 |
| |
MI6 previews the forthcoming GoldenEye: Rogue
Agent game from EA...
|
|
GoldenEye Rogue Agent - July Preview
21st July 2004
A View To A Kill
You've been implanted with a golden eye courtesy of Goldfinger
& Scaramanga - but it's not any old metal eye; equipped with
several powers to aid your missions and to frankly allow you to
be "evil". The eye's powers must be unlocked as you
progress through the game, the first
a Magnetic Field which allows you to grab
an enemy and throw them in any direction using the right thumbstick.
The second, a Magnetic Shield which will deflect any incoming
bullet, offering temporary invulnerability. The eye also enables
biometric scans which surface information about your enemy composure
and health. For those of you who were hoping to work up a frenzy
chucking enemies here and there, you won't get very far - your
powers are not unlimited and instead revive as you kill more enemies
or act villainous.
Above: MI6 exclusive
screenshot of the third mission set in a Hong Kong skyscraper. |
|
Golden Combat
An interesting melee combat system will permit you the opportunity
to throw a punch at any enemy in range. The action doesn't
stop there - a hostage-grabbing technique has also been
implemented. You can stun an enemy via melee attack then
grab him with your left arm, your gun in the right; similar
to that in Splinter Cell but harder to see your surroundings
because of the first person perspective. There is no jump
feature in Rogue Agent, akin to the original GoldenEye game
for the N64.
|
If you enjoy the evil premise of the Bond
universe, the developers haven't left out those moments which
are truly wicked - you can dangle a goon over the edge of a balcony,
leaving them to beg for their life.
An Evil Dual
Returning from GoldenEye 64 are dual weapons - with a twist. Rogue
Agent has dual wielding capability, giving you the chance to mix
and match two weapons, one in each hand. These are controlled
by independent right and left triggers which allow simultaneous
firing or the firing of one weapon at a time. If you're armed
with only one weapon, you can throw grenades using the other hand
similar to that in the popular game Halo. The weapon arsenal in
Rogue Agent consists of several original, futuristic looking pistols,
machine guns and rocket launchers - your default weapon is a pistol,
similar in style to a Desert Eagle.
An interesting new location, "The Octopus" will be where
the villains meet to trade weapons and intel - players may visit
it between missions. This underwater location will also feature
in the multiplayer and purposely, the game logo is also based
on an octopus (not named after the sea creature, but rather a
multinational corporation, that has many powerful, centrally controlled
branches).
| A Physical Approach
Rogue Agent will boast use of the 'Havok' physics engine
- renowned as the best in the industry it has appeared in
games such as Max Payne 2, Painkiller and the upcoming title
Half Life 2. The physics engine offers 'Ragdoll' character
movements providing realistic interactions, for example,
you can lift a goon using your Magnetic Field power and
throw him into another goon knocking them down.
|
|
 |
'Ragdoll' also means realistic tumbles down
stairs and a wide variation of goon deaths. Furthermore, the engine
can provide realistic movement of objects within the environment,
such as a chair falling over when you throw a goon into it.
While the game has improved from it's display
at E3 this year, there is still work needed on the frame rate
and AI, and some of the rather bland character work being redone
by Darren
Pattenden at Redwood Shores. The game may share it's name
with the N64 classic, but it doesn't feel the same yet - maybe
missing some of the magic it needs to compete with the top FPS
titles being released this year.
Images courtesy EA Games.
Related Articles
GoldenEye Rogue Agent Coverage
GoldenEye
Rogue Agent - Multi-Player Preview
GoldenEye
Rogue Agent - Single Player Campaign Preview
GoldenEye
Rogue Agent - May Preview
