carocat
09-02-2007, 10:13 AM
This is from a feature on Computer and Video games.com (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=154417) and shows 13 games from all over the world (my hometown!) that we haven't really been paying much attention to, but that could be promising:
1. POSSESSION
From: Blitz Games
Who did: Bad Boys 2
And live in: Leamington Spa, UK
With Dead Rising bringing the office to a virtual standstill, our interest in this zombie-flavoured horror has been reignited. Although nothing has been heard about Possession in over nine months, we're assured by Blitz that it's very much still on and it's only protracted negotiations with potential publishers that's holding up the unveiling process. The twist here is that instead of battling zombie hordes, you actually control them, 'you' being The Enslaver, a mutated humanoid type. With dreadlocks. The Enslaver can infect people, form a zombie army and then take them on a rampage, with the ultimate aim of defeating the shady corporation (yes, one of those again) who made the main character a mutant. We're promised a blend of strategy and action and online possibilities are exciting, with one-versus-many gameplay cited as one of the main Xbox Live modes.
IMPRESSIONS
Brimming with potential but still under wraps thanks to publisher gagging orders, one to watch for sure.
2. THESEIS
From: Track 7 Games
Who did: It's the studio's debut
And live in: Athens, Greece
Labelled a 'conspiracy fantasy adventure set in modern-day Athens', Theseis could well be the first true puzzle-based adventure on 360 (we're not counting Tomb Raider, that was hardly a brain-teaser). Playing as either of two paranormal researchers, you're on the trail of an ancient artefact, Theseis, that could spell doom for mankind, or possibly salvation. Drenched in ancient Greek mythology, we're promised sojourns in Hades etc as well as pottering around the Parthenon, all from a third-person view. We'll leave it to Track 7 to try and sell it to you: "Awe and dread, humour and split-second decisions, discovery and betrayal, the mythical and the mundane, are all intertwined in this fast-paced crossing to the other side, where your only hope is the discarded rumour of ancient folklore, dubious medieval books and above all, your wits!" Well, it sounds good.
IMPRESSIONS
A proper puzzler is more than welcome on 360, and we look forward to this Da Vinci Code-alike affair.
3. HUXLEY
From: Webzen
Who did: MU Online (PC MMORPG)
And live in: All over the Far East
Of all the games on show at this year's E3, none attracted quite so much attention as this online-focused shooter. Was it really that good? We didn't think so, but the hordes queuing up to play didn't seem to care, perhaps thanks to the offer of inflatable Webzen bodyboards, Webzen necklaces (really), a load of other tat, a horde of hotpant-clad beauties to dish out the goodies and a stage full of dancing girls to entertain them as they battled. Only on PC at the show, the Deathmatches seemed pretty ordinary, the environments pretty drab and the guns and vehicles none too spectacular either. Certainly no Halo 2, but there's no doubt plenty more to be sampled, including a sizeable offline single-player mode. Huxley will also feature cross platform online play (360 and PC).
IMPRESSIONS
Huxley screams 'average at best' to us, perhaps because we didn't get a Webzen necklace at E3.
4. CITIZEN ZERO
From: Microforte
Who did: Fallout Tactics (PC)
And live in: Sydney, Australia
This Antipodean studio has been around for two decades but Citizen Zero is its first game in a while as the company has been focusing on development toolsets for multiplayer online games. Little wonder, then, that its 360 debut is predominantly a Live experience, a sci-fi shooter with RPG elements and a heavy focus on clan building. Details are scarce but we do know that the action takes place on the world of Tyhpron, a penal colony set up by, you guessed it, some kind of mega corporation. You play as a prisoner who has broken the shackles of his 'behavioural inhibiter chip' and is free to explore the world, advance his character in numerous different directions, join a faction and, of course, frag the **** out of everyone.
IMPRESSIONS
Like many of the games in this list, Citizen Zero sounds decent on paper...
5. TWO WORLDS
From: Reality Pump
Who did: Earth 2160 (PC)
And live in: Krakow, Poland
On paper, Two Worlds is and Oblivion beater. Delicious screenshots of a vast environment, non-linear gameplay with your decisions changing the outcome of events and the path of the story, simple yet multifaceted combat system and a musical score written by Harold 'Beverley Hills Cop' Faltermeyer being just a few of the reasons we've got high hopes for this Tolkien-alike RPG. The story involves the usual fantasy nonsense (which we love!) of Orcish armies rising up and threatening the Dwarves, Elves and Men with extinction as they seek to harness the power of some dead God or other, but the twist here is that you don't have to side with the good guys. Unfortunately we've yet to see the game in action so whether or not the bold claims are anything more than PR hot air remains to be seen.
IMPRESSIONS
The next great fantasy RPG? Here's hoping, and it certainly looks to be heading in the right direction
6. THE SHADOW OF ATEN
From: Silicon Garaje Arts
Who did: It's their first game
And live in: Madrid, Spain
The subtitle 'The Egyptian Chronicles Of Allan Scott' should you leave you in no doubt as to what this adventure title is all about. Yep, easy parallels can be drawn with Indiana Jones and Lara Croft games, and in fact Shadow's plot reads like that of The Last Crusade, give or take a year and a few different ancient artefacts. Set in 1936, British ex-serviceman Scott nips over to Egypt to investigate a mysterious death and soon finds himself up to his Fedora in an arms and antiquity trafficking ring, a plan to filch a horde of treasure from the tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and a conspiracy to prepare Egypt for Nazi invasion. As with the story, the gameplay suggests it'll be very much a Doctor Jones affair, with scraps, puzzling, car chases, camel-riding, exploration and similar blockbusting adventure film antics, all wrapped up in the locales and myths of ancient Egypt.
IMPRESSIONS
While it all sounds rather paint-by-numbers, we can't complain about the prospect of camel riding.
7. INTERSTELLAR MARINES
From: Zero Point Software
Who did: It's their first game
And live in: Frederiksberg, Denmark
So it's got a name that's somewhere between a Paul Verhoeven movie and a Pink Floyd album but this slice of Danish Sci-Fi shooter bacon is looking very tasty, if the latest trailer is anything to go by. While unlikely to win any awards for originality - your mum could have dreamed up the it's-the-near-future-and-mankind-are-livingin-space-oh-****-there-are-some-monsters premise - the game formerly known as Project IM is causing a minor stir with its alluring visuals, squad-based soldiering and an enemy that's a fast-moving shark... with legs! Brilliance itself. Expect the action to take place in space stations overrun by deranged robots and genetically screwed creatures and a shady mega-corporation behind all the fuss.
IMPRESSIONS
An above average paint-by-numbers space shooter, we're guessing.
8. TERRA: FORMATIONS
From: Star Cave Studios
Who did: Camelot Galway City Of The Tribes (PC)
And live in: Galway, Ireland
We want this multi-genre space opera to be good for three reasons. First, the name of the company, Star Cave, is just lovely. Second, Star Cave are based in Galway, which is just as lovely. Third, the developers recently released a cute-as-a-button PC edutainment title about life in 17th Century Ireland. Anyway, Terra: Formations is an MMOFPSRTSRPG. Say what?! Yep, you can play it as a shooter while taking time out to expand your character's stats through adventuring, or you can take overall strategic command, directing battles from your general's chair. And it's fully online. That's all the info we have for the mo' and while the first screens aren't overwhelming, it's an ambitious project showing a lot of promise.
IMPRESSIONS
Far too early to make a call but if the end product matches the early ambition, it should be a winner.
1. POSSESSION
From: Blitz Games
Who did: Bad Boys 2
And live in: Leamington Spa, UK
With Dead Rising bringing the office to a virtual standstill, our interest in this zombie-flavoured horror has been reignited. Although nothing has been heard about Possession in over nine months, we're assured by Blitz that it's very much still on and it's only protracted negotiations with potential publishers that's holding up the unveiling process. The twist here is that instead of battling zombie hordes, you actually control them, 'you' being The Enslaver, a mutated humanoid type. With dreadlocks. The Enslaver can infect people, form a zombie army and then take them on a rampage, with the ultimate aim of defeating the shady corporation (yes, one of those again) who made the main character a mutant. We're promised a blend of strategy and action and online possibilities are exciting, with one-versus-many gameplay cited as one of the main Xbox Live modes.
IMPRESSIONS
Brimming with potential but still under wraps thanks to publisher gagging orders, one to watch for sure.
2. THESEIS
From: Track 7 Games
Who did: It's the studio's debut
And live in: Athens, Greece
Labelled a 'conspiracy fantasy adventure set in modern-day Athens', Theseis could well be the first true puzzle-based adventure on 360 (we're not counting Tomb Raider, that was hardly a brain-teaser). Playing as either of two paranormal researchers, you're on the trail of an ancient artefact, Theseis, that could spell doom for mankind, or possibly salvation. Drenched in ancient Greek mythology, we're promised sojourns in Hades etc as well as pottering around the Parthenon, all from a third-person view. We'll leave it to Track 7 to try and sell it to you: "Awe and dread, humour and split-second decisions, discovery and betrayal, the mythical and the mundane, are all intertwined in this fast-paced crossing to the other side, where your only hope is the discarded rumour of ancient folklore, dubious medieval books and above all, your wits!" Well, it sounds good.
IMPRESSIONS
A proper puzzler is more than welcome on 360, and we look forward to this Da Vinci Code-alike affair.
3. HUXLEY
From: Webzen
Who did: MU Online (PC MMORPG)
And live in: All over the Far East
Of all the games on show at this year's E3, none attracted quite so much attention as this online-focused shooter. Was it really that good? We didn't think so, but the hordes queuing up to play didn't seem to care, perhaps thanks to the offer of inflatable Webzen bodyboards, Webzen necklaces (really), a load of other tat, a horde of hotpant-clad beauties to dish out the goodies and a stage full of dancing girls to entertain them as they battled. Only on PC at the show, the Deathmatches seemed pretty ordinary, the environments pretty drab and the guns and vehicles none too spectacular either. Certainly no Halo 2, but there's no doubt plenty more to be sampled, including a sizeable offline single-player mode. Huxley will also feature cross platform online play (360 and PC).
IMPRESSIONS
Huxley screams 'average at best' to us, perhaps because we didn't get a Webzen necklace at E3.
4. CITIZEN ZERO
From: Microforte
Who did: Fallout Tactics (PC)
And live in: Sydney, Australia
This Antipodean studio has been around for two decades but Citizen Zero is its first game in a while as the company has been focusing on development toolsets for multiplayer online games. Little wonder, then, that its 360 debut is predominantly a Live experience, a sci-fi shooter with RPG elements and a heavy focus on clan building. Details are scarce but we do know that the action takes place on the world of Tyhpron, a penal colony set up by, you guessed it, some kind of mega corporation. You play as a prisoner who has broken the shackles of his 'behavioural inhibiter chip' and is free to explore the world, advance his character in numerous different directions, join a faction and, of course, frag the **** out of everyone.
IMPRESSIONS
Like many of the games in this list, Citizen Zero sounds decent on paper...
5. TWO WORLDS
From: Reality Pump
Who did: Earth 2160 (PC)
And live in: Krakow, Poland
On paper, Two Worlds is and Oblivion beater. Delicious screenshots of a vast environment, non-linear gameplay with your decisions changing the outcome of events and the path of the story, simple yet multifaceted combat system and a musical score written by Harold 'Beverley Hills Cop' Faltermeyer being just a few of the reasons we've got high hopes for this Tolkien-alike RPG. The story involves the usual fantasy nonsense (which we love!) of Orcish armies rising up and threatening the Dwarves, Elves and Men with extinction as they seek to harness the power of some dead God or other, but the twist here is that you don't have to side with the good guys. Unfortunately we've yet to see the game in action so whether or not the bold claims are anything more than PR hot air remains to be seen.
IMPRESSIONS
The next great fantasy RPG? Here's hoping, and it certainly looks to be heading in the right direction
6. THE SHADOW OF ATEN
From: Silicon Garaje Arts
Who did: It's their first game
And live in: Madrid, Spain
The subtitle 'The Egyptian Chronicles Of Allan Scott' should you leave you in no doubt as to what this adventure title is all about. Yep, easy parallels can be drawn with Indiana Jones and Lara Croft games, and in fact Shadow's plot reads like that of The Last Crusade, give or take a year and a few different ancient artefacts. Set in 1936, British ex-serviceman Scott nips over to Egypt to investigate a mysterious death and soon finds himself up to his Fedora in an arms and antiquity trafficking ring, a plan to filch a horde of treasure from the tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and a conspiracy to prepare Egypt for Nazi invasion. As with the story, the gameplay suggests it'll be very much a Doctor Jones affair, with scraps, puzzling, car chases, camel-riding, exploration and similar blockbusting adventure film antics, all wrapped up in the locales and myths of ancient Egypt.
IMPRESSIONS
While it all sounds rather paint-by-numbers, we can't complain about the prospect of camel riding.
7. INTERSTELLAR MARINES
From: Zero Point Software
Who did: It's their first game
And live in: Frederiksberg, Denmark
So it's got a name that's somewhere between a Paul Verhoeven movie and a Pink Floyd album but this slice of Danish Sci-Fi shooter bacon is looking very tasty, if the latest trailer is anything to go by. While unlikely to win any awards for originality - your mum could have dreamed up the it's-the-near-future-and-mankind-are-livingin-space-oh-****-there-are-some-monsters premise - the game formerly known as Project IM is causing a minor stir with its alluring visuals, squad-based soldiering and an enemy that's a fast-moving shark... with legs! Brilliance itself. Expect the action to take place in space stations overrun by deranged robots and genetically screwed creatures and a shady mega-corporation behind all the fuss.
IMPRESSIONS
An above average paint-by-numbers space shooter, we're guessing.
8. TERRA: FORMATIONS
From: Star Cave Studios
Who did: Camelot Galway City Of The Tribes (PC)
And live in: Galway, Ireland
We want this multi-genre space opera to be good for three reasons. First, the name of the company, Star Cave, is just lovely. Second, Star Cave are based in Galway, which is just as lovely. Third, the developers recently released a cute-as-a-button PC edutainment title about life in 17th Century Ireland. Anyway, Terra: Formations is an MMOFPSRTSRPG. Say what?! Yep, you can play it as a shooter while taking time out to expand your character's stats through adventuring, or you can take overall strategic command, directing battles from your general's chair. And it's fully online. That's all the info we have for the mo' and while the first screens aren't overwhelming, it's an ambitious project showing a lot of promise.
IMPRESSIONS
Far too early to make a call but if the end product matches the early ambition, it should be a winner.