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Joystiq hands-on: Saw
Click to enlarge Based on the brief teaser trailer released at the beginning of the month, our initial expectations of Konami and Zombie Studios' Saw video game were ... well, they didn't really go beyond visions of one gory minigame after another. Having now played it, we realize that, while those minigames are definitely there, there's a third-person game that shows hints of Silent Hill and Condemned: Criminal Origins in-between.Due out on Halloween, the game is about as far from Zombie's America's Army franchise as the developer can get in the action genre -- unless this is considered a training game for the event you're ever locked inside an asylum by a lunatic who wants you to solve twisted puzzles or die. The as-of-yet unnamed player character must not only pass the maniacal Jigsaw's tests; there are also others roaming the run-down facility's halls -- some who have already failed their tests and others who believe killing the player will set them free.%Gallery-49993%
First Saw trailer fails to frighten, teases Konami event
Saw developer Zombie Studios apparently doesn't want us to see much of the movie license-based game it's working on. At least, that's what this first teaser trailer implies, as it features a maddeningly cheap shot of "gameplay," though it does suggest we'll see more on April 9 at Konami Gamer's Night from the newly confirmed publisher. Of course, that means another torturously long week of waiting. But, hey, at least that beats even one long day of waiting in a tortuously cruel room full of people you're loosely connected to in real life, eh?%Gallery-49262%
Zombie Studios' Blacklight becoming movie, comic, toaster oven
Well, not a toaster, but that just leaves more room on Rogue Warrior developer Zombie Studios' plate for more delicious money. The Seattle-based company revealed plans to bring its barely announced Blacklight first-person shooter to the big screen and comic books as part of a deal with Twentieth Century Fox studio Fox Atomic and production firm Union Entertainment. Blacklight, what little we know of it, will be set in the distant future, where a special ops team battle for "peace and security" in a story The Seattle Times describes as reminiscent of Apocalypse Now. Nothing is yet known of the comic, however both the movie and game will be penned by indie film writer Jason Dean Hall, most recently recognized at Sundance for his work on Ashton Kutcher's Spread. More ambitious still, Zombie Studios describes Blacklight a "military action franchise," though we're not sure you're technically allowed to call a cow a franchise, let alone milk it before the first game is even the subject for debate.
Rogue Warrior to be M.I.A. at Min-E3
Though Bethesda has been exclusively linked to Fallout 3 as of late, the developer had also been working with Zombie Studios on a tactical shooter based on Dick Marcinko's Rogue Warrior book series. Now that we've jogged your memory, you should know that the game will not be on display at this year's E3 summit.Speaking to FiringSquad, Bethesda's Vice President of PR and marketing Pete Hines said, "We aren't talking about RW until we're ready to show what we've been up to." Rogue Warrior, powered by the Unreal Engine 3, was originally scheduled for release this year on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Bethesda's Rogue Warrior to battle Ubi's Tom Clancy forces
Bethesda Softworks and Zombie Studios want a piece of the tactical-shooter market. The two are teaming up to adapt Dick Marcinko's Rogue Warrior book series into an Unreal 3-driven FPS for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.Rogue Warrior will undoubtedly go up against any number of Ubisoft's established Tom Clancy franchises of similar nature, including Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, when it releases later next year. It's a difficult challenge, but there are a few details that are already setting Bethesda's project apart.Rogue Warrior's campaign mode will feature on-the-fly (jump-in, jump-out) co-op, similar to what Epic's offering in Gears of War, only Bethesda and Zombie plan to allow up to four players. On the multiplayer side, a map generating system using "tiles" is reported to provide 200 unique map variations on both day and night settings. Rogue Warrior will also benefit from a total of 10 multiplayer modes. Watch out, Ubi![Thanks, Matt]
First Rogue Warrior screens
We told you that Bethesda was partnering with Zombie Studios to create a new FPS on Wednesday. Now we have the first handful of screenshots from the game, titled Rogue Warrior. Said Mark Long, producer at Zombie Studios,"Rogue Warrior is the game we've been waiting to make for years. We're using terrific technology in a way that's different from other games - we have a unique HUD and control system for your teammates, on-the-fly co-op play, and we've really focused our efforts on making multiplayer more fun and challenging by giving you lots of modes and hundreds of maps you can see and play. We're thrilled to be working with Bethesda on this new initiative using a brand we know and love." We've now uncovered a handful of screenshots from the game. The screens aren't the greatest quality -- they almost look like scans -- but they do give us an idea of the game's graphical fidelity. The images look decent, though certain parts -- notably the ground texture -- have a last gen quality to them. Still, the graphics are likely to improve considering the game was officially announced only days ago. Also, the custom map feature sounds interesting as well. We've all played GRAW, and many of you have tried the Rainbow Six: Vegas demo, so what do you think? Does Rogue Warrior stand a chance?
Bethesda sets its sights on the FPS genre
According to the latest issue of OXM (Via 360Monster), Bethesda is working on a new first person shooter with Zombie Studios. Entitled Rogue Warrior, Bethesda hopes to make a game that will compete with the likes of GRAW and Rainbow 6: Vegas. Gamers will recognize Zombie Studios as the developers of Shadow Ops. The article doesn't specify, but a quick search revealed a book about anti-terrorism with the same title, upon which the game may be based. Bethesda hopes to separate Rogue Warrior from similar games by spicing up the multiplayer options. One particularly interesting feature is the ability of each team to configure a map prior to a match. The maps are composed of three sections. Each team chooses an outer section, while the computer randomly decides the center section. The player chosen sections are kept secret from the opposing team. Thus, each team starts in familiar territory and must venture into unknown territory. It is Bethesda's hope that this will keep the experience fresh. Sounds like a pretty cool feature to us. What do you think?
