Rules of Engagement: The Grey State Is a Brutal Mix of Strategy and Survival

It’s hard to innovate on something that’s been as well trodden as the extraction shooter genre. It’s one of those genres that ballooned into mass popularity and only marginally lost some of its momentum over time. Like battle royale titles, you can find close to a dozen extraction shooters a year if you look hard enough. So it comes as a delightful surprise to see such a wild and unconventional take on both genres with the recently revealed Rules of Engagement: The Grey State. The imaginative monster designs alone deserve attention from even the most ardent critics of the genre. But between several interviews with the dev team and the gameplay deep dives, it’s clear that Grey State Studios isn’t just relying on clever creature designs alone to win over gamers, even if that is the main draw for me.

When I first heard of this game’s studio, I assumed this was their inaugural game. Grey State Studios is a new name after all, but they went by Aurora Studio years ago. They have a history with the battle royale genre in particular. The studio’s previous game, Ring of Elysium, had some impressive success early on but sizzled out over time. Now the studio is taking what they learned with their previous game into Rules of Engagement. Going from a lukewarm game in a very well-worn genre isn’t something that inspires a ton of confidence in me, but count me among the number pleasantly surprised by the sheer creativity and wacky unpredictability of their new game.

Gameplay Premise

Rules of Engagement is indeed another objective-based extraction shooter, but there’s a twist: it’s basically a bonkers horror game. The Grey State is something of a who’s who of horror tropes, featuring monsters and concepts from various media into what the team has dubbed the ‘horroverse’. Players never quite know what they’re going to run into when entering a match thanks to the fluid pocket dimension quality of the setting. But there seems to be more under the hood that sets this extraction shooter apart from the crowd. But there’s more here than atmosphere. Beneath the surface, Rules of Engagement layers in RPG and battle royale elements that give it a distinct identity.

One of the developer’s biggest goals was to solve what they call the extraction genre’s “Achilles’ heel”: gear fear. By standardizing loadouts at the start of each round, every player begins on equal footing. From there, strategic choices and skill builds define your success. The game’s three distinct classes provide variety, but the real individuality comes from how players invest in their expansive skill trees. Each match presents the choice: extract early for a modest reward, or risk everything to secure the ultimate prize—the mysterious artifact known as the Vertex. The Vertex fuels the militarized gold rush into the Grey State, but obtaining it means facing other players and unthinkable horrors in one chaotic final showdown.

The game’s progression borrows some light RPG mechanics. While loot and gear reset after every match, your skill tree carries over, ensuring that character development still feels meaningful. Thankfully, matchmaking takes progression into account ensuring that newbies aren’t mowed down by players deciding on their 100th skill point. Skill trees allow for specialized builds—such as increased damage to smaller creatures or faster loot times—letting players tailor their approach to PvE, PvP, or a blend of both, which I find particularly fun. Some of these games have such a cool setting that lures me to exploration rather than PvP shenanigans, so I appreciate the option to do so here.

Setting and Story

Interestingly, Rules of Engagement draws inspiration from classic horror films like Cabin in the Woods, particularly in how its central location acts as a revolving door for monsters. The game’s setting, known as the Grey State, is a constantly shifting multi-dimensional rift filled with every nightmare imaginable. You play as an elite operative racing to secure a mysterious, hotly contested artifact before anyone else can. And while players wield modern modern-day military weapons and gear, the game’s true creativity shines through its creative monster design; you’ll be combating both forces through PvPvE matches.

The game has an impressive range of locales already. From ancient Incan ruins and snow-covered villages reminiscent of Resident Evil 4, to HR Giger-inspired tombs, to an apocalyptic cityscape, and a neon-drenched metropolis echoing Hong Kong. And seemingly enough, players can warp between these settings through translocation points scattered across the maps, ensuring an unpredictable and ever-changing pace to matches.

Builds

But don’t worry, unlike traditional horror games, just because there’s a giant tentacle creature coming down at you from the ceiling doesn’t mean you’re completely helpless. That’s where the game’s class system comes in. Rules of Engagement features three launch classes, each boasting a distinct playstyle. The Sledge class wields an ironclad riot shield along with a tough-as-nails sledgehammer. As you probably guessed, they’re the frontline tank class. They can also carry one-handed firearms, branching into shotguns or pistols through their skill tree. The Phantom class, by contrast, emphasizes stealth and subterfuge, using a temporary camouflage ability to become invisible. You can covertly steal artifacts and loot without ever getting into a firefight this way. These guys also excel with sniper rifles and assassin knives.

Finally, the Pyro class serves as the destructive area-denial expert, wielding flamethrowers, incendiary bombs, and various grenade types to lock down space and flush out opponents. Though, one thing I’m questioning is the lack of environmental destruction. The footage of the Pyro class takes place around log cabins, seemingly indestructible ones at that. All that fire-breathing destruction doesn’t do squat to the wood. On the plus side, Incendiary bombs spreads fire across grass a bit, even revealing cloaked Phantoms.

Creatures and Factions

But on to this game’s biggest draw: the creatures. When the devs throw around terms like ‘horrorverse’, it’s not just marketing window dressing. These monsters feel like they’re right at home in the spookiest Silent Hill or Outlast game. And functionally, they set the pace of a match. Early in a match, smaller creatures spawn to help players gear up and scavenge equipment. As the match progresses, the stakes rise—massive, often unkillable monsters emerge, forcing players to adapt or use them strategically by luring them toward rival teams.

The creature roster is as grotesque as it is fascinating: H.R. Giger-inspired abominations with mouth-covered hands, tentacled horrors resembling Mindflayers, towering wendigos with branching antlers, and even a skyscraper-sized giant topped with a glowing streetlight for a head. There’s also mention of Slenderman-like entities, and future designs drawn from Chinese mythology to match the Hong Kong map. The developers have hinted at potential collaborations with horror films and other media, suggesting future updates could bring recognizable icons into this growing “horroverse.”

Rules of Engagement: The Grey State isn’t just another entry in the crowded extraction shooter scene, at least that’s the impression and hope. It seems to be an ambitious and fun blend of horror, FPS, and role-playing topped with a crazy monster roster. By stripping away gear anxiety, emphasizing creative world design, and filling its arenas with surreal monstrosities, Grey State Studios may have found a way to rekindle excitement in a genre that’s begun to wear itself thin. If the final release can deliver on its promise of dynamic matches and consistent updates, Rules of Engagement could very well stand as one of the more inventive multiplayer shooters in a while.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.