Roll Call Impressions

At a recent press event, we had the opportunity to see a one-level demo version of SCi's upcoming game Roll Call. Currently in development for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox at Argonaut and announced only today, Roll Call is a near-futuristic first-person shooter (the demo was set in February 2005) in which you'll assume the role of a member of New York's fictional G-18 unit--a group with authority over and a duty to protect the regular emergency services.

It seems that New York has been overrun by street gangs. In the demo level we saw, these gangs seemed determined to keep firefighters from attempting to save the city. Your job, if the demo level is any indication, will be to protect the firefighters from the gangs by any means necessary. To progress through this particular level you also need to enlist the firefighters' help from time to time, mostly by having them break down doors for you or, on one occasion, loan you a pair of thermal goggles so that you can navigate a smoke-filled room to rescue somebody trapped upstairs in a building.

The weapons that we got to see in action during our time with the demo included a pistol, a shotgun, grenades, and a police riot shield that, in addition to being extremely effective against enemy attacks, could actually be used to beat gang members over the head. Killing enemies in Roll Call proved to be a good way to show off the game's Havok 2-powered physics, which have already been implemented on a number of inanimate objects in the game as well as on all of the characters.

In addition to the single-player game, both versions of Roll Call will feature split-screen support for up to four players and online support for up to eight. It's not yet clear what kinds of multiplayer gameplay options will be included, though. We look forward to bringing you more information on Roll Call--which is currently scheduled for release during the third quarter of 2005--as soon as it becomes available.