E3 2006 First Look Preview
Big guns, flashy graphics,
loads of eye candy, real-time lighting, impressive textures, loads of eye candy,
and…
Did I mention the eye candy?
Coded Arms is one of those
titles that you’ll leave the show thinking about for its speed, its
destructiveness, and its utilization of the PS3’s graphics processor. The worlds
look huge and endless. I’m sure there are blockers (signs? Road blocks? An
invisible wall?), but from this video demonstration the game looks massive.
The footage was without menus
or any instant telltale signs of gameplay, but you could tell it was real-time,
and I’m pretty certain the finished gameplay will look that good, maybe even
better. Take a look at the screens and judge for yourself.
Coded Arms is very
technology-oriented. When you fire your gun, a trail of what I’ll refer to as
“computer imagery” follows the bullets to their final resting place. Enemies die
with a similar connection to technology. Even the air is filled with lines and
symbols that form shapes and (presumably) barriers.
At the end of the trailer the
heroic fighter takes off her mask. That’s right – I said her. She’s like
a futuristic Samus, taking advantage of every innovation at her disposal,
including better weaponry. She bears a striking resemblance to the way Charlize
Theron looked in Aeon Flux. Keep in mind that the game is far from complete.
Anything we see could be changed before its release.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed
that the run-n-gun scenarios (where she had to constantly duck and run for
cover, firing back whenever possible) stay intact, and that more are on the way.
As for the lead character’s resemblance to a popular actress, it’s likely a test
to see if gamers go for the Aeon Flux look. Right now I’m digging it. Show me
what else you can do with her hair. And do it in real-time, with hairspray and
moose. As long as it’s polygonal and looks realistic, no one will be able to
turn their eyes away.
