First look: Outlaw Volleyball: Spike or Die

Simon & Schuster stopped by today and gave us a look at an early build of Outlaw Volleyball: Spike or Die. The title is in the same vein as the company's recently released multiconsole Outlaw Golf games and features a liberal dose of over-the-top humor. The game is slated to include 10 courts and a total of 16 selectable characters as well as Xbox Live support for online play and downloadable content.

The build of the game we saw featured five modes: arcade, tour, exhibition, drills, and Xbox Live. Arcade is a standard arcade mode that will let you play against a series of opponents. Tour is a career-style mode that will have you compete in 50 events evenly spread out over 10 courts. Though you'll be able to select from only four players initially, as you progress through the tour mode you'll unlock a host of extras, such as new characters and new drills. Exhibition is a quick game that will let you play against the CPU or a human opponent. Drills are minigames that will let you train your character and improve his or her attributes. Finally the game's Xbox Live option, while not functional in the build of the game we saw, should offer the standard set of Xbox Live features, like optimatch and quickplay. In addition, the game's online functionality is slated to include downloadable content such as new courts, possibly new players, and special online tournaments.

While the exact mechanics of the gameplay are still being ironed out, the game looks likely to stick close to the spirit of the game's golf-themed predecessor and to offer a user-friendly interface that keeps button usage down to a minimum. At the moment it looks as though the game will use at least two buttons, one to bump and serve and one to block. The game will also include some brawling to keep things raw. You'll be able to collect coins that let you initiate hand-to-hand fights with your opponents. In addition to letting you work off some steam, the brawls will let you steal a percentage of your opponent's momentum meter for your own. The momentum meter functions in roughly the same way as the composure meter did in Outlaw Golf and will have a positive effect on your character's performance in the game.

Speaking of characters, we got a look at the 16 that will be included in the game and found them to be true to the style and sensibilities of those in Outlaw Golf. You'll find a motley assortment of eccentric characters that includes some familiar faces from Outlaw Golf. The roster is evenly divided between male and female players, and each has three outfits for you to choose from, some of which are very light on fabric. The game's impressive graphics engine renders every character with a high amount of detail. The environments are also looking sharp, although the frame rate wasn't quite steady just yet. We checked out three levels: a traditional beach level, a jungle setting, and a court set at the bottom of a sewer, which featured some nicely implemented water effects.

From what we saw today, Outlaw Volleyball: Spike or Die is poised to do to volleyball what Outlaw Golf did to golf. The game's accessible gameplay, over-the-top characters, and sharp graphics look to be on the right track. Outlaw Volleyball: Spike or Die is currently slated to ship next spring for the Xbox. Look for more on the game in the coming months.