So, you take the spectacular, interstellar environments and hard sci-fi lore of Starfield, and then you blend them with the rugged, often bloody online multiplayer of Call of Duty, particularly Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone. And what do you get? You get Boundary, a spectacular-looking new FPS game which has finally arrived onto Steam Early Access, and is available to play right now.
Fighting across seven outer-space maps (there are plans for many more), two teams in Boundary use customisable weapons, gadgets, and perks to become rulers of the cosmic battlefield. Though it’s still in Steam Early Access, and likely to remain that way for the next six to 12 months, there are already 70 character levels to progress through as well as daily challenges and of course highly refined no-gravity gunplay.
It might sound a little arcadey, but one of the best things about Boundary is its seriousness of tone – or at least, its commitment to physical, tactile, and tense-feeling gun battles. Using cables and rocket boosters to haul yourself through space, you sink a bullet into your opponent’s visor and watch as their body flails into the side of the hull and off into outer space. It’s brutal, satisfying, and unlike any other multiplayer shooter in recent history.
Right now, the Boundary Basic Edition is available for $24.99 (£19.99), and gives you the full game, as well three cosmetics for your character. The Deluxe Supporter Edition gives you all of that, plus two, extra, red-coloured spacesuits and access to the season one battle pass for the price of $34.99 (£29.99).
Lastly, you can get the Boundary Ultimate Supporter Edition, which combines everything from the Basic and Deluxe versions, and also gives you additional head, suit, and weapon cosmetics, as well an extra melee weapon called the ‘self-reactive torque screwdriver’ and automatic preorders for an extra operator skin, and digital versions of the Boundary soundtrack and artbook. That will run you $44.99 (£34.99). You can check out Boundary now on Steam.
Alternatively, take a look at some of the other best multiplayer games, or maybe the best upcoming games on their way to you in 2023. You might also want to try the other best new games that are already available on your PC.