Armed & Dangerous – PC – Preview

E3 2003 – First
Look

War can mean big profits,
but when you are a gang of gun-toting rebels, there can also be bigger fish to
fry – like an evil king who is looking to control the world. Hey, you have the
firepower, so why not depose the monarch. Well, the only problem is that there
are a host of enemies laying between you and the object of your desire.

LucasArts Entertainment
showed off Armed & Dangerous at E3 in Los Angeles, and the game, developed by
Planet Moon, has its share of action, but can – at the right moments – insert
mischievous fun into the mix.

Oh, and was it mentioned
that in addition to the main mission, there are a host of other goals along the
way.

This game features 21 levels
in five distinct environments, 17 different weapons, about 40 minutes of
cutscenes to advance the storyline, and a distinct lack of puzzle solving. In
fact, two-thirds of the game is run and gun.

Players can line up the bad
guys and take several down with one bullet. And should the world prove too tough
a challenge, as in there are too many bad guys to fight, then simply use the
topsy-turvey weapon. Resembling a giant cork screw, the weapon is inserted into
the ground and the world simple turns upside-down and all the enemy falls off
it. Disengage the weapon and the bad guys plummet back to the Earth.

This single-player game also
features the rag-doll extension animation. Use the sniper scope to zoom in on a
target and take your shot. The victim reacts realistically to where the bullet
is placed.

The player interface is
designed to make it as simple as possible for players to leap into the action.

This game looks good and is
almost a non-stop action-adventure romp. The graphical elements are
well-rendered, and the game seems seamless. It also boasts a nice mixture of
intense action with light dialogue and a few whacky moments.

This game is slated for a
Winter 2003 release on the PC and Xbox platforms.