E3 2001 First Impression: Casper: Spirit Dimensions

TDK Mediactive is showing a very early version of its new PlayStation 2 game based on the Casper license today, and we got to see it. Casper is pitted against his old nemesis Kibosh in a game that mixes elements of platforming, adventure, and flying into one action title.

The levels in Casper: Spirit Dimensions are built much like those in the standard 3D platformer, like Spyro, but the twist is that Casper, who is a ghost, can fly. Jumping and platform obstacles will be an obvious nonissue, then, and it looks like the game will provide a refreshing sense of freedom since you can zoom all over the place with abandon. Casper will have a number of different abilities and power-ups to combat his enemies, who are actually pretty freakish. We observed a wicked jack-in-the-box with laser eyes that looked bizarre, for instance.

Casper: Spirit Dimensions is pretty far from release, but its graphics are shaping up quite nicely, with a high frame rate and pleasing lighting and particle effects. TDK says that Casper should hit store shelves to coincide with Halloween 2001.