New Legends Preview

While most ardent PC gamers are familiar with Justin Chin's work, the former lead designer of Jedi Knight is relatively unknown in the console community. That will change this November with the release of New Legends, a third-person combat game that's scheduled to launch with the Xbox. The game has been in development for quite some time, and it's undergone more than its fair share of changes, including a drastic jump from the PC to Microsoft's upcoming console--a move that undoubtedly left many PC gamers and fans of Chin's work more than a little disappointed. However, New Legends seems much more at home on a console than it would have been on a PC. "The biggest thing for us in terms of making the transition from PC to console is making sure that it doesn't play like a port," explains Chin. "We took the controller and made sure that the combinations worked well, and we completely redesigned the combat system to make it a fun console game. We also changed the focus on what weapons we wanted to keep, and ultimately, the game came out a lot better because of these changes." We were recently invited to Infinite Machine's offices in Berkeley, California, and even though we've had ample opportunity to play the game at numerous THQ events and trade shows, we snatched the opportunity to do so again.

Sun Soo is China's only hope from falling into the clutches of war.

For those who still aren't familiar with New Legends, the game takes place in a not-so-future China and draws a lot of its inspiration from the Hong Kong martial arts movies that have recently become so popular stateside. China is recovering from a devastating civil war, and signs of peace are starting to emerge throughout the land. The country is reunifying, and warlords who once clashed against each other are now setting down their arms for their nation's greater good under the leadership of Emperor Khan. But one warlord, Xao Gon, doesn't share the rest of his country's vision. He seeks to keep China pinned underneath the heavy heel of war, and soon he builds a massive army of his own, murders Khan, and proclaims himself the leader of "New China." Xao Gon's five sons, demon half-breeds, are the generals leading his army, and they each have characteristics that tie into the five basic elements of earth, wind, fire, water, and metal.

Xao Gon's generals will embrace one of the five basic elements.

You play the role of Sun Soo, a character who wants to defeat the current dictator of China and restore freedom to his homeland, if for no other reason than to avenge his brother Tao's death at the hands of one of Xao Gon's generals. You travel throughout China and find other warriors to fight for your cause. While you won't be able to assume control over them, these nonplayer characters (NPCs) will travel with you and help you fight off Xao Gon's forces. One of the earliest such characters is Boo, a brawny character who's a mix between a Chinese demon and a human. You'll meet Boo in a Mongolian prison, from which he'll help you escape after learning that you two share similar ideals about the so-called New China. Another character is an old man named Zang, who, in addition to wielding a massive sniper rifle, carries all of your group's weapons in the massive bamboo container strapped to his back. Yet another is Mai Khan, Emperor Khan's daughter, who joins your character to exact revenge for her father's murder. In total, there are eight characters that you'll meet throughout Sun Soo's journeys through China, Mongolia, and Nepal.