We had a friendly natter with Roman Vincent, the CEO of Kyloton and producer of Bet on Soldier.

1. When and where is Bet on Soldier set? What is the story?

Bet on Soldier is set in a contemporary world, but in an alternative one, where the war has been raging for eighty years now. This ongoing war has become the major source of profits for the two megacorporations fighting against each other - The UAN and the WRF.

To make more money from the conflict they have turned the war into a major form of entertainment, and created the BoS tv program; the best soldiers fight each other for money. The duels are transmitted all over the world, and the audience can bet on the outcome of these fights, and so do the fighters. They bet on themselves to earn their living.

You are Nolan Daneworth, a soldier that decides to become a BoS mercenary after his wife’s murder. His only clue to the murderers is that they were wearing exoarmour suits, like the BoS champions. To discover the truth, you enter the Bet on Soldier tournament...

2. Is the fighting based more upon realism or action?

Bet on Soldier is a fast-paced action shooter. We’re aiming to make a fun game, but there is also a degree of realism in the fights, as it offers realistic physical reactions. The armour suits are damaged by bullets in real time, and the objects react to your actions.

3. Will you be integrating a real-world betting system into the game, so punters can fulfil their gambling desires via a new digital medium?

No. Sadly, that won’t happen because it is way too complicated to do.

4. What sort of firepower is at your disposal?

Bet on Soldier gives you the opportunity to use many different weapons, some classics like melee weapons, one-handed pistols, SMGs, shotguns, assault rifles, a rocket launcher, grenades, sniper rifles, and even a gatling gun.

Some other weapons a little more unusual, for instance a gaz launcher that can be used with different ammo: fire grenades, acid grenades, and hallucination grenades. There is also the war shotgun, an automatic and destructive weapon.

You can also use shields during the game, and fire through them with one-handed guns. And to finish you will be able to use exoskeletons, which are heavily armed and very resistant.

All of these weapons are upgradable, and have a secondary fire, like sniper scopes, grenade launcher, etc...

5. Aside from traditional deathmatch, what game modes does the multiplayer option have on offer?

There isn’t a traditional deathmatch in BoS. The multiplayer mode is based on the betting system, and mixes two different gameplay styles - a solo part, and a team part. The goal of the multiplayer is to reach a certain amount of money.

To achieve this goal, the team have to control zones on the map, where the terminals are located. These terminals have to be hacked in order to be used, and then they deliver BoS tickets, which allow your team to cast a bet on an enemy player. When a fight is announced, the two fighters face off in a closed arena, and the duel begins.

The bets are the most efficient way to quickly win money, but keep in mind that your team has to control the terminals to cast bets.

There are six classes available in the multiplayer mode: trooper, sniper, destroyer, protector, engineer, and grenadier. All of them have specific characteristics and weapons. You can upgrade your abilities during the game, and win special items when you reach a certain level.

6. Is Bet on Soldier’s backbone the narrative or the betting system? Which plays a more important part?

The betting system is at the centre of the game itself, the gameplay is based on money and the bets, in the solo campaign and the multiplayer mode. So the backbone of Bet on Soldier is the betting system.

In the solo campaign, the story plays an important role. The campaign is story-driven, although your progression is not linear; you are a mercenary, and you choose the missions you want to accomplish.

7. What can you say about the kind of environments you will be fighting in?

The level design of Bet on Soldier is extremely varied. From large, outdoor open battlefields, to indoor, close-range gunfights. All players should find what they’re looking for. The environments you’ll see are set in Cuba, Alaska, Nevada in USA and Europe. You will progress through a city, defend a military base, attack an enemy one, fight inside trenches, and much more. The levels are very different from each other.

8. If Half Life 2 is Brad Pitt, Doom III is Marilyn Manson, and Unreal Tournament is Will Smith, who is Bet on Soldier?

The members of the team are saying Russell Crowe, because in BoS you play a modern gladiator.

Here are some screens from Bet on Soldier:
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We always welcome innovative forays into any genre, so we look forward to seeing if Bet on Soldier can successfully pull off what it aims to accomplish. Expect a review in the next few months.

Interview by Adam Shirley