
	Platform PC, Xbox Genre Action Publisher LucasArts Developer Planet Moon ETA Winter 2003

Review: Giants: Citizen Kabuto (PC) Interview: Nick Bruty (Giants) Interview: Bob Stevenson (Giants) Interview: Armed & Dangerous Q&A with Aaron Loeb
Newsletter
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: Subscribe \| Unsubscribe

Armed & Dangerous

Planet Moon’s last project revolved around an assortment of characters but was most memorable for a certain Citizen Kabuto. And it looks like Planet Moon won’t be straying too far from wild characters and an off-kilter look at the world (but minus Kabuto). Here’s the official low-down:

Take a band of gun-toting rebels -a robot, a madman, a mole and a criminal mastermind. Put them in a vividly stunning fantasy realm. Then give them an

Advertisement

impossible mission – pulling off the biggest heist of all time in the middle of a war. All you have to do is battle your way through ugly grunts, wall smashing Goliaths, evil monks, giant war machines and an army of psychopathic robots. But don’t worry; you have plenty of ammo and absolutely no common sense. Victory is yours in 12,000 bullets or less.

Based on a true story, players take on the role of Roman, a cockney criminal mastermind

Advertisement

and leader of a gang of accidental heroes known as the Lionhearts. Armed to the hilt with an arsenal of outrageously powerful firearms, Roman and his crew of Robin Hood wannabes – Jonesy, Q1-11, and Rexus – set out to pull off the ultimate heist and are unwittingly drawn into a rebellion against a tyrant king. In the process the Lionhearts learn some treasures aren’t worth stealing and some things are more valuable than gold.

Roman’s sidekicks include Jonesy, a Scottish Mole Miner and demolition expert. He’s acerbic, bitter, sarcastic, and loyal only to the Lionhearts. Q1-11 is an upper class, debonair eliminator droid and the group’s muscle, who attained self-awareness through his deep and abiding love of tea. Rounding out the gang is Rexus, a seer and great sage who suffered a tragic head trauma that reduced him to the stinky, unpleasant wreck of the man he is today. Still possessed of incredible powers when he chooses to use them, Rexus is an important key to the Lionhearts success. Led by a devil-may-care attitude, the Lionhearts rely on ingenuity, their unique personalities, and each other to luck their way through one disaster after another.

Features:
21 action-packed missions through five diverse environments including icy and snowy regions, mountains with breathtaking vistas, deep and foreboding woods, and rain-spattered cliffs.

Set in the rich fantastical world of Milola, which is recovering from the not-so-distant Lime-Dixon Wars and a disastrous icicle famine. Milola, comprised of three countries – Midden, Forge, and Armortia – is ruled by the hated and oppressive King Forge.

A multitude of outlandish weapons such as the Cyclops Sniper Rifle – an ultra powerful shooter capable of taking out multiple enemies in a single shot, and a Vindaloo Rocket Launcher – which fires four missiles simultaneously resulting in humongous, world-shattering conflagrations.

Über-weapons [like] the Sticky Bomb [which] adheres to enemies, walls, and any other surface (resulting in great fun), the Topsy-Turvy Bomb momentarily turns the world upside down, sending enemies hurtling into space only to land moments later with a satisfying crunch and bounce.

But the action is also prominent. Most of the action is third-person and entirely reminiscent of Giants (which is not a bad thing), but you’ll also get to man turrets and the like in first-person. In one Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers moment (specifically, the battle at Helm’s Deep), you’re faced with thousands of approaching enemies, including battle blimps that drop off even more enemy units. You’re job is to stop them from breaching the city wall. It’s at these times it’s just you, your reflexes and your aim. (In the third-person modes it’s possible to issues commands to your teammates.) Either way, the action looks intense.

While Armed & Dangerous is still about 7 months out, it certainly looks promising. If nothing else, we’ll get copious references to tea and vindaloo dishes.

- Omni
(May 24, 2003)