Project Ego Preview

Since the tentatively titled Project Ego was first announced, the game has been the focus of much attention. The game's ambitious take on the RPG genre, coupled with the involvement of Peter Molyneux, has positioned Ego as one of the most promising Xbox titles. While details on the game have trickled out at a snail's pace, we got one of our best glimpses of the game at this year's GDC, where Molyneux and members of developer Big Blue Box opened up about what to expect from the game.

This could be you.

Intended to be the "greatest role-playing game of all time" according to Molyneux, Project Ego is certainly an ambitious game that looks to offer one of the freshest and most unique interpretations of an RPG to be seen in quite some time. While the game follows some of the standard RPG conventions and stars a protagonist who is traumatized by family tragedy and sets out on a quest that will save the world, how you'll go about that is decidedly different. If the game comes together as presented, Project Ego's defining features will be the game's unprecedented freedom and interactivity.

The game begins simply enough--you assume the role of a 15-year-old boy sent into town to run an errand for his family. Upon returning, you'll discover your family has been kidnapped and your beloved dog has joined the ranks of notable pets like Old Yeller in the afterlife. Vowing to find your family and seek your dog's killer, you set off on a journey that will find you becoming the greatest hero of all time--that is, if you're lucky. Ultimately, what your character becomes when you complete the game is pretty much up to you.

RPG fans and tattoo fetishists are likely to be overjoyed with the high level of customization in the game.

The way your character develops in Project Ego is one of the game's mind-boggling and appealing features, thanks to the incredible depth available to players. Based on the way you play through the game, your character will develop dynamically in a variety of ways. If you are incredibly active and do a lot of running, your character will develop strong leg muscles. Along the same lines, if your character used a single-handed sword, your arm will be more muscular. If you spend a lot of time in the sun, your skin will become tanned. If you get cut in battle, you'll have scars after you heal. As you progress through the game, you'll age accordingly. The ambitious aging model will also take into account your character's stress levels. You'll notice bags developing under your eyes if you're too stressed and age even faster if you're always stressed. Another major factor that also affects your character's aging process is your use of magic. Using magic in the game draws on your life force and will subsequently accelerate the aging process and leave you looking like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings if you become too liberal with your spellcasting. To keep you from aging--so much that you'll be forced to go into your final battles with a walker and a pair of Depends undergarments--the game manages your aging process enough to ensure you'll be able to complete the game. In fact, time is compressed and expanded over the course of the game to best serve the story. For example, a stay in prison is one way to adjust your character's age.