Tecmo Deceives Again

TOKYO - Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with Tecmo, who showed us around its offices and also gave us a sneak peek at Tecmo's Deception II. While I didn't play the original much at all, I found the sequel to be really easy to get into right from the beginning. The storyline is complex, and this time it centers around a female, human character.

The demo we played had three levels, each with its own challenges. Each time, an enemy would enter the room and the player needed to activate traps by pressing the appropriately colored button. That would determine whether they got crushed, smushed, blown up, or otherwise killed. Of course, it's kill or be killed in this game, with enemies that run after you with big hammers and swords, to name just a few weapons.

The graphics are stunning - it's easy to see that Tecmo has taken quite a bit of time refining the title for its sequel. The demo we played was also dual shock-compatible, making setting off those bombs all the more enjoyable.

Weapons available in this demo included bombs - those that shoot out from the walls, those that roll down stairs (and make a nice burning splat sound) - and more. And if that weren't enough, one of the rooms in the demo had a sickle-type blade swinging from the ceiling on a chain and buzz saws that would shoot out of the wall.

Overall, there's plenty of promise in this title, and after seeing it firsthand, I'm going to have to go back and play the original. We'll be back with more on the game as it nears its release date later this year.