First Assault Adds New Character and Content
Neople and Nexon America have released the first major content drop for the Early Access program for the new Ghost in the Shell first-person shooter, First Assault. The content drop introduces a brand-new character to the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex in the form of Maven, a playable operative who works at Section 9, an elite force of cybernetically enhanced combat operatives responsible for protecting society from cyberterrorists.
Another addition for the new content drop is the Port map, an early version of the Ghost Screen stat tracking feature, new weapons and more. Also, Neople has confirmed that they will be adding and testing more new content during the Early Access period and gathering player feedback. The Early Access packs are currently available for the game on Steam for a 40 percent off discounted price for a limited time.
A new female character for the Ghost in the Shell mythos is definitely interesting. Maven is described an expert in guerilla warfare and topography. The series has generally been lacking in major female characters other than Motoko Kusanagi for quite some time, and the AI ladies don’t count. Maven apparently spent some time in the South American military, and was scouted by Section 9 Chief Daisuke Aramaki during an operation where she defended an insurgent attack all on her own after her entire squad was killed. Maven made a vow to destroy the rebel group that ravaged her country and killed her family.
For the game, Maven has a cyberskill called a therm-optic barrier, which helps her obscure her opponents’ sight. At Tier 2, the size of the barrier increases. However, Maven’s barriers can be destroyed by enemies.
One hopes that this game could hopefully inspire the powers that be to do something new with Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Perhaps Maven could translate to the anime version of the franchise as well.
You can check out some new artwork for the Maven character in First Assault right here.