Chair-Entertainment
Latest
Undertow dives into XBLA Nov. 21
Aquatic shooter Undertow goes 20,000 leagues under the sea beginning Nov. 21 on Xbox Live arcade. The fifteen-level campaign with co-op will also have multiplayer modes supporting up to sixteen people. A basic gameplay trailer can be found above and a more elaborate trailer can be found after the break. We already feel bad for some of the smaller games coming out during this jam packed holiday season, but we feel even worse for the XBLA titles screaming for attention in all the fracas.
Undertow devs: nothin' but Unreal from now on
Independent developer, Chair Entertainment, has signed an exclusive agreement with Epic to use its Unreal Engine 2.0. Chair is currently in the Xbox 360 spotlight for its Xbox Live Arcade title, Undertow. According to the agreement, Chair will use Unreal Engine on all of its current and future projects. What exactly these projects are remains a mystery, as Undertow is currently the only Chair project of which we are aware. Whatever Chair's future plans, Undertow remains an intriguing project, cramming CTF gameplay, a campaign mode, and Unreal graphics into an impressive 50MB package.Check out our new Undertow gallery below.%Gallery-4130%Update: Chair will continue to use the Unreal Engine for its products, not the Unreal Engine 2.0 specifically.
Indie dev Chair signs exclusive deal with Epic, new Undertow images
Despite 2005's disastrous Advent Rising, which was built on Unreal Engine 2.0, Chair Entertainment will continue to use Epic's tech ... for-ev-AR. The indie developer has signed an exclusive deal with Epic to license Unreal Engine for all current and future projects. While the deal extends across the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 platforms (no Unreal for Wii, remember?), Undertow, Xbox Live Arcade's submerged shooter, is the studio's only project known to be in development (not that we've been holding our breath for the rest of the canned Advent trilogy). As previously disclosed, Undertow will feature both a 15-level campaign (with co-op support) and a pair of 16-player multiplayer modes, packed tight like shredded tuna into the old 50MB XBLA standard. Undertow is tentatively scheduled for release this summer. [Via press release] %Gallery-4096%
Unreal Engine 3-based Undertow coming to XBLA
After the big budget (and disappointing sales) of Advent Rising, Chair Entertainment has set its sights on the much more manageable Xbox Live Arcade platform with their latest project, Undertow. Like RoboBlitz (oh, and Gears of War), Undertow uses Unreal Engine 3 to bring the pretty. The game will feature a 15-level single player and co-op campaign and two multiplayer modes for up to 16 players, but how does it play? IGN does their best Hollywood pitch, describing it as "Geometry Wars meets Battlefield," 3D graphics with 2D gameplay. Undertow is scheduled to be released on Xbox Live this summer ... if the certification gremlins don't get in the way.
Undertow: underwater Battlefield in 2D
When thinking up Xbox Live Arcade games, an underwater, two-dimensional game of Battlefield isn't on the top of the list. No, mostly we think of retro titles and simple action affairs. However, if Chair Entertainment has anything to say about it, Undertow could change that. IGN got a chance to preview the game and came away impressed. Set in a future where the earth is entirely underwater, Undertow plays much like Geometry Wars. The left stick controls movement and the right stick fires and aims weapons. Undertow is more than an arcade style shooter, though. It adds a team-based dynamic into the mix, requiring teams to capture bases. Bases are captured much as they are in Battlefield. Players must hover near them for a certain amount of time. The first team to capture all bases (or force the opposing team to drain their reserves) wins. The game has three factions from which to choose: the Atlantians (merpeople), Nemodians (think 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) and the Iron Marines (the normal human faction). There are several classes, ranging from light and nimble to slow and powerful. Coupled with nice graphics, interesting map design, a single-player campaign, and 16-player online multiplayer, Undertow could be making quite a splash when it releases (sorry, we couldn't resist).
