UbiSoftologist
Member
Source: TotalGames ( http://www.totalgames.net/pma/20565 )
Content:
The phrase 'GTA-like' is one of the most abused in the videogame press, often used in connection with any game featuring an angry man with a gun, in a large city. That's a definite misuse as far as we're concerned, after all it's not the 'angry man with gun in city' part that's so significant about GTA - it's the freedom of play on offer. That's why we'd feel happy describing Spider-Man 2 as Spidey meets GTA. We also feel pretty ecstatic about describing Destroy All Humans! as Aliens-invade-GTA-and-go-Psi-Ops. Let's see, that sums up the design ethos, the freeform gameplay and use of psionic powers in one long bout of hyphen abuse. High Five!
While lead character, a Furon called Cryptosprodium-137 (Crypto to his hombres) won't be joyriding in cars like a certain Mr Vercetti, a larger brain, mind powers and alien technology facilitate a somewhat more colourful experience - so instead of bludgeon pedestrian with baseball bat and fleeing by stolen car, Crypto's afternoons might be spent hypnotising humans for nefarious means, splattering them using an arsenal including a Brain-Exploder, Ion Detonator, Zap-O-Matic, Sonic Boom and Quantum Deconstructor.
And who needs a car when you've got a jetpack or your very own UFO? The transitions to which are as seamless as any Rockstar crime sim, but smattered with liberal sci-fi references helping to add a whole new ethos - genetic cloning and the harvesting of brain stems is integral to both the plot and core gameplay.
As someone once said, 'God is in the details,' making Pandemic the ancient Chinese hero Kuanyu - the god of accountancy. Use Crypto's telekinesis on a victim and he or she will exclaim - 'klaatu barada nikto' a nice peace of gobbledegook from 'The Day the Earth Stood Still.' We like stuff like that. Extra Brownie points for Pandemic.
Where Vercetti had The Fuzz to fear, Crypto has the intergalactic version - the mysterious G-Men, the henchmen of the shadowy Majestic, run by the even shadowyer Silhouette. Majestic has influence reaching into the upper echelons of world government and is wise to Furon movements. But of greater significance, the G-Men also exhibit a level of immunity to Crypto's powers, which brings up the nagging question - are they human or aren't they? Dun-dun-dduunnhh!
Before an extended hands-on we'll keep the enthusiasm reined in. After all, Spider-Man 2, despite the recreation of a GTA-esque city couldn't offer enough variety of sub-missions to make it a true classic. However, so far the little bits of GTA, Psi-Ops and Alien kitsch we've seen point towards a game with a lot of potential.
Content:
The phrase 'GTA-like' is one of the most abused in the videogame press, often used in connection with any game featuring an angry man with a gun, in a large city. That's a definite misuse as far as we're concerned, after all it's not the 'angry man with gun in city' part that's so significant about GTA - it's the freedom of play on offer. That's why we'd feel happy describing Spider-Man 2 as Spidey meets GTA. We also feel pretty ecstatic about describing Destroy All Humans! as Aliens-invade-GTA-and-go-Psi-Ops. Let's see, that sums up the design ethos, the freeform gameplay and use of psionic powers in one long bout of hyphen abuse. High Five!
While lead character, a Furon called Cryptosprodium-137 (Crypto to his hombres) won't be joyriding in cars like a certain Mr Vercetti, a larger brain, mind powers and alien technology facilitate a somewhat more colourful experience - so instead of bludgeon pedestrian with baseball bat and fleeing by stolen car, Crypto's afternoons might be spent hypnotising humans for nefarious means, splattering them using an arsenal including a Brain-Exploder, Ion Detonator, Zap-O-Matic, Sonic Boom and Quantum Deconstructor.
And who needs a car when you've got a jetpack or your very own UFO? The transitions to which are as seamless as any Rockstar crime sim, but smattered with liberal sci-fi references helping to add a whole new ethos - genetic cloning and the harvesting of brain stems is integral to both the plot and core gameplay.
As someone once said, 'God is in the details,' making Pandemic the ancient Chinese hero Kuanyu - the god of accountancy. Use Crypto's telekinesis on a victim and he or she will exclaim - 'klaatu barada nikto' a nice peace of gobbledegook from 'The Day the Earth Stood Still.' We like stuff like that. Extra Brownie points for Pandemic.
Where Vercetti had The Fuzz to fear, Crypto has the intergalactic version - the mysterious G-Men, the henchmen of the shadowy Majestic, run by the even shadowyer Silhouette. Majestic has influence reaching into the upper echelons of world government and is wise to Furon movements. But of greater significance, the G-Men also exhibit a level of immunity to Crypto's powers, which brings up the nagging question - are they human or aren't they? Dun-dun-dduunnhh!
Before an extended hands-on we'll keep the enthusiasm reined in. After all, Spider-Man 2, despite the recreation of a GTA-esque city couldn't offer enough variety of sub-missions to make it a true classic. However, so far the little bits of GTA, Psi-Ops and Alien kitsch we've seen point towards a game with a lot of potential.