Gunvalkyrie Preview
We report on the status of Smilebit's Xbox action game.
Gunvalkyrie is definitely nearing completion, and judging from the 70 percent build we have in-house, it's safe to say that it's gearing up to be one of the more interesting Xbox games to date. It also seems to be one of the trickiest to get used to, from a gameplay standpoint. It simply doesn't play like any third-person action game you've ever seen, and if you approach it as one, you'll likely be quite frustrated. But if you try to forget what you know about over-the-shoulder games and approach Gunvalkyrie on its own terms, you'll likely get into its quick pace and unique play scheme.
Gunvalkyrie's premise is pretty batty. It's set in the British Empire in the 19th century--a society right on the cusp of a scientific revolution. A certain Dr. Hebble has made a rash of exciting discoveries, which quickly and radically change the world. Advances in energy lead to advances in transportation and medicine, and the lives of all the world's people are improved as a result. Thereafter, space travel becomes a reality. But something is amiss with the good doctor; from his refuge on the distant planet Tir-Na-Nog, not a peep is heard. Soon, though, it is learned that the colonists of Tir-Na-Nog are being brutally slaughtered by the planet's native inhabitants--giant flesh-hungry insectoids. And it is no secret that Dr. Hebble had more than a bit to do with this as well. You, in the role of Kelly, the doctor's daughter, and Saburota, a grim and deadly warrior, must travel to Tir-Na-Nog, discover the whereabouts of the doctor, destroy the insects, and rescue the settlers.
As we reported last week, Gunvalkyrie's structure is essentially mission-based. After you complete each mission, one or more new ones will open up, all of which must be cleared before the next set becomes available. Though it's possible that you'll be able to return to earlier missions later in the game, our experience thus far has not allowed us to do so. The missions themselves are fairly straightforward, albeit pretty nonlinear, with some nicely expansive environments. The bulk of the action is a mix of combat with quite a bit of platforming thrown in. But due to the game's unique mechanics, you'll have to approach the simple act of platforming a bit differently from what you're used to. Because you'll be controlling a character that's equipped with a powerful jetpack, you'll boost horizontally much more often than you'll jump, in the traditional sense. This proves to be pretty satisfying, from a gameplay standpoint, once you get past the unorthodox control mechanics.
Many of you who've encountered Gunvalkyrie have reported having some difficulty with the control scheme. This is because the game looks, for the most part, like a standard third-person action game but doesn't really control anything like one. So if you try to play it as you would, say, Tomb Raider, you probably won't be too successful.
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