KISS: Psycho Circus Preview

All right, sing along with me: "I want to rock and roll all niiiiiight and party every day!" Um, okay - so maybe you're not that good at KISS karaoke. Don't worry, the fine folks at Gathering of Developers are readying a suitable alternative - KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child, a first-person shooter for the Dreamcast. Featuring the musical machinations of KISS, the character designs of Todd McFarlane, and the coding talents of a bevy of former Ion Storm employees, KISS Psycho Circus is shaping up to be a unique, albeit bizarre entry in the DC's FPS stock .

The story of KISS Psycho Circus is a simple one. A demonic incarnation of all that is unholy, the Nightmare Child, is trying to be born unto this world. If successful, the NC's birth will eradicate the universe, replacing it with a twisted, mutilated copy of itself. Standing in its way is a lone soul: you. As the world grows more and more demented, you must seek out and acquire the components of the NC's archnemesis, The Elder. Oddly enough, The Elder happens to look a lot like KISS members Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss. In keeping with the game's music-inspired plot, you don't need to hunt down the body parts of each of the band members. Instead, you have to gather platform boots, breastplates, leather pants, and a variety of other KISS mainstays. Did I say the story was simple? Sorry, try utterly twisted.

In a strange twist, by collecting the band members' accoutrements, you assume their looks and powers instead of rebuilding the band members themselves. For example, when you acquire a certain pair of boots and a tongue, you will look like the master of fire, Gene Simmons (aka the Demon). Along with these newfound looks is the ability to unleash a torrent of glam-rock bottom thrashing. Want to set beasts on fire, drown them, or cover them in earth? Just complete the Demon, the Celestial, the Star Bearer, and the Beast King, and you can throw down Reno-style. You're going to need all the help you can get, as the game features endless hordes of ugly demons. Using the raw power of Monolith's Lithtech engine, the Dreamcast KISS Psycho Circus will send groups of 20, even 30 demons in your general direction. Unlike common FPS titles, where there are eight to ten bad guys to contend with per room, you'll frequently be fighting entire armies in Psycho Circus. They'll crash through windows, plummet from buildings, leap out of rivers, and amass against you Starship Troopers-style at every turn. Fat clowns painted with bull's-eyes, venomous tree-sized spiders, and flaming motorcycle demons are just a few of the many minions of the dark you'll face.

Other notable game features include a KISS soundtrack featuring new and old hits and the capability to play with or against other human players online on Sega's Dreamcast Network. In a time when FPS titles lack vigor and distinction, KISS Psycho Circus combines three of the genre's necessary aspects: varied gameplay, unique characters, and multiplayer capability. Can the Dreamcast do the game justice? Can a Todd McFarlane comic featuring a perennial rock band succeed as a video game? Just how varied will the multiplayer aspects of the game be? The world will know when KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child reaches stores this August.