference between victory and possible destruction.
Players will have a variety of missiles at their disposal as they try to complete each challenge, each having different ranges, types and explosion radii. Failure to deploy them properly can havedireconsequences too. What exactly those consequences are has only been hinted at so far, but at the very least it seems that they include escalating tensions between the player and other characters.
This sounds quite a lot like the movie WarGames from 1983, and that’s actually rather exciting. If Missile Command Delta handles whether it’s all real or not even half as well, then this should be a fun ride.
Indeed, it seems players will not be on their own in Missile Command Delta. Others are involved in this high-stakes game, and the question of who is actually trustworthy will only grow in importance as the attacks and intensity of the situation increase. The story and gameplay are not the only reasons to check it, though, it seems.
Missile Command Delta has a little something for every kind of player – whether you love strategy tactics games, are a mystery fan, a secret hunting completionist, or you just love to explore and solve puzzles. - Ethan Stearns, VP of Games at Atari
It’s quite a long way to come for an arcade game about launching dots at other dots on a black and white screen, but it sounds like Atari might just pull it off with Missile Command Delta.
Missile Command Delta is set to launch sometime this year for PC, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
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