Darkwatch
- July 07, 2005 13:24 PM PST
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Sammy Studios enters the FPS fray with an original "vampire western." Buffy had better watch her back!
A few years ago anyone who suggested developing an original FPS for a console system would have been laughed out of the industry but today's world is a very different arena. Bungie proved that the console FPS could be done well with Halo and ever since developers have been hard at work trying to outdo each other. From the story based gameplay of EA's Medal of Honor series to the outrageous humor of Vivendi's Metal Arms and the wild fragging action of LucasArts' Armed and Dangerous the variety of gameplay is immense. Later this year Carlsbad, CA based High Moon Studios plans to enter the fray with its own, original console FPS -- Darkwatch.Planned for release on both the PS2 and Xbox, Darkwatch is described by the studio as a "vampire western" mixing elements of classic horror with old-school cowboy gunslinging. The hero of the story is Jericho Cross, a former outlaw who had an unplanned run-in with a very powerful vampire lord. Now a cursed half-human half-vampire Cross finds himself recruited by Darkwatch, a vigilant strike-force that has protected man from evil incarnate since the dawn of civilization. With no one else to turn to, Cross joins forces with Darkwatch in order to eliminate the vampire who cursed him, save the world and ultimately his own soul.
Adventuring through this haunted and nightmarish rendition of the American frontier, players will find themselves faced with a number of traditional FPS challenges, but with a twist. While Cross is armed with plenty of firepower, his vampire side has also bestowed him with a number of supernatural abilities such as a double-jump and enhanced vision, which allows you to use a zoom on weapons without a scope. There is also an element of character customization in the soul system.
As you make your way through the game and return the undead to their graves, they will leave souls behind. Cross can collect these souls and then use them to purchase stat upgrades that will improve various aspects such as speed, health and accuracy.
One of the more intriguing aspects is Moon's promise of a ?living west with massive seamless worlds? to explore. Although it hasn?t been confirmed, this statement would seem to imply that the developers intend to stream all of the game's levels on-the-fly which would mean zero loading time if they can pull it off. Combine this with a non-linear mission structure and dynamic A.I. that responds to the player based on your reputation and you have the potential for a very cool experience.
Fighting is expected to play out in traditional FPS style, with plenty of shooting and blowing things up. The Darkwatch game engine features location-based damage allowing players to take enemies apart limb-by-rotting-limb. You can even shoot the hat off of an NPC without injuring them. While combat is likely to be emphasized, the developers are also planning on giving players a stealth option. Levels will be littered with hiding places, so if your style is more Ethan Hunt than Rambo you'll still have plenty of options.
Rounding things out is the online multiplayer, using the network adapter on the PS2 and Xbox Live on the Xbox. No specifics have been released just yet, but we would be surprised is standbys such as deathmatch and capture the flag didn't make an appearance.
With just under a year until release, Darkwatch is still in the early stages of development, but there is plenty to be excited about. We?ll have more on the game as soon as we can get our grubby little hands on a copy, but until then feast your eyes on our collection of screenshots and character art.
