The Red Star E3 2004 Preshow Impressions

You don't see many action games these days with the old-school values and intense difficulty of The Red Star. The upcoming shooter in development at Acclaim's Austin studio is based on the comic book series of the same name, which is set in a fictitious, militaristic version of the USSR in which magic is used as a powerful tool in war. Acclaim is working very closely with creator Christian Gossett, who crafted the game's storyline and is participating actively in development, and the result should be a game that accurately captures the spirit of what is a very popular universe.

The Red Star (the video game) is about combat, pure and simple. You'll control one of three characters--Kyuzo, the slow bruiser; Makita, a nimble but weaker fighter; and Maya, an extremely powerful magic user and sorceress-general of the Red Fleet--and play through the game's progression of levels by beating up or blasting everything in your path. You'll control your character on foot, and each character is equipped with both melee and ranged attacks. In some instances, the game will resemble a shooter, in that you'll be dodging massive sprays of bullets while returning fire at your enemies. Other times, the game will appear more like a brawler, as you'll be fighting enemies hand to hand and pulling off some elaborate attack combos. The Red Star will have two-player cooperative support, and you'll be able to combine your attacks with the other player to cause even more damage. An upgrade system that lets you enhance your character's attributes between levels (based on your combat performance) will further enhance the replay value of the game.

As a hardcore action game, The Red Star is rare enough. That it's developed by an American studio is rarer still, and of course, the ultimate test will be how good it is when it finally comes out in the fall. Our initial observations are quite positive, so fans of quickly paced, technique-driven action games may have something to look forward to in a few months. We'll bring you more on The Red Star in the future, but for now you can check out our previous coverage of the game.