In the summer of 2022, SEGA announced HYENAS – a brand-new multiplayer shooter which is being developed by Total War and Alien: Isolation developers Creative Assembly.
Its announcement was met with mixed responses online, with its announcement trailer not resonating with gamers for a number of reasons. Gamespot’s reupload of the trailer is telling, with many of the top comments implying that they see the game as yet another generic shooter on the market.
Since its announcement, Insider Gaming has been speaking with around a dozen playtesters of HYENAS to get their thoughts and information about the game over the past six months or so. And with a recent Playtest of the game, ongoing, more opinions about the game came to light. Sources have requested anonymity, as they were not permitted to talk about the game.
HYENAS is currently in its Alpha stage of development.
So what is HYENAS? Well essentially – it’s an extraction-based shooter. You enter the game, loot, fight against other teams and AI, and try to extract successfully. Successfully looted items will be sold for HYENAS’ in-game currency called “Yeenacoin”, which can be used to buy character cosmetics and unlock the characters themselves.
For some unknown reason, the most useless items that would be pointless in a post-apocalyptic world, like a Sonic plush teddy are extremely valuable.
Of course, there is a “premium currency” in the game that currently has no use, but presumably, you’ll be able to buy in-game cosmetics with real money on launch. Another currency, or XP, in the game called “Rep” also does not have a use in the game at the moment.
HYENAS’ Characters
As for the characters of HYENAS, the mixed responses continue. There are currently eight characters in the game; Commander Wright, Prima, The Pro, Galaxia, Doc Hotfix, Digits, Mozie, and El Silbon.
Although all characters are unique in some way, the consensus is that the characters either don’t really make sense in the world of HYENAS or they are irritable during gameplay. Voice lines were described as being over the top and overwhelming, with one source even relating the dialogue to being similar to the likes of Battlefield 2042’s Angel’s voice lines.
However, one thing that is excellent to see with all of HYENAS’ characters is that they are unique and represent different ethnicities and sexualities.
You can find out more about each character in HYENAS in our article here.
HYENAS’ Gunplay and Map Design
As the game is currently still in its alpha stage, gunplay received the most polarizing opinions. Some people thought it was brilliant, whereas others thought the gun’s lack of recoil and a long time to kill made for a predictable gaming experience.
One hugely popular feature of HYENAS is the game’s zero-gravity zones, which change up the gameplay loop and make for interesting engagements. These zero gravity zones are placed throughout the levels and create unique moments not traditionally seen in most Battle Royale / Extraction shooters. As for the maps themselves, they were described as large and with a lot of emptiness, but presumably, that will change as the game progresses throughout the development stages.
As for the game’s graphics and overall polish, the game looks fantastic and is somewhat similar to the design style of Borderlands – but maybe a bit more realistic. With the game looking as good as it does, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get to see our first look at official gameplay in the very near future.
Is HYENAS Free-to-Play?
According to the game’s official playtest discord server, it appears like the game is not free-to-play. On a question as to “Where can I pre-order HYENAS?”, the answer reads:
“Please keep an eye on our social channels for information on when HYENAS is available to pre-order. For now, please wishlist the game on your digital store of choice.”
SEGA has not yet issued its pricing for the game.
HYENAS is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC in 2023.
