Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising invades retail

NovaLogic's bid to grab the PC shooter crown from Electronic Arts' Battlefield franchise kicked off today when it shipped Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising. The game is rated "T" for Teen and retails for $39.99.

Set during a hypothetical US-Indonesian war in the near future, Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising features the latest early-21st-century military hardware. The game will contain 29 different drivable air, land, and sea vehicles--including the eight-wheeled Stryker armored cars and the LCAC hovercraft. It will also feature 35 weapons in its arsenal, including the M4 assault rifle with M203 grenade launcher and the infamous Stinger missile.

The Joint Operations demo will let players pick from five different character classes--rifleman, engineer, gunner, medic, or sniper. The characters can enlist in seven different nations' militaries, including the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Australia, and Indonesia. Players will also be able to customize their appearances by using 67 different skin combinations.

Of all Joint Operations' features, though, NovaLogic is touting its large-scale multiplayer battles as the game's biggest selling point. They will allow up to 150 players to shoot it out on maps of up to 64 square kilometers, with one kilometer of visibility. In addition, the game will feature 12 training missions to help novice gamers get their skills up to snuff. For more on Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of the game.