DroneZ Preview

It's been a long, strange journey for DroneZ. Originally announced nearly four years ago as a PC and Dreamcast title, DroneZ was never actually released for Sega's now-extinct Dreamcast console and only just barely made it out as part of a package bundle on the PC. Earlier this year, publisher Metro3D picked up the license for Zetha GameZ's futuristic action game and announced it would be coming to the Xbox. Although the game will essentially be a pure port of the PC version of the game, Zetha GameZ has also added some new features, like a four-player multiplayer game and online support via Xbox Live. We've taken the opportunity to check out a preview version of DroneZ for the Xbox, and while there do appear to be some solid concepts found within, the developers definitely still have some work ahead of them.

The story of DroneZ is an intriguing one. In the not-too-distant future, pollution, crime, and neglect have left the world a desolate and dangerous place. To escape this hellish reality, humans have taken to hooking themselves into a virtual reality called V-Space. However, all is not well in V-Space, as the system's programs--known as AIs--have begun forbidding people to disconnect from the world. You will take on the role of a human trapped within the system, and with the assistance of a hacker named Doku (who lives in the real world), it will be up to you to defeat the system. DroneZ will actually feature a multitude of available playable characters, though only two will be available from the very beginning of the game: Eva Tharr, a student who accidentally stumbled upon classified data, which in turn made her a target of the system, and Sid Roxe, a strong, revolutionary type who wants nothing more than to see V-Space brought down.

The gameplay in DroneZ will be quite simplistic in its design. In order to travel through the various systems of V-Space, you'll find yourself hopping around a series of circular platforms, which are actually network memory locations. Some of these platforms are stationary; others are movable in various directions and can transport you to where you'll need to go. Much of the game will involve various forms of puzzle solving. There are 17 different levels in the game, and each level is rife with buttons, toggle switches, and similar items that must be found and activated in order for you to progress. Getting to these various items is not always a simple task, however, as numerous obstacles, such as energy beams, seemingly impenetrable shields, and various defense programs of the system, will try to stop you.

This is where the game's combat system comes into play. Throughout the game, you will have a meter at the bottom of the screen that tracks your overall health as well as your ZNRG level. ZNRG is a form of data that can be used to project energy like a weapon. You'll be able to use ZNRG attacks as a quick burst and a charged burst, and you'll also be able to use ZNRG as a shield from enemy attacks. You'll be able to focus your attacks via a targeting beam that you move with the right control stick, and you'll also be able to use the beam to refill your ZNRG level at various hub points found in each level as well as pick up bonus items. There's a wide variety of different enemies in the game, ranging from simple robots and wall lasers, to far more complex enemies. All in all, DroneZ's combat system seems to be an interesting one, though it can be very tough at times, due largely to the fact that it can be tricky to aim your targeting beam at enemies--especially if the enemies are particularly mobile.

In addition to the story mode, DroneZ also features a time attack mode, where you will be required to clear levels in a set amount of time, and a four-player multiplayer mode with two different games: sumo, where your task will be to push your opposing team to its home base and then destroy it, which unlocks a secret code fragment, and race, where you'll be racing against opponents by shooting blinking buttons, which in turn will lift your platform up progressively faster. DroneZ will also feature Xbox Live support, with a nice variety of deathmatch options available for play. You'll also be able to download extra content and frequent the scoreboard to see who's currently at the top of the heap.

DroneZ's visual style is very much of the retro-futuristic ilk, borrowing in a number of ways from Disney's Tron. All of the levels in the game have a vast, cavernous look to them, with large chambers, hallways, and tunnels throughout. The character models are deftly modeled afterthe "users," from Tron, with colorful cybernetic costumes and exaggerated body features to boot. The game doesn't ever have a ton of action happening onscreen at once, so you won't find any frame rate problems or technical issues to speak of. Sound in DroneZ appears to be a bit scarce, with only a fairly limited number of laser blasts and explosions to fill out the basic sound effects and occasional voice work by Doku and some of the bosses. The current soundtrack is predictably techno-inspired, with an almost hilariously kitschy electro-rock opening theme song.

From what we've seen of DroneZ thus far, it's tough to gauge exactly what the final result will be. There are certainly some interesting ideas to be found in the game, and both the offline and online multiplayer options will provide some variety that was otherwise missing from its PC predecessor. DroneZ is still a ways off from release--currently scheduled to hit stores in February of next year--so hopefully Zetha GameZ will spend some time adding to the story mode and tweaking the combat to make it a bit less cumbersome. We'll have more coverage of DroneZ in the coming months.