Infected - PSP Game Previews - The Armchair Empire


	Platform PSP Genre Action Publisher Majesco Developer Planet Moon ETA Fall 2005
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Infected

When Planet Moon is mentioned I always think of humorous action games. Giants: Citizen Kabuto and Armed and Dangerous, Planet Moon’s first two titles rank high in both humor and action but with Infected, their latest title, for the PSP I wonder where the laughter went. As it was demoed for me at E3, I wondered where the smiles were and I went as far as to ask the rep. Time and too much summer heat have made his answer little more than a vague memory; however, I seem to recall “It has funny elements.” I suppose it’s harder to demonstrate a game’s comedy in a five-minute demo than it’s outright visceral appeal of blowing things up.

But there’s hope that hilarity of some level will be present. As the fact sheet states, Infected revolves around creating “viral chain letters of evil!”

I like to harp on the comedy because it seems to be difficult to pull off in games and not many developers will attempt it – and even fewer will succeed in eliciting any smiles. Of course, it may be that Planet Moon doesn’t want to tip their hand too soon. That said, the action of Infected is looking good.

Here is the official line from Majesco and Planet Moon – hypetails included:

The first in a series of original games exclusively for the PSP from Planet Moon Studios and Majesco, Infected features pulse-pounding two-gun action as you cleanse the mean streets of New York City of mad, flesh-hungry Infected. The title brings the frenetic gameplay of a classic arcade game to a cutting-edge third-person shooter.

Infected features an engrossing single-player campaign with lavishly gory details and unlocks the world of WiFi with blood-thirsting multiplayer modes. There is also an innovative multiplayer system called “chain infections” whereby players create unique avatars and pass them on to each other’s PSPs like viruses. If you’re infected by another player, you’ll actually find his avatar running around fighting you in your single-player game. Through multiplayer victories, players spread their avatars around the real world, player to player, in massive, viral chain letters of evil!

Infected is a game of shifting power, chain reactions, huge explosions and double-fisted gunplay.

Storyline:

It’s Christmas time in New York City. A strange virus has appeared in the city, turning seemingly normal people into insane, violent folks called: Infected.

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Rookie Officer Stevens is one of the first victims of the Infected. But unlike others, Stevens is stangely immune and doesn’t lose control. The mysterious Dr. Schaeffer discovers that Stevens’ immune blood can be used to destroy the otherwise unkillable Infected. Schaeffer creates a special “viral gun” that fills shells with blood from Stevens’ arm and blasts them straight into the Infected, causing them to die.

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Stevens is the only person who can save New York – and Christmas – from the Infected!

Features:

Infect the world with your PSP – spread your unique avatar like a virus to other players’ PSPs.

Ultra-fast paced, two-gun action in the streets of New York.

Set off massive chain reactions of exploding Infected, showering the streets with blood.

Exciting multiplayer modes: Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch.

Through multiplayer victories, players spread their avatars around the real world, player to player.

Form clans with shared uniforms, spreading the same unique virus to the unsuspecting.

Access a huge arsenal of powder weapons, viral weapons and special weapons such as airstrikes and fire trails that ignite chains of Infected.

Infected’s single-player game is a complete mystery to me as the demo presented at E3 concentrated heavily on the multiplayer elements and even the fact sheet only mentions single-player in passing. Again, it may just be a case of Planet Moon not wanting to tip their hand but it almost looks like a single-player experience will be tacked onto the multiplayer experience, which is a decided flip from most action/shooters where multiplayer is treated as an afterthought. As it is, the multiplayer is shaping up very nicely with good controls and strangely infecting gameplay.

Expect Infected this Fall.

- Omni

(July 14, 2005)