Strategy First to publish Chrome

Strategy First has revealed to us that it has signed a deal to publish Chrome, the sci-fi first-person action game that's been in development at Poland-based developer Techland. While Chrome is Techland's best-known game, the publishing deal includes a number of other titles, including Pet Racer, and Indiana Jack.

Because of its combination of vehicles and sci-fi weaponry, Chrome has been compared to Bungie's Halo. Chrome is set in a distant star system torn apart by a war over valuable mineral deposits. Players assume the role of Logan, an interstellar bounty hunter caught in the midst of the conflict. Techland has previously said that the game will feature 10 different locations, a wide variety of weapons and equipment, and a number of implants that can be used to customize characters' attributes such as accuracy, health, and speed. While an off-road buggy is the only vehicle that's been seen in action, there are some more unusual vehicles in the works, including a player-controlled mech.

While Chrome may seem to represent a new direction for Strategy First, this isn't the first action game that the company has signed. The publisher will release Termite Games' first-person shooter, New World Order, early this year. But Chrome is expected to be a much bigger game, and it will likely be the publisher's centerpiece at E3 in May.

While Chrome is already well into development and many of its elements are fully fleshed out, Strategy First does plan to work with Techland to polish the game's presentation in several areas. Since the Canadian publisher has acquired only the North American rights for the game, it's possible that the European version of Chrome may be somewhat different.

We'll have more on Chrome in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out these 21 exclusive screenshots and our previous coverage of the game.