Indie filmmakers aren’t the only ones taking advantage of Mickey Mouse entering the U.S. public domain, as a developer by the name of Nightmare Forge Games has taken to Steam with Infestation: Origins, a new online co-op FPS that features the original 1928 version of Disney’s mascot as one of its starring characters.
“In the 1980s, what was thought to be an outbreak of vermin morphed into something far more sinister,” reads a description that Nightmare Forge shared for its new project. “Infestation: Origins is an episodic, four player co-op survival horror game in which you and your friends are exterminators called in to treat these mysterious infestations.”
And here are some of the game’s key features that the team shared, including support for NVIDIA’s performance-enhancing technology, DLSS:
Gather Your Team
- Private & Public Lobbies
- Play with friends, join a public lobby, or play alone for a further challenge.
- Proximity & Global Voice Chat
- Communicate with your team using both in-game positional and global voice chat.
- Strategize your mission
- Spread out to treat the infestation faster or stick together for safety.
Eliminate the Infestation
- Find the source
- Explore unique locations and uncover the story behind how each infestation began. Find the means to access and unlock new areas. Use cameras to keep an eye on activity. Maintain power to enable different systems. Find the source at all costs.
- Treat the infestation
- Utilize a variety of extermination gear to subdue the outbreak. Eradicate all nests and monstrous fiends lurking throughout. Run when you can, hide, help your friends – just don’t fall victim to the infestation’s spread.
- Survive
- Prepare to face and eliminate a horrific entity, with each episode containing a distinct classic character or urban legend responsible for the infestation.
Features
- Replayability – Randomized item layouts, unpredictable AI, custom settings, and more
- Progression – Gain experience, skins, perks, items, and other unlockables
- NVIDIA DLSS Support – Experience stunning visuals without sacrificing frame rate
“It’s not even been 12 hours and since Mickey Mouse’s already public domain you drop this trailer, as if you’ve been WAITING for this. And guess what? This is ******* garbage,” wrote one critic.
“You could’ve made an actually creepy game loosely based off the Treasure Island Creepypasta, since mickey’s now free game, with the whole ‘Wanna see how I take my head off?’. You had it served on a SILVER PLATTER. But no it has to be a ‘new spin on steamboat mickey never seen before’……. which is as lame, predictable and creatively bankrupt as you’d expect,” they continued.
“Heads up, this uses AI,” another said.
Infestation: Origins will be available as an Early Access Game this year, according to its Steam listing.
“This game is inspired by works that are now in the public domain. This independent creation has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise endorsed by any original authors of said works. All content in this game is used under appropriate public domain guidelines, and is not affiliated with, related to, or endorsed by any existing intellectual property or trademark holders,” reads a disclaimer.