Spike sparking up new firefighting game

TOKYO--Spike will release a new action adventure game on the PlayStation 2 called Hard Luck: Return of the Heroes, which follows three men as they try to save numerous victims from a fire disaster. The latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation 2 magazine gives details on the game, as does the recently opened official Web site.

Hard Luck takes place in a newly built 30-story skyscraper named Clayton Tower, made up of offices and a lower-level shopping center. During Clayton Tower's Christmas party, flame suddenly erupts from the middle floors, quickly burning down to the shopping area. By the time the fire department arrives, black smoke has blanketed the area surrounding the tower. But one brave firefighter makes his way into the tower, where he later meets up with the building's architect and an off-duty police officer.

During the game, the player takes control of three characters--the firefighter, the architect, and the cop. The 34-year-old firefighter, named Douglas Brantley, has been in the business for 15 years and has performed many courageous fire rescues. Scott Winkler, the 27-year-old architect, was hired to build the tower because of his eccentric sense of design. Despite the blazing fire, Scott searches through his building in order to rescue his girlfriend. Max Broderick, a gung-ho police officer, accidentally ends up in Clayton Tower after chasing a criminal into the building.

The main objective in Hard Luck is to survive the blaze while rescuing as many people as possible. There are about 20 victims scattered through the tower, such as the tower's owner, Jaycob Clayton. The number of rescued victims will determine the game's ending.

Hard Luck consists of multiple stages, but the player gets only a limited amount of time to finish the whole game, meaning that too much time spent in the earlier stages makes it more difficult to advance through the later stages. Much danger lies between the player and the exit, such as backdrafts, explosions, and a whole lot of fire. An energy bar regulates the player's movements; running out of energy will leave the character unconscious for a while, which counts as a time penalty. Each character also has unique special abilities: Douglas can use his water hose to extinguish flames, Scott knows the building inside and out, and Max can use his gun to get out of sticky situations.

Hard Luck: Return of the Heroes is scheduled for a fall release. It will retail for 7,140 yen ($65).