Fresh off the presses comes the news of an “action-packed” and “enticing” third-person shooter set to try and blow us away. And by us, I mean Xbox 360 users.
Sorry Playstation users, you’ll have to sit out on this experience. Being developed by 505 Games and Buka Studios (writer’s note: I can pretend I know who they are, but I really don’t…) The Swarm puts you in the position of a soldier in the middle of a nuclear fallout in Moscow. As if that wasn’t enough The Swarm looks set to be heavily influenced by a “good vs evil” choice system (like Bioshock, Fable, inFamous, Tiger Woods PGA Tour (okay, one of those isn’t relevant)) where you can either steal alien DNA to turn yourself into an alien or just be a plain old human fighting the alien invasion.
Yeah… I think I know what I’m going to do. Especially considering that the alien option comes with special powers. F*ck the fact that you get turned into a monster, I like power. To make the perhaps silly choice system have some clarity, the plot begins with you waking up in an alien laboratory and having choices throughout the game’s story to make yourself an alien or stay human for the sake of your planet.
Spicing up the gun play are puzzles to solve and DNA mini-games, to presumably boost the game’s longevity and add some variety to the game’s generic nature structure.
“This isn’t your standard third-person shooter,” roars a testosterone-fueled Adam Kline, wiping the drool from the sides of his mouth as he salivates over the possibilities. He goes on to sugarcoat what the game does differently but from a pessimist standpoint, Swarm is going to have to do a hell of a lot to sway me. I’m intrigued by the idea of becoming an alien and having the accompanying powers but I feel a sense of deja vu wash over me…
Anyway, for your delectation here’s the rather wordy press release. Count the superlatives – I’m on five before I’ve reached the end of the subtitle…
GAMERS TO FACE WORLD OF NUCLEAR DEVASTATION AND ALIEN DOMINATION IN 505 GAMES’ AND BUKA STUDIOS’ THE SWARM
Players Must Balance Enticing Alien Skills Against Preserving Their Own Humanity in Action-Packed Third-Person Shooter for Xbox 360TM
AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – Feb. 3, 2010 – 505 Games U.S. and Buka Studios today announced a May 2010 release date for The Swarm, an action-packed third-person shooter that drops players into the middle of a nuclear fallout after in alien invasion in Moscow, Russia. Targeted for release on Xbox 360™, The Swarm forces players to choose between absorbing alien DNA – and powerful skills — at the cost of gradually become a monster, or retaining their own humanity to fight off the alien invaders.
In The Swarm, players navigate an alien-infested Red Square in Moscow, shown under the effects of a nuclear catastrophe. The game features a unique adaptive combat system, where players awaken in an alien laboratory and will choose throughout the game to either enhance their performance with alien DNA that increases attributes like stamina and health, or retain their humanity – and standard abilities – to fight the invading forces.
While searching for an antidote to cure their allies against the alien mutation, players will solve DNA mini-games and puzzles for the option to absorb new abilities and become more adept at fighting tougher enemies. Players can then build and change alien DNA chains to improve different abilities like harvested energy from the bodies of defeated enemies, increased regeneration rate, enhanced vision or develop physical manifestations with access to energy weapons and sharp claws. Players can use a variety of weapons—including firearms, clubs, plasma projectors and grenades—for melee or ranged combat against enemies.
“This is not your standard third-person shooter,” said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games U.S. “The game’s adaptive combat allows players to mold their characters, draw them into the alien takeover and force them to make tough decisions typically not found in other shooter games.”
Here’s a couple of screenshots to take a look at too. Why am I seeing a bit of Prototype in there?
One Response to “Alien Domination & Nuclear Devastation Imminent… In Upcoming Game “The Swarm””
Yea, that game looks dire.