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Platform: Xbox |
Developer: Artoon |
Publisher: Microsoft |
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Genre: Platformer |
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ETA: Fall 2002 |
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The
3D character-driven action game was perfected with the instantly classic
Super Mario 64. Many games since then have tried to imitate the gameplay
that made Mario 64 so great, but with the next generation of systems now
fully upon us, developers have needed to come up with some innovative
ideas to avoid the “been-there- -done-that” aspects of a genre that
is desperate for rejuvenation. Many developers have opted to stay in the
safe confines of the genre (the latest Crash Bandicoot, Sonic on the
GameCube and Dreamcast). But games like Jak and Daxter, Ratchet &
Clank, ToeJam and Earl III, Mister Mosquito, and Mario Sunshine (which
looks to be the triumphant return of the original 3D hero himself) are
taking different approaches to stand out from the usual genre fare.
One
of the freshest new takes on today’s action gaming will be in the form
of the furry feline hero, Blinx: The Time Sweeper (BTTS), due to star in
the same-named game exclusively for the Xbox this fall. Yes, the game
will be set in a 3D world setting, with another anthropomorphic
character running around beating up bad guys, collecting special items (“time
crystals”) with a vacuum-like Time Sweeper unit (the TS1000), and
racing against the clock on over 40-odd levels. There’s also the
mandatory princess to save. So what’s so fresh and unique, you may
ask? It’s a feature that could only be available with the Xbox and its
hard drive. As a time sweeper, Blinx will be able to control the flow of
time during the game. You’ll use the Xbox’s hard drive in a similar
manner to your VCR, by recording your gameplay and having the
opportunity to rewind, pause, slow down or speed up the BTTS universe.
For
instance, there may be times when you can speed up Blinx, while the
enemies he’s battling remain at the same speed. Conversely, Blinx can
move in real time while the world around him is slowed down to a crawl
or even paused. Blinx can also rewind back to a earlier level and replay
it to uncover missed goals, items or areas that you couldn’t find the
first time around. Or he can rewind only certain parts of the level,
restoring destroyed structures to reach areas or objects that are
required for a victorious ending. Xbox owners always wondering if there
was a game that would suck up more than a few measly blocks on your
system’s hard drive take note: BTTS will take a whopping (for a
console game) 200MB of space.
Visually
BTTS is tight already, with Blinx having an extremely polished look,
almost what you would expect if he were a Dead or Alive 3 character. The
most impressive eye candy on the various levels is the realistic
lighting effects. BTTS is a new flavor to action gaming that could be
the shot in the arm the genre (and the Xbox) needs.
Even
though I’m allergic to cats and have always been a dog lover myself,
this looks to be one of Microsoft’s more promising late-year releases
that I can’t wait to get my paws on, so join me in keeping a cats-eye
out for it sometime around October 2002.
-
Lee Cieniawa
(July 26, 2002)
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