TGS 2000Carrier: The Next Mutation Hands-On

Though Jaleco's Carrier game for the PlayStation 2 was originally thought to be merely a port of the original Dreamcast version, Carrier: The Next Mutation is an entirely new game.

While the storyline and world is brand new, many of the elements of the original return here. You'll still be wandering hallways in search of card keys while trying to eliminate a ton of plant-based monsters. The version shown at the TGS only had a few weapons available. The pistol and machine gun shoot out large colored projectiles, and the flamethrower is great for taking out large numbers of enemies at once. Currently, using the flamethrower causes a lot of slowdown, though it's assumed that this issue will be addressed before the game is released.

The Dreamcast Carrier game was a Resident Evil clone in concept and in its survival-horror standard control. The PlayStation 2 Carrier bucks that trend and tosses out the tank-like survival-horror controls in favor of a more freely flowing Mario 64-like movement system. Rather than jump abruptly from camera angle to camera angle, Carrier: The Next Mutation has more cameras that will actually turn and follow you from time to time.

The version on display at the Tokyo Game Show looks promising, and if it gets the attention it deserves, it should be a decent game when it hits Japanese shelves this winter.