Why Early Access?

“Ocean Drive Studio holds closely to the vision of making fun games by working with the community. As we considered ways to do so, we have come to the conclusion that the best approach for Section 13 would be through Early Access. Our decision was made so that we can learn from fans and players of these genres, especially about what they enjoy and what they want from the game. Our goal is to provide the best gameplay experience we can, and we believe that the community’s help would be a key element in meeting that goal.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“With the current Early Access version, we created a solid foundation for what we want our players to experience. Things might change depending on the feedback we receive from our players, but if things go as planned our hope is to share the complete Section 13 experience within the first half of 2025.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The official release version will expand on the core gameplay loop we are establishing with the Early Access version. The key differences are planned include the complete story experience, multiplayer mode (up to 3 players), and more levels and enemies (which would culminate in a final boss fight).”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version covers a little over half of the entire Section 13 base, concluding with a mini boss fight. We plan to add more levels, including some procedurally generated ones that could be chosen as an alternative route to reach the final boss fight.

Most of the playable characters and weapons are available in Early Access, with more weapons and power-ups in the works as we build up to official release. Some content (including multiplayer mode) is temporarily disabled until a later date so that we can provide a more polished experience to our players.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Based on our current plans, we intend to increase the price over the course of Early Access. We hope to share additional details once our development roadmap becomes more concrete. We will also continue to review ways to show our appreciation to players who help shape the game.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Feedback from the community takes an important role in our decision-making. From our initial concept (Blackout Protocol) to our current Section 13 experience, player feedback has been the key driving force behind the various improvements and changes. These include the addition of story/investigation elements, the overhaul of the core gameplay loop, the expansion of levels, and more.

We also believe in establishing a positive feedback loop, and this process includes sharing decisions and updates with the community. This may come in various forms, such as dev blogs, progress updates, and game streams.

While we try our best to collect feedback from all available channels, players often find our Discord server to be the easiest way to reach out to us directly. To get the latest news, as well as to share your feedback, please stay tuned to our social media channels, which can be found on the right side of the store page!”