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Post by KC on Jan 24, 2007 13:26:24 GMT 6
A new World War II shooter has sprung up decked out for the Xbox 360 (but is primarily built for the DX10-based PC). This Call of Duty 4 contender by nFusion and Midway shoves the player right into combat into either a British Commando, a U.S. Army Ranger or a Covert Ops specialist's boots. It's set to be run on the third-generation Unreal engine. We wonder if it could also ship the same day CoD 4 comes out, like one other time. Now the commando can fire bursts here and there while running for the next cover. The ranger specializes in sniping and is so mobile, he can reach places the other two cannot (now if he can climb up and hide in a tree, he's special). The covert agent uses stealth and silence, killing enemies without a whisper (now that's something we haven't tried before). OXM's take on the game's features include:
* All three characters participate in a level, but each is obligated only to complete their part of the level to slowly complete the mission. * The characters can be selected only at rally points. * Maps are open-ended so you can decide which objective can be achieved, when and how. * The game will take the player through three campaigns from 1942 to 1945. * The campaigns take place in North Africa, the Bavarian Alps and Berlin. * Health regenerates so this time media kits are not needed. * Tanks and jeeps can be driven while anti-air guns can be manned. * Work is underway so the player can control any vehicle in the level. * Allies and enemies work in teams dynamically with flanking, falling back, standing ground, taking cover and blind firing all in mind. * Enemy squads are coordinated by a commanding officer. By killing the CO, the troops may scatter. * The game will feature authentic WWII weapons, vehicles, equipment, uniforms and locations.
If this game is promising what we think it's promising to be...we can't wait to try it out.www.gamesradar.com/gb/xbox360/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=20070123114826781007&releaseId=20070123114517531027
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Post by Altaïr47 on Jan 24, 2007 17:50:31 GMT 6
read somewhere that cod4 won't have a ww2 setting. probably just a rumour but it if is true it would be cool imo.
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Post by Altaïr47 on Jan 27, 2007 10:00:13 GMT 6
xbox360.ign.com/articles/757/757830p1.htmlHour of Victory Hands-onAnother World War II game. Great.
That was our initial feeling when the opening trailer for Midway's upcoming Hour of Victory started to roll, a trailer that featured more worn-out cliches than Medal of Honor, Call of Duty and Brothers in Arms combined.
Let's start with:
"The fate of three men, three strangers and the fate of the world is about to change."
Follow that with:
"Three heroes. Three destinies. One purpose. Hour of Victory."
Brace yourself for this one:
"I am a soldier and this is my world. Here there is no beauty. There is only pain. There is only death. Every single minute can seem like a year and every single year can seem like a century. War is an ugly trip to hell."
Please, make it stop.
"Sometimes bad things have to be done to make good things happen. That's life in war. I feel no pity for my enemy and I will feel no remorse when I destroy him. I will not fail and I will not cease. From now until this war is over, every instant of every second of every minute will lead straight to the Hour of Victory."
The grand finale:
"Listen up, gentleman. The time for the fight is upon us. Now it's up to you to choose how we're going to win this thing. Sneak into enemy territory; storm the gates with guns blazing, or attack from long range. But you remember this: The choices you make will affect the entire war. Hear me out gentleman, because the time has now arrived for the Hour of Victory."
Yeah, the writing was so cheesy that I wanted to take a shower after the presentation. Thankfully, one video does not a game make, and Hour of Victory does show promise as an addition to the giant WWII FPS genre, thanks to a few interesting gameplay additions. And believe it or not, the over-the-top presentation is actually done on purpose, said developer nFusion.
"We're taking an Indiana Jones approach, versus 'Saving Private Ryan,' to the World War II genre," said Mark Caldwell, executive producer.
True, the market on the Saving Private Ryan game was cornered ten years ago. Perhaps a cheesy, popcorn-and-candy approach is something the World War II genre needs. Of course, it still all depends on gameplay.
Hour of Victory separates itself with what nFusion calls POVs, which is a fancy acronym for "point of views." The story follows three characters with different abilities through the North African campaign and the European theater, and you are able to switch between the stealth, sniper and assault troopers in the middle of each level to utilize their strengths.
Major Ambrose Taggart is an OSS operative specializing in stealth. He uses a knife for silent kills, is able to hide in the shadows to avoid enemy detection, and can quietly creep through the battlefield. He's also fluent in German, said nFusion, so we expect to see some double agent style opportunities with Taggart. He can also clip wires and pick locks to access areas of the battlefield not accessible to others.
Lieutenant William Ross is a British SAS commando that believes firmly in kicking ass. He prefers to use heavy weapons and specializes in frontal assaults with "guns blazing." As a badass, he has a strength and health bonus. He's able to kick down heavy doors and gates to gain access to areas of the battlefield not accessible to others.
Sergeant Calvin Blackbull is an Army Rangers specializing as a sniper. Quick and nimble, he's able to jump long distances and -- get this -- hold his breath to make more accurate shots. He's able to climb obstacles to -- you guessed it -- gain access to areas of the battlefield not accessible to others.
Of course, these special abilities raise immediate questions. If Taggert can pick a lock to a door, why can't Ross just kick it in? Can't anyone snip a few wires or is that exclusively a stealth maneuver? In order to enjoy Hour of Victory, and Indiana Jones for that matter, you have to suspend disbelief.
When you do, you'll see an interesting gameplay experience, especially in terms of level design. There are several rally points spread throughout the linear level design at which you can switch between Taggert, Ross and Blackbull. Then you can choose your path by looking for barbed wire and locked doors with Taggert; by looking for ladders to climb for the sniper Blackbull; by rushing full-steam ahead with commando Ross, looking for Nazis to annihilate.
While each soldier has unique skills, they can all drive. Vehicles like Tiger Tanks, Shermans and Kubelwagons are spread throughout the battlefield. If you can see it, you can drive it, said Midway. That's a nice change-of-pace from the mandatory tank missions in, say, Call of Duty 2. Like Battlefield 1942, the choice is yours to drive or not to drive.
We had a chance to jump into a playable level in North Africa. While the frame rate still needs some work, some of the textures and lighting were well done. If Hour of Victory looks anything like the other Midway titles using the Unreal 3.0 engine (Blacksite: Area 51 and Unreal Tournament 3), we expect a nice looking game to develop in the coming months. The over-the-top, arcade approach was apparent as explosions caused Nazi soldiers to fly 30 feet into the air, limbs flailing about like ragdolls. The sniper wasn't available, but we were able to use our stealth and assault troopers to eliminate Krauts.
When in the shadows with Taggert, an eye icon pops up to indicate that he is hidden from enemy site. With his knife, he is able to sneak behind for a sweet stealth kill. If he is noticed, he can throw his knife or switch to his silenced STEN gun and finish the job. With relatively low health, Taggert is best used in the shadows rather than as a run-and-gun option.
That's where Ross comes in. We used his raw strength to sprint through the battlefield and blast everyone in sight. It was pretty much that simple.
While nFusion didn't offer any details, Hour of Victory will feature online multiplayer over Xbox Live. HOV is currently slated for a summer release, so stay tuned for more coverage and media in the coming months. Until then, we'll leave you with this final powerful plot point from Hour of Victory:
"You are about to meet three men that can change the very face of World War II. These three will work together to create havok behind enemy lines. Now others might call it a suicide mission. These three soldiers call it honor."
Someone please hose me off.
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