Fracture Exclusive Update

We got our first look at LucasArts' Day 1 Studios-developed Fracture a few weeks ago when the game was unveiled at an event in San Francisco's Presidio. At the time we just got a top-level taste of what the upcoming game was going to offer, and a look at the terrain-deformation feature that will be central to its gameplay. We recently had the chance to get a closer look at the game, courtesy of a guided demo of a work-in-progress version of the Xbox 360 game at LucasArts' offices, which offered a better idea of what kind of action we can expect from the intriguing title.

Our demo began with a recap of the game's extensive backstory, which follows humanity's rough future. Global warming, natural disasters, and disputes between nations concerning genetic engineering have left the world fractured, both figuratively and literally. Out of all that mess comes two major powers: the high-tech, cybernetic East Coast and its European allies, which form the Atlantic Alliance, and the West Coast and its Asian allies, which form the Republic of Pacifica. You'll be repping the Atlantic Alliance as Mason Briggs, a soldier in the AA army with a rough background. The demolitions expert grew up an orphan in the wastelands and eventually found himself in the army. Mason's hard upbringing comes in handy when he's sent to the West to get the Pacificans to simmer down and make nice.

Once the stage was set with the story and Mason's introduction, we were shown the second mission in the game, which follows Mason as he drops into a San Francisco Bay now dried out and converted into a military installation by the Pacificans. Unfortunately, the Pacificans aren't into settling down and backing away from a fight, which is bad for Mason and his team, but good for a demo level. The action was a mix of standard "run and gun" action along with some unique puzzle-solving using the terrain-deformation mechanic.

Our demo showed off some of the game's unique arsenal of firearms and grenades. Mason will be able to hold two weapons and four types of grenades. Each of the firearms has a primary and secondary firing mode that you'll want to familiarize yourself with in order to use your weapon as efficiently as possible. The shotgun, called the invader, will have a secondary fire option that shoots a round that can ricochet off walls. You'll also have the ability to detonate the round when you choose. The machine gun, called the bulldog, has a secondary fire mode that lets you chip away at terrain to modify the landscape, such as creating steps up a steep hill. A rocket launcher, called the bangalore, has a secondary fire option that lets you create a subterranean torpedo that you can detonate at will. Finally, the boulder gun is a combination vacuum/projectile weapon that lets you create a massive boulder by pulling in debris from the world. Once you shoot it, the projectile can plow down enemies and deform terrain, and then explode after a period of time.

But given his demolitions background, Mason also throws himself a mean grenade. The game will feature four types that let you have all kinds of fun with the terrain in the game. Tectonic grenades will raise terrain and let you create cover or help you reach new areas. Subsonic grenades lower the terrain, allowing you to actually burrow in and around structures. Vortex grenades create a swirling ball of energy that pulls in any loose objects, including rocks, crates, and enemies, before exploding. Finally, spike grenades create a giant spike out of the earth, which you can use for cover, to ride up to new areas, or even solve puzzles. One part of the level we saw featured a puzzle that required you to use a spike grenade to raise an object up into its own force field to destroy it.

The arsenal was put to good use during the demo as Mason took out various Pacifican enemies. Reps on hand pointed out that Day 1 is working hard on the artificial intelligence in order to give players a real workout. The various enemies you'll face will come in different classes that will try to adapt to how you're playing to keep you from getting too comfortable.

The visuals in the game are shaping up well, with Day 1 Studios clearly having a good old time with the new hardware. The level we saw was roomy and very busy, with all manner of mayhem going on. The game's art style is taking form and works well with its story. We expect there'll be more than a few moments where you'll do a double take as you'll recognize a familiar landmark given a new postapocalyptic twist, as evidenced by the dried-out but recognizable San Francisco Bay in the level we saw. Mason and the other humanoids in the game were looking good, with a high level of detail and the beginnings of good animation. The environment looked sharp and, most importantly, deformed in crazy ways. Although the game was still very early, it was already running pretty smoothly overall, though there were the expected hitches and awkward camera bits. Lucas reps stated that the game is currently slated to support 720p, with higher resolutions under consideration. The audio, though far from final, offered a beefy assortment of effects to suck you into the experience. Weapon-fire and ambient chatter were headed in a good direction.

Based on what we saw, Fracture has a lot of potential above and beyond the game's interesting premise and Day 1 Studios' pedigree. The gameplay definitely offers a number of interesting possibilities. Though we'll admit to being disappointed at the game's lack of online co-op, we're still anxious to see what kind of multiplayer insanity Day 1 cooks up for the game's multiplayer. Look for more on Fracture in the months to come, including a live demo of the game next week at E3. Fracture is slated to ship for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008.