California is one of those unique locations that happens to be on the receiving end of a lot of catastrophes. Earthquakes, mudslides, fires, floods and blizzards, you name it. Bigpoint’s latest game in development, Ruined Online, is a browser-based online third-person arena combat game based in post-apocalyptic California, specifically the San Francisco area. Why not, since after all, California is a disaster magnet, and Bigpoint’s U.S. office is based in the city by the Bay?

In fact it was at Bigpoint’s office where I was given a first look at Ruined Online. I was introduced to Jeff Aydelotte, programmer with Bigpoint, who was my tour guide through the recognizable but savaged cityscape. The three arenas on display were a crumbling Golden Gate bridge; Fort Point, which is underneath the bridge; and a very early build of the prison at Alcatraz. Fueled by Unity 3.0, the game will be playable on any browser, whether on the Mac or the PC, and also have enough muscle under the hood to give it a higher-end console game-like look and feel the developers are aiming for. The distinctive graphics are definitely one of its strongest attributes at this pre-alpha stage of development. The characters and scenery offer an inked outline style that reminded me of comic book art and certain games I’ve encountered before. Aydelotte likened the game’s graphics to another shooter, Borderlands, which, based on my impression, is a generally fair comparison.

On top of the Unity engine, PhysX technology will be integrated into the game, not just to allow for destructible elements, but to integrate them into the gameplay. Pre-scripted elements taking advantage of the Physx capabilities will be built into the gameplay. For example, in the Fort Point level, players fight over access to a cannon to take down the tower in the fort with cannonballs. The team that accomplishes wins the map. Ragdoll physics will be part of the package, so players will often see some of their competitors taken down in spectacularly painful-looking fashion, which will depend on the weapon used and environment where the takedown happens. Windows and doors will be destructible as well.

The frame rate was showing some choppiness and dropped animations, especially in the busiest, most action-packed sequences, but optimizing the gameplay to run at 60 frames per second on an entry-level computer is high on Bigpoint’s to-do list as it works toward a beta release.

Of course, games are more than an art show. Complementing the apocalyptic scenery are six characters, the skulking Crawler, the brutally efficient Samurai, the law-and-order agent-to-the-elite Enforcer, the brute force Mutant, the speedy but deadly Assassin, and the Mad Medic. All of the characters are described as villains, by the way, and so don’t look to save the world here. Players can customize some aspects of the characters, but specifics weren’t available to discuss. With six character types, they’ll need to stand out, because the team deathmatch and capture-the-flag modes will support at least 16 characters at once, but it all depends on the size restrictions of the venue. One of the cooler face-offs that hint at some deeper gameplay possibilities is a team deathmatch scenario on the Golden Gate Bridge, in which one group of players seeks to block the way to another group of players attempting to storm their way into San Francisco.

Of course, what’s a shooter without its weapons? Ruined Online at its heart is a melee combat game offering a wide range of weapons with bullets and ballistic weapons like rocket launchers. Sharpshooters, you’ll need to hang up your scopes with Ruined Online. There will be no sniper weapons available, at least initially. Some of the special weapons each character has, though, are pretty nifty. The Mad Medic, for one, has a poison gas ball he can lob at an enemy, while the Assassin can hurl spinning blades toward an opponent.

Aydolette emphasized Bigpoint is aiming for Ruined Online to be “accessible hardcore,” to be like a console game in that there’s a low threshold to join in and play. From the moment when logging in to Ruined Online, a player will be able to get started and play the game in under a minute. Greasing the lightning for players even more when getting into the game is that assets will be streamed from the server to the computer as they’re playing. Another feature many console (and PC) first-person shooter veterans will appreciate is the PC-based server lists, with custom-game and invite-only levels players can set up. Matchmaking and custom levels are an important addition that’s almost necessary to make a shooter fan feel right at home.

Another aspect that will keep the barrier to entry low is that the game is free-to-play. Microtransactions for select weapon, ammo upgrades and enhancements are slated to be offered for sale to players who want an extra edge. But, as Aydelotte pointed out, these upgrades offered for sale won’t affect the fundamental game balance for players who are playing Ruined Online on the cheap.

Ruined Online aims to bring fast action and attractive graphics to players who have an itch for instant gratification and want it scratched with intense third-person shooter action in attractive, interactive environments. Will there by story-driven elements to back up the action? I hope so, and I feel it would add depth to Ruined Online, because the hooks for a story-driven aspect to the game are there. For players wanting to give the game a test drive sooner rather than later, expect beta testing to open in December for Ruined Online.