According to Blade Interactive's Pete Jones, "games have got to be done differently, it's got to change. People are looking at next generation like last generation, but we need a different way of thinking. We've got to show gamers something different." Not the words you'd necessarily expect to come from the head of a studio whose biggest hit has been a snooker simulator. But Blade Interactive's latest project - Hydrophobia - aims high. Recruiting talent who've worked on Splinter Cell and Fable 2, a genuine astrophysicist, blokes from the movie biz and letting loose the imagination of a team limited to making baize look brilliant in high-definition, it's rare to come across such genuine excitement in a development team.
And while Hydrophobia is a blend of the old and the new, what's new is groundbreaking. A thousand page document fleshes out the backstory of a game influenced from every water-based Hollywood movie from The Poseidon Adventure to Titanic. You're in control of a not-quite-all-action-or-as-fit-Lara-type (you still would, mind) called Kate, an engineer on a massive super ship sailing with the understated handle, Queen of the World. Loosely based on an ill-fated real world project called the Freedom Ship, the Queen of the World is a gargantuan floating city, a ten-deck behemoth with Skyscrapers, shops, casinos, restaurants, golf-courses and even beaches, designed as a haven for the super rich. Since she never sails in territorial waters, it's an attractive place for wealthy individuals to dodge taxes, and companies to dodge laws.
HYDRO-WOAH-BIA Unfortunately, the supposed freedom she brings invites her downfall. A research company called Nano Cell that produces nanobots that purify water, incites the wrath of fanatics called Neo-Malthusians. A year into its lifespan the ship comes under attack and Kate is thrust into the role of the reluctant heroine, Die Hard's Bruce Willis with baps, make-up and a diploma in mechanical engineering. Plunged down to the bottom deck where a hole's been blown through the hull, Kate has to use her body and her brains to survive the sinking ship, help others and get rid of the terrorists. And she ain't too handy with guns. Oh, and - here's the twist - she's terrified of water. Nice one, love.
But while its unique setting and survival-action-puzzle-fear approach instantly sets it apart from the blockbuster shooters that dominate on 360, it's the water itself that is truly revolutionary here. Previously water, like fire, has been a cosmetic benchmark, mere eye candy. Titles like Bioshock and Dark Sector are now beginning to apply some real-world properties to their H20, like the ability to conduct electricity, but Hydrophobia makes all that look primitive. Here water works like water. It is water - a truly 3D liquid, which reacts dynamically to its environment. It flows from source, it bubbles, it gets surfaces wet, it has a current, it's persistent. These properties make the water an intrinsic game mechanic, something we've never seen before, and in motion looks stunning.
WET WET WET At its most basic level, the water chases Kate through the ship. Staying alive will mean keeping Kate's head above water, searching out air pockets to catch your breath, navigating flooded rooms and corridors to find keys and gettingaround obstructions. But the water isn't just an obstacle in itself. Objects will float in it making physical hazards, waves can sweep people away, and underwater currents creating mini rivers in the ship. And then there's the actual visuals - explosions, bubbles, spray, reflections and refractions make for dazzling effect as the water sweeps through the ship.
Since Kate's a female engineer with a massive terrorist problem on her hands, you won't just have to survive the water (a feat in itself) but learn to control it. Got an enemy guarding the way? Why not remotely open a door, unleashing a forceful wave that brushes them away. You could also use the water to disguise a mine. But our favourite, which demonstrates the options for combining objects you'll come across, is this: stuffing a rubber duck full of semtex, you can place it on the water. Set it in the right place, and it'll be taken downstream by the current, hopefully towards an enemy. Catch his eye and he'll approach it. And the rubber duck will blow his face off. Nicely done.
So the water can be your friend, but it can also your enemy, or more specifically, Kate's. Whenever she's in real danger her phobia kicks in and the screen will start to blur in monochrome, operating her will become more difficult and it may even move to first-person mode. By making her safe, and by using judgement to intelligently dispose of enemies and solve puzzles, you'll keep her calm and you in control.
And as if her fear, a sinking ship, water throwing objects violently through the boat and a ton of ideologically-driven, ruthless mercenaries weren't enough to contend with, something also goes wrong with Nano Cell's nanobots. Once they're released into the watery environment, they begin to group together, become sentient, smarter, and dangerous. Want more? Check back here for the inside line.
Forget realistic water - I wonder how long it'll take feminism to reach the world of video games. Bruce Willis with baps and make-up? You 'still would'? 'Nice one, love'? I'm sure the writer of the article isn't a woman hater or anything, but if he could restrain himself from imbuing his writing with unnecessary heterosexuality and comedy misogyny, it would make articles like this far less tedious to read.
i think the environments and water look superb in these shots, im just a bit weary about the not too detailed character model. seems like plastic rather than skin. but these are early days and just pictures. And Querelle, i think you take these things too seriously by the sounds of it. I personally am not going to comment on someones natural personality, humour and writing style because it's tedious or old fashioned. and if i'm offended, then i stop reading. it's simpleto click off a web page you know. but what ever floats your boat i suppose...
Forget realistic water - I wonder how long it'll take feminism to reach the world of video games. Bruce Willis with baps and make-up? You 'still would'? 'Nice one, love'? I'm sure the writer of the article isn't a woman hater or anything, but if he could restrain himself from imbuing his writing with unnecessary heterosexuality and comedy misogyny, it would make articles like this far less tedious to read.
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