Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse details

3DO stopped by today and revealed more details on its upcoming multiplatform game Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which is scheduled for a fall 2003 release. The game is a single-player action game that puts players in the role of Abaddon, an archangel who must face off against the apocalyptic horsemen of the title and prevent the end of the world. Before players can take on the horsemen, they'll have to find the three mortals known as "the chosen," who are born with the power to fight the horseman, to even the odds. However, while the three chosen are unaware of their abilities, the horsemen do know of them and the threat they pose. Players will be charged with finding and protecting the three chosen until they can be reunited and combine their powers to save the world.

The look of Abaddon, the chosen, and all the other characters in the game is the result of 3DO's collaboration with acclaimed comic book artists Simon Bisley, who is best known for Lobo and Heavy Metal 2000, and Dave DeVries, whose work includes covers for Marvel's X-Men comics and the Marvel X-men masterpiece trading cards. The game's lengthy production cycle is allowing the artists and 3DO's own art teams to focus on crafting the game's dark look. The character models in the game are based directly on Bisley's detailed sketches and paintings and make use of the 2D artwork as textures on the 3D models.

We had a chance to look at some sketches and models of Abaddon, the three chosen, the horsemen, and Satan himself. The chosen are Jesse Horner, a scantily clad 18-year-old prostitute; Jimmy Ray Flynt, a tattooed preacher turned serial killer; and Anderson Scott, a corrupt politician who actually unleashes the horsemen in the first place and only later realizes he is one of the chosen.

The four horsemen are Bisley-esque personifications of pestilence, war, famine, and death that will be revealed in the coming months. Satan is less of a departure from the conventional renditions of the lord of darkness, but he's suitably menacing. The cast is brought to life by some high-profile voice talent. Lance Henriksen, who appeared in Aliens and the television series Millennium, will voice Abaddon. Traci Lords, known these days for her work in Melrose Place, Profiler, and First Wave, will be the voice of Pestilence. Tim Curry, known for a varied career that has included The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Ridley Scott's Legend, will provide Satan's voice.

The gameplay in Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will center on exploration and combat that alternates between standard melee and ranged fights. While the exact gameplay mechanics haven't been revealed yet, we do know that players will take direct control of Abaddon, with the three chosen providing support based on their unique abilities. Jesse will be the party's healer, Jimmy Ray's mystic sight will reveal demons, and Senator Scott's power of persuasion will be crucial to success in certain situations.

Look for more on Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the coming months. The game is slated to ship for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox in fall 2003.