Absolution Training Grounds
- Brand
- Cowboys & Aliens
- Year
- 2011
- Objective
- Awareness
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Mechanic
- Arcade & Action
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- Plaid & Pin
- With
- Project C
Objective
Universal Pictures needed a free way to put moviegoers inside the world of "Cowboys & Aliens" ahead of its July 29, 2011 theatrical release, reaching the game-playing audience with something more interactive than a trailer. Launching it both as an iOS app and a browser game on the official movie site widened the reach, while optional Facebook Connect let players push their scores and achievements into their own feed and onto a public leaderboard, turning play into free word-of-mouth for the film.
Solution
Players step into the boots of a defender of Absolution, the film's frontier town, in an on-rails first-person shooting gallery: the camera moves them through movie-inspired locations while they aim and fire, tapping targets on iPhone or iPad or clicking with a mouse in the browser version. Each round runs against a clock, awarding points for hitting bottles, tin-can targets, outlaws, and invading aliens, and docking points for any townsfolk caught in the crossfire. In the browser version, holding "D" slows time down to help line up shots on fast-moving targets. Clearing rounds unlocks better guns, new maps, and hidden achievements, and players who sign in with Facebook see their score posted to a leaderboard and shared to their feed when the round ends.
- 1
Players reach the game through a dedicated splash page on the film's official website, with optional Facebook Connect login; the game launches and plays identically whether or not a player logs in.
- 2
The game frames itself as a training exercise, telling players they are preparing to defend the town of Absolution from an alien invasion and will unlock new weapons and secret achievements as they progress.
- 3
Each round drops the player into a first-person view of locations recreated from the film, including the town of Absolution and its surroundings; the camera moves along a fixed path while the player shoots on rails rather than exploring freely.
- 4
The core loop has players aiming and firing at targets that pop up along the route — bullseyes, bottles, bandits, and other objects — earning points for each hit.
- 5
Some figures that appear are townsfolk rather than threats; shooting them deducts points, so players must identify each target before firing.
- 6
Each round runs against a countdown timer, and the goal is to rack up as many points as possible before time expires.
- 7
In the browser version, players can hold down the 'D' key to trigger a bullet-time slowdown, giving them more time to line up shots on fast-moving targets.
- 8
Completing levels unlocks upgraded weapons, new maps, and secret achievements that carry over from session to session, though the full arsenal opens up within roughly one playthrough and the game carries little story beyond the training premise.
- 9
Players signed in with Facebook can share their scores and achievements, with results posted to a public leaderboard visible to friends.
