According to firsthand observations, the brothers from “Imagine Dragons” are spearheading the development of a competitive shooter named “Last Flag,” and it truly rocks.

A family-friendly shooter. It sounded silly at first, but you know what? After getting to go hands-on with Last Flag, the debut title from Night Street Studios, I’m ready. Capture the Flag is the name of the game here, and even in this early state, the premise is extremely well done. Rather than just focusing on getting eliminations, teamwork, communication, and the ability to hide a flag really darn well are all important here. It’s one of the first shooters I’ve played where I could feasibly bring in someone who has never played a shooter, and they could have the time of their life. Last Flag was a genuine surprise, and I can’t wait to play more of it.

EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT GETTING THE MOST ELIMINATIONS, YOU CAN STILL BE A MAJOR PLAYER ON THE TEAM

Playing with members of the development team, alongside other journalists and content creators, we were split into teams of 5. Folks could volunteer to be a flag carrier, getting 1 minute and 30 seconds at the start of a match to hide a flag anywhere on their half of the map. Then, it’s time to start. The whole vibe of the game is very bright and colorful, looking a bit like Fortnite, but with a personality of its own. Set in an alternate universe gameshow, Last Flag is all about taking home a victory, pleasing the crowd, and soaking in the vibes.

While one player plants the flag, other players can hunt down Cash Bots, giving players on their team the chance to boost their powers. As with any good hero shooter, every character has a set number of abilities available to them, and they’re easily upgradeable. Just a simple press of a button, and you’re ready to go. Finding a character that fits your playstyle was easy. Some characters are great for stealth. Others are better for getting up close and personal. Me? I was all in on the Thief.

Sneaking behind enemy lines, trying to find the flag was completely my jam here. Everybody else could fight for domination over the towers near the middle of the map. I had a job to do, and I would do what I could to do it well. My character could speed through the map, teleporting and turning invisible, and hearing the chime of the flag nearby sent chills down my spine every time.