Harmonix reveals a music driven first person multiplayer shooter called Chroma

Written by Brandon Hofer on February 17, 2014

News: Harmonix has revealed their next game that will be a free to play PC title that is a music driven, first person, multiplayer shooter.

Harmonix has just revealed a new free-to-play title with Chroma. Chroma is a free-to-play, music driven, first person, multiplayer shooter for the PC. Developed in partnership with Hidden Path Entertainment, Chroma completely reimagines the classic Arena FPS formula, infusing fast paced shooter action with music driven gameplay.

“Chroma has been a dream project of mine for some time,” said Harmonix co-founder and CEO Alex Rigopulos. “Watching the teams at Harmonix and Hidden Path begin to bring this vision to life has been tremendously exciting. We’re also thrilled to release an alpha version of this game and to evolve it in collaboration with our players. We can’t wait to hear what people think of this new approach to both first-person shooters and music games.”

Chroma is an all-new entry into PC Game development for the team behind cultural phenomena including Rock Band and Dance Central. With technology powered by Unreal Engine and a partnership with experienced shooter developers Hidden Path, Chroma aims high, even in its alpha release.

“Truly new experiences in video games are very rare,” says Mark Terrano, Chief Creative Officer/Founder of Hidden Path Entertainment. “At Hidden Path Entertainment we were delighted to help Harmonix realize their dream of a musical shooter, and are looking forward to the next step – seeing it continue to evolve with the energy, input and creativity from the game community!”

Some of the key features for Chroma include:

Music-driven FPS gameplay - Music matters. Chroma features innovative first person shooter mechanics that tie the game’s soundtrack directly to combat, traversal and more.

Music is your weapon - Unleash streams of sound and music with your arsenal and bring the musical landscape to life in battle! From deep wobbling bass to the crunch of an electric guitar, crushing metal drums to poppy synths, choose a weapon load-out that reflects your musical tastes and personal style and take your sounds into battle.

Band together - Your team is your band: Join up with your friends and battle for glory.. Master multiple classes, each with their own unique musical gameplay mechanics and perks, and lead your team to victory.

Conquer shifting terrain - “Change Ups” at major musical moments dramatically alter the landscape of the battlefield in real time both physically and strategically, raising sniper towers, adding cover, and more in sync with the music.

Free-to-play, but not “pay to win” - Free to jump in and play with deep customization, but smartly designed to preserve a fun and fair experience for all players.

Harmonix has begun accepting applications for a limited Closed Alpha. Participants will get an early look at Chroma while it’s still in development, and will be able to give feedback to help shape the game! Interested players can register at http://www.playchroma.com. Take a look at the trailer below and tell us what you think. For those wondering, there has been no mention of a console version. Are you interested in Chroma?