First impressionBuffy the Vampire Slayer

At a recent press event, Electronic Arts unveiled Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the Xbox. Set three or four years ago, the third-person adventure game will include all the characters and locales from the television show--including Buffy's longtime nemesis, The Master--as well as the series' signature wit. Modeled after Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy will be the game's lone playable character. The majority of combat included in the game is of the hand-to-hand variety. In order to destroy a vampire, Buffy must first deplete its health using 60 context-sensitive melee maneuvers and then finish the job with a stake. Buffy will eventually possess a crossbow that can be blessed with holy water for a devastating projectile attack. The only level objective demonstrated was pushing a button to open a door.

As Buffy pummels enemies, a slayer meter gradually builds that allows her to pull off combos and special moves. One special move allows Buffy to perform a back flip off a wall. There will be eight different levels in the finished game, and they will be set in familiar locales like Buffy's high school and other popular sites in the town of Sunnydale. The graphics thus far aren't overly complex, but there are some nice graphical effects like real-time lighting that flickers from burning candles and destructible environments that provide Buffy with plenty of stakes. Buffy doesn't look much like Gellar, but her movements were motion-captured from Gellar's stunt double, and her face will eventually be fully animated to match her dialogue. She will also have several different outfits to choose from. Other creatures and characters found in the show like Spike, Angel, Giles, and the notorious hellhounds are also included in the game, and there are large amounts of generic vampires to hunt.

All the actors from the show, save Gellar, have signed on to provide voice work for the game, though dialogue was not included in the version we were shown. Electronic Arts is currently throwing around the idea of a multiplayer arena mode for Buffy that will play similarly to deathmatch modes found in first-person shooters. The final determination will be made when the game nears its release date at the beginning of next year.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the Xbox is currently in the early stages of development, so expect much more on the game in the coming months.