RTX Red Rock Preview

LucasArts announced its upcoming PlayStation 2 and GameCube game, the tentatively titled RTX Red Rock. Developed internally, the game is set 100 years in the future and opens in the wake of an aborted invasion of Earth by an aggressive alien species. With the alien menace defeated, Earth's forces regroup and rebuild. But, as is often the case when dealing with alien invasions, things aren't quite as they seem.

You take the role of E.Z. Wheeler, a military soldier who had taken part in repelling the invasion. A specially trained soldier known as a "radical tactics expert," his skills lie in dealing with the unknowns in hostile combat zones. As a result, E.Z. is sent to check up on the state of the Mars Colony when communication is lost with it following the invasion. Although he initially operates under the assumption that the residents of the colony have been wiped out, E.Z. discovers two things that complicate his mission greatly. Upon arriving on Mars, E.Z. discovers that there are in fact survivors from the colony who will require his help. However, further inspection reveals that his mission will entail more than simple rescue thanks to an unpleasant, alien-related discovery. E.Z.'s reconnaissance uncovers an uncomfortably large gathering of the allegedly defeated alien army. Unfortunately, the events position E.Z. as the only thing standing between a full invasion of Mars--allowing the aliens to gain a foothold in the solar system from which to launch another assault--and the colonists' only hope.

While taking on an alien army solo sounds very much like a quick exercise in suicide, E.Z. isn't exactly helpless. While repelling the alien invasion of Earth, E.Z. had lost his right arm and left eye, which were subsequently replaced by synthetic replacements that will be extremely useful in his adventures. His arm telescopes and pulls him up where he needs to be, à la Bionic Commando. It can be also be enhanced by collecting new weapons and items over the course of the game. E.Z.'s eye offers him five modes to view his world: standard, infrared, hud, ultraviolet, and electroscan, which helps E.Z. make his way through the game. However, his most valuable piece of equipment is likely to be I.R.I.S., a sentient PDA-like device that serves a wide variety of uses.

In terms of gameplay, RTX is shaping up to offer a balanced mix of traditional combat, exploration, and puzzles. The game's main focus will be its single-player mode. Players will find 10 huge levels that run the gamut from vast outdoor areas surrounding the colony, featuring huge canyons, to the interior of the colony, which includes a labyrinth of corridors and air ducts to navigate. Exploration is broken down into two basic types. When on the surface of Mars, you'll be wearing a spacesuit that will require you to keep an eye on your oxygen levels, and when you move inside the colony, you'll be able to lose the suit. Combat looks to be quite accessible, thanks to an intelligent targeting reticule and functional setup. The reticule reflects how accurate your shots are when you're on an enemy--the larger the reticule, the less accurate you are. When faced with several enemies, you'll be able to cycle through your targets at the press of a button. Puzzles in the game will offer a range from traditional "find the key/switch" to more involved puzzles that will require you to use I.R.I.S. to log on to local computers and take control of robots that you'll use to access other areas of the station. Finally, as you explore each area in the game, you'll have to keep an eye out for colonists who have survived the alien occupation and will be in need of some rescuing. In addition to the game's single-player game, RTX will offer a split-screen multiplayer mode and a few minigames for a bit of variety.

Graphically, the game will offer some very polished visuals, thanks to a custom engine that draws impressive performance out of the PlayStation 2. The various "chunks" of areas, such as the interior and exterior parts of an area, will transition smoothly, thanks to a slick use of streaming. Detail in the characters and environments is quite impressive due to the combination of a process that adds procedural detail, which builds on the game's models, and heavy use of the PlayStation 2's vector units. The end result is a sharp-looking PlayStation 2 game.

Given the game's leanings toward the PlayStation 2 hardware, GameCube owners may worry that they'll get stuck with a sloppy port of the game, as has happened a bit too often over the months since the hardware's debut. While it's too early to say exactly how RTX will end up on the GameCube, the fact that the team has always planned on the game going to both systems is a reason to remain hopeful. The intention is to push the GC hardware as much as the PS2 hardware. Thanks to the many virtues of the GC hardware, the team will have room to focus its efforts on different aspects of the game. For example, the way the GameCube handles bump mapping won't require the effect to be done the same way on the PS2 and will free up system resources for more to be done to the game.

RTX Red Rock is currently slated for release in spring 2003 for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. Look for more on the game later this month when it's shown at E3--and when we get some hands-on time with it.