Ask ANY airsofter what they like most about our incredible sport, most of them will reply: “The level of reality”. It still is what makes us more manly than paintball players (nobody likes them anyway) and it keeps on attracting fresh players to the game.

Call of Duty players want to experience the real life version; tactical­freaks want to sharpen their skills; military and law enforcement officers keep it as a way to stay fresh; and the average Joe who just wants to shoot at stuff.

The demand for high reality levels has encouraged manufacturers from all over the globe to provide us with products that not only look like the real deal, they also have more and more of real-­stuff­-operating­-details built­-in. Just think about active bolt catches or ejectable shells.We have come to a point where the only thing that is missing for a real­life­feeling would be actual bullets when it comes down to hardware (unfortunately, respawning after being hit by a .45 seems to be a bit of a challenge).

Now, it's up to organisers to take the games to the next level.

Frankly, we have to admire the motivation of the numerous teams and organisations to keep on innovating and adjusting the gameplay for diehard airsofters.

We have come a long way, from what seemed to be a “modified” version of paintball to massive events that we call Milsim with vehicles, props and eating MREs in a puddle of mud. But still, when it comes down to “realism”, there is always this missing link. When you screw something up, you go to respawn and try again. When a dude is down, 15 minutes later he is back in the game. It's the stuff that keeps a game going but automatically cuts down on the whole “real” part of the game.

And out of nowhere, project HEL SHOOTER (HEL being short for “Het Echte Leven” or translated “The Real Life”) appeared claiming to change the whole airsoft experience and offering the most realistic feeling EVER in an airsoft field.

A bold statement that had my attention, so some research had to be done...

First of all, I have to make it clear that HEL SHOOTER is not yet active, they are still building the massive CQB area and providing it with all the gimmicks and gadgets we are all looking for. YES, it is a CQB experience. Buildings, rooms, doors, windows and a whole lot of stuff to use/collect/break while playing the game the way it should be played.

HEL SHOOTER promises us hours of intense close quarter action like we have never seen before!

Next up is the Big Chief, the mastermind behind HEL SHOOTER. Who the **** is this guy?

Marc Pollen is the name, unexciting is his fame. The man has NO reputation or experience in the airsoft sector what so ever, so where does this guy come from and why is he starting such a massive project?

Well, the reason that he has no reputation in the airsoft industry is the fact that he has been serving his country in Afghanistan and Iraq as an active member of “Korps Mariniers”, the Dutch Elite Forces. And in these elite forces, he was member of the NLMARSOF (Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces), the elite within the elite. The dude is such a badass that he can make a full working AK47 with nothing more than a spoon and a hardboiled egg.

After his last tour of duty, he resigned with honor and decided to put his real life experience into a kickass airsoft project. So basically, the guy has no airsoft experience yet he has more experience than all of us together.

The idea he had was ingenious in its simplicity.

You simulate an actual intervention by special forces, where the purpose is not to go and catch a flag and shoot as many of the opponents as possible but rather to gather intel and try to complete the objective as based on the terrain.

For this, the dudes from HEL SHOOTER will be working on a modular building system, comparable to a modern day SWAT kill house and they will employ dedicated actors. So during the game, shooting at anything that moves could end up with you losing the battle. You'll never know that the guy you blasted had some crucial information.

HEL SHOOTER will be as much of a mental challenge as it will be a tactical challenge.

Last but not least, there is the whole “visual” thing. HEL SHOOTER wants to appeal to a wide audience, from die­hard experienced airsofters to novice players who don’t have their own hardware yet.

They have been working together with a professional creative team, setting up a complete series with kickass pictures and videos, pure eye candy and extremely inviting.

HEL SHOOTER will be launching early 2015 in Den Haag ­ The Netherlands ­ and promises to be worth the trip. As soon as they are open for business, I will be landing there with my cameras to get a full review and write an experience diary.

Give the guys website a website and support this awesome airsoft project on www.helshooter.com.

Christophe “Lucid Mind”
www.lucidmind.be