Next-gen consoles getting possessed

Blitz Games, the British developer of the game adaptation of the Nickelodeon cartoon Fairly Oddparents, has revealed that it's currently working on a next-generation survival horror game, titled Possession. The game is destined for simultaneous release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. There should also be a PC version released after the console editions.

In Possession, players will assume the role of The Enslaver, an evil undead madman determined to zombify all the humans he encounters. The Enslaver can command an army of hundreds of zombies and can mutate them into different forms, each with special abilities. Initial impressions have categorized the game as Pikmin with brain eating and combat.

One feature touted on the Possession Web Site is the ability to take direct control of any zombie in the Enslaver's horde. Thus, taking control of a legless zombie will put the player's perspective closer to the ground, in addition to significantly slowing down movement speeds. Meanwhile, using a zombie with a broken neck will yield a skewed view of the world.

From Blitz's preliminary details, it sounds as though Possession will have a heavy focus on combat. The Enslaver will be something of a melee powerhouse, and the ability to control specific zombies should give players the chance to duke it out in a number of different ways. The Enslaver will also be able to jump, alluding to the possibility of platformer-like game elements.

At the heart of the game will be legions of humans and zombies roaming the streets of an American city, all swarming from place to place at once. Individual characters can be decapitated, and damaged zombies will lose skin and body parts in real time.

The game should also be fairly open-ended. From Blitz's intimations, it sounds as though the city at the center of Possession will be a persistent world, much like the cities in Grand Theft Auto. Players will be able to find their own ways through the streets as they battle with police, SWAT teams, and the military. The terrain and buildings within the city will also be destructible. Blitz says that it wants the city to descend from its normal state into a raucous and smoldering war zone.

While it's far too early for Possession to have been seen by the ESRB, the game should be quite violent and bloody, so it's all but assured itself an M for Mature rating.

Blitz Games was formed in 1990 as Interactive Studios. The company has just over 120 employees and is headquartered in Warwickshire, UK.