Dragons, Bugs, and Lycosites, Oh My!

UK-based Grolier Interactive is introducing four new titles in Europe (and possibly in the US) in 1998, and each of these games, from action-adventure titles to RPGs, will be available on the PC and the Sony PlayStation.

XenocracyThe first game gamers will see is Xenocracy, expected to be ready for the PC and PlayStation in mid-April. You'll take the helm of your selected ship as Wing Toucher, the commander of the Rei (not the camping gear company) squadron of the UPN (United Planet Nations, not the TV channel), consisting of Earth, Venus, Mars, and Mercury, circa 10,600 AD.

Your mission, in ten levels in arcade mode and 30 in simulation mode, will be to gain and maintain control of a liquonide mineral called Lycosite, mined in the outer Solar System by overpowering the enemy and its horde of ships, and sustain the unity of the UPN. There will be three modes to play in, arcade, simulation, and, for the PC, network play with up to seven opponents in deathmatch, team play, base defense, or tag. In sim play, resource management and weapon control will be major contributors to your level of success.

V2000V2000 (Virus 2000) is a third-person-perspective, single-player action game, developed by Frontier Developments, and is a sequel to Virus, a title from the '80s.

In V2000, players will battle a massive "red virus" making its way across the planet via the insect population. There will reportedly be about 36 levels and six various worlds (Green, Rock, Ice, Swamp, Alien, and Underwater), in which you'll stomp the bugs hi-tech-style with missiles, time bombs, lasers, smart bombs, and more. Part of your mission, aside from killing the enemy insects, will be to rescue humans and usher them to safety.

As you progress, you'll be given the opportunity to acquire better gear, such as utility crafts that will allow you to rescue more people in a singular trip than you could with your standard equipment. V2000 will be released into our atmosphere this summer for the PC and PlayStation, and is also being considered for the N64.

AsghanThis is another single-player, action-adventure title in Grolier's lineup, which is being developed by France-based Silmarils and is scheduled for a summer PC release and a PlayStation release later in '98. Players will assume the role of the warrior prince, Asghan, as he battles about 60 different enemies in an attempt to save his kingdom. In Asghan, "battle" means solving puzzles, avoiding or escaping traps, and full-on physical skirmishes. The game will take place in about 30 locations nestled in what developers call a "fantasy/medieval" world. Asghan will be able to swim, climb, roll, and dive from a first- or third-person perspective.

DragonflightDragonflight will enter the PC and PlayStation scene by the end of the year. This title is created from Grolier's interactive rights to the science fiction novels, the Chronicles of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey.

Dragonflight will be an RPG that takes place in the fictional Pern, with a large collection of people and dragons rounding out the storyline. The characters, good and evil, will consist of dragon riders, Weyr women, lords, and craftsmen, for example. Your mission will be to help the dragons and dragon riders keep "The Thread," a destructive body that comes down from the Red Star and kills all life-forms, from destroying Pern. Players will be able to choose from three characters with varying skill sets and will communicate with their dragons through telepathy - allowing them to also use the dragon's abilities, such as flying, to their benefit. The PC version will have LAN and Net options available.

All four titles are currently being shopped around to different US publishers. Announcements concerning their North American release dates will likely come in the months to follow.