Scribblenauts Developer 5th Cell's Hybrid Tries For Persistent Online World War

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As well received as Scribblenauts was, 5th Cell are reaching way out of their comfort zone here, or at least so the latest details available on its new game, Hybrid, would seem to indicate. They seem to be going for gameplay, rather than narrative innovation, which is just as well, since Scribblenauts’ weakest point was the overarching justification and mission design.

The story centers on a race called Variant, who are “genetically altered” by an asteroid strike. Bold reinvention of genetics and science in general as magic spell triggered by impact with extra-planetary objects aside, there’s also a Race called Paladin, who are immune to the genetic modification, probably still slaves to crappy old Darwininan evolution that takes millions of years, only slightly involves asteroids and even then just for the former dominant species. Reason enough for both factions to have at it, providing the thinnest veneer of plot to the proceedings, if by proceedings you mean an online shooter with a unified server and persistent world that will see this war continue even when you’re not online. Which is the best part so far.