Platform: Xbox

Genre: Action/Adventure

Publisher: TBA

Developer: Lost Toys

ETA: 2003

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Call of the Dragonfly

Over the years I've developed a deep rooted fear of third person action/adventure games. Maybe it's just bad luck on my part, or maybe the sneakier, more sinister, evil developers out there are plotting against me, slipping in these rank titles with their bad cameras and clunky, slow control, but whatever the case this genre has left me waking up many a late night screaming in a cold sweat. Only on the rarest of occasions have I not been struck down by a petrifying sense of terror at the hands of this foul gaming archetype. Now Lost Boys are making a foray into the realm of the third person action/adventure game for the XBox with a game going by the name of Call of the Dragonfly (CotD).

Looking at the story both a salvo of red flags and raised eyebrows go flying up. In terms of the red flags there are certain aspects of the story that we've seen a million times before in that the game takes place in the not-so-distant future in Britain and a number of scientists have mysteriously gone missing. Players take on the role of one Chrys Lane, a covert op who has to find them only to discover that a large bio-tech firm, Medictech, is responsible and is up to no good, dealing in diabolical genetic research. This all sounds like something straight

 out of the Big Book of Science Fiction Clichés, but there is still a redeeming factor, that being that Chrys has been infected by a virus made by Medictech. This looks like it could help to add a sense of urgency to the game seeing as Chrys' days are numbered thanks to the virus, so she had better hurry up and find the scientists and the antidote or she's done for.

As mentioned in my opening lamentation, the game is a third person action/adventure. The cameras are looking to be a little further off from the game's character than in other titles in this genre. This may be because Lost Boys is using some sort of 

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"intelligent, cinematic camera system". Sounds good to me but I've been promised "revolutionary" new camera systems numerous times in the past, and have been left a crumpled, frustrated heap in the corner when the finished product arrived on several occasions, but here's to hoping. The visuals themselves will try to take advantage of the oomph of the XBox by pumping out real time shadows and per pixel lighting to keep the graphics oglers happy. On the audio side it would appear that a real orchestra will be used which is very nice to hear.

Right now a lot about this game is largely on the sketchy side in terms of details which makes it hard to get psyched for it or to develop a sense of grim foreboding towards CotD either for that matter. Whatever the case, it's still on its way, so we'll just have to wait and see.

- Mr. Nash