For those wondering what Hyenas is exactly about, this game is a sci-fi team-based shooter that pits squads of players against each other to steal valuable (often Sega-related) goods that are protected in vaults around the map. There are heist elements, in the sense that you have to travel around the map and beat other players to important items, and then escape with them to get a win. Of course, since it is multiplayer, other teams will try to beat you, and often even give you grief while you go about your business.

The gameplay itself seems to be pretty fast-paced, with movement and gunplay more akin to what Respawn offers in Apex Legends. Since Hyenas is set in space, on a space station to be exact, there are also elements that reflect this, such as zero gravity locations and ways to turn the artificial gravity systems on and off. And for those who are wondering how the loadout system works, Hyena also has looting, which means that you’ll have to look for chests to get better equipment and other items that will help in combat and fights.

As for the combat itself and how it works, everything depends on the characters you and your team take into battle, and also who you face in opposition. For example, the character Prima can use her 1Up anti-gravity ability to better navigate Zero-G zones with ease and turn battles in her favor here, while Galaxia can use a distracting shield to better protect herself from danger or turn the tide of a fight. While Creative Assembly only showed us a glimpse of some of the hyenas on offer, variety was clearly a strength.

On the subject of variety, the actual station the game is set on also seems to excel here. As I mentioned earlier, it’s Sega and pop culture heaven in many ways, as you’ll find various references to the iconic game company and retro culture as a whole throughout. From arcade machines to giant Rubik’s Cubes to Sonic the Hedgehog and even retro home console systems, it’s all there (often defining every room), and much of it you can steal as part of your heist efforts.

You may be wondering at this point how a match of hyenas is actually won. The idea is to acquire goods, which then increase your level of clout points in a match. Once you have a certain amount, you can exfiltrate from the station and deposit your winnings, but as you increase your clout levels, the target on your back also increases, which means other teams will see you as an opportunity to get a quick hit of goods. And since your team won’t respawn when you’re all eliminated, death is the last thing you want to be greeted by.

Other than that, it is important to know that Hyenas is actually not a pure PvP game, as there are NPC enemies that litter the level. These individuals will protect goods and make your life all the more challenging, but not to the extent that other players will. What Sharkmob did with the NPC factions of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt seems like a good point of comparison.

While I’d love to tell you how all of these features feel in actual gameplay, unfortunately I can’t add that since I didn’t get a chance to play any matches of Hyenas during the press meet. Still, I was pretty impressed with all the different concepts and fluid-looking action, to the point where I’m excited to see what this talented team can do in the FPS space.