Since playing Fallout 3, I’ve become a fan of Bethesda’s work. The level of quality that they seek to master in each game that they produce has manifested in terrific, and epic, gaming experiences.
It was exciting for me to take a look at what they were showing at E3 this year, as I had high hopes for some of the games that they were working on — Wet comes to mind. I walked their booth not as a journalist (or rather, a wannabe journo) but as a gamer and fan.
First stop: Brink.
Brink
Paul Wedgewood from Splash Damage, developers of Brink, took us through the walkthrough of the demo, explaining aspects of the game along the way. First and foremost Brink is a shooter set in 2035 on the Ark, one of the last bastions of human civilization.
*Side note: Folks, 2035 isn’t that far away. Unless we are expecting alien technology to revolutionize our society, I’d start pushing for at least 2075 as a more viable landmark for story-lines this epic. /rant
The Ark is run by the “Security”, a dictatorship abusing its power. The Yang to the Security’s Yin is the Resistance, a militia-like force of mercenaries looking to liberate the city. Player’s can select to play as either faction with up to 8-player co-op, viewing the story from unique and different perspectives each time.
The first demonstration we viewed was set in an airport as a character in the Resistance. The visuals are gorgeous, basked in blue colors with excellent lighting. The characters are realistically rendered but have exagerated proportions. Think Gears of War but more stylized. For a game that’s supposedly in pre-Alpha it was highly polished. Goddammit this game looked good!
The demo showcased dynamic missions being created as the game was played. The missions seem to react to and transform based on what actions are taking place on screen, earning rewards and experience points in RPG-lite fashion. In fact there are player-specific missions in multi-player as well, showcasing an extremely fluid game mechanic that allowed for easy drop-in and drop-out of play without interrupting the action on the screen. There is a considerable amount of character creation and customization in the game, even allowing for job classes to be switched at specific hubs. It’s a nice feature, considering that most other shooters drop players in a specific and set role.
Speaking of fluidity, the game focuses on what Splash Damage are calling “S.MA.R.T.” or Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain. What this means to you and me is that when approaching an obstacle the general “action” button is pressed the tech analyzes the terrain creating a sort of quick-time event, such as jumping over or sliding under said obstacle. While this may sound ho-hum the animations are not canned and allow for the QTE to take place dynamically based on angle, speed, and situation. It’s almost like lite parkour but works extremely well, making the game control incredibly smoothly in what the devs are referring to as “kinesthetics”. Letting go of the button stops the animation. Don’t worry: there is still a separate jump button.
Brink has the ability and promise to be a great gaming experience. It was one of the games that left a big impression on me at the show in all the right ways. Look for it to stand out during an already crowded Spring 2010.
Wet
I didn’t know much about Wet beyond the buzz that had been building behind it. The game, due Fall 2009, is stylized and meant to be Tarantino-esque. It reminds me of 70s cop-action flicks, with ninjas and spies thrown in.
Playing the demo, it is clear that Wet focuses on its over-the-top acrobatics as its main game play element. The acrobatics are set in bullet-time form, slowing down the action on the screen as the character, Rubi, shoots or slices her enemies. I was put off by the excessive slow mo that takes place during this effect. It interrupted the game’s speed, and seemed shoe-horned in. I hope that it was simply for demo purposes, but I would like to see the effect become more of a reward used sparingly instead of becoming a shtick.
The visuals are okay. While everything seemed a little flat and low-textured — especially after having come from seeing Brink — Wet emphasizes its graphical style over its details. Examples include mini-cinematic sequences when restoring health (Rubi drinks whiskey to regain HP) and the visuals displaying a deteriorating film grain effect when too much damage is taken and health levels are low. In one scene Rubi gets blood splattered in her eyes causing the screen to become a highly-stylized and rage-filled black/white/red combo.
I wasn’t quite sold on Wet, considering that the game seemed a lot like MadWorld with a female antagonist. I can see this being a good rental, but perhaps not more than that. We’ll see in a few months once the final product is released.
Other Games
While waiting to get my hands Wet (pun!) I played a few other demos in the Bethesda booth. Rogue Warrior was heavily promoted, but didn’t strike me as anything more than a game that can be simply re-branded as “Stealth Kill”. I’m not into stealth gaming very much. Sorry. I took a look at Medieval Games for the Wii, which was what you’d expect: a collection of medieval party games. It’s great if you like quirky party games, and at least it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There was a splattering of iPhone and mobile games as well, none of which I can remotely remember apart from one where the goal is to “rub” a girl and get her to take her clothes off. No joke. It was actually a game.
Oh, and Eliza Dushku was there signing autographs. I didn’t get one because, you know, I’m not that kind of guy.
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