Nexuiz linking CryEngine 3 to XBLA, PSN

In October 2009, Crytek opened up its CryEngine 3 game-creation tools to the development community at large, offering access to the same tech that powers the studio's anticipated Crysis 2. Thus far, the community has been fairly slow to adopt the tech, with only a handful of developers having announced they would make use of the game engine.

Today, though, that stable of developers grew by one, as IllFonic has announced its upcoming downloadable shooter Nexuiz will make use of CryEngine 3. The first downloadable game to make use of the tech, Nexuiz is in development for the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network and is expected to arrive this winter. A version of the game built using a version of id Software's Quake engine had previously been released as a PC title.

Described as a fast-paced first-person shooter, the game tells the story of the Kavussari and Forsellians, two once-feuding factions who have come to an uneasy peace. To maintain a cessation of open hostilities, the intergalactic union to which they belong has forced the two to engage in gladiatorial arena combat.

As for gameplay, Nexuiz features a mutator system in which players will be able to alter the rules of matches during the course of play. The game will feature a number of multiplayer modes at launch, including Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, as well as leaderboards. IllFonic plans to release additional content, such as game modes, character models, and maps as downloadable content.