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E3 2002Chrome impressions

Techland drives us through its upcoming sci-fi action game.

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Poland-based game developer Techland gave us a demonstration of Chrome, its upcoming sci-fi action game, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles today. Development manager Pawet Zawodny walked us through the game, which combines first-person shooting action and vehicle combat in a futuristic setting.

Players assume the role of Logan, a bounty hunter caught in the midst of the conflict in a distant star system. In addition to using more than 18 types of weapons and other items, Logan has special implants that can boost his abilities. In the beginning of the game, many of these implants haven't yet meshed with his body, but through the course of the game he will gain access to additional implants. Although the implants can give Logan superhuman speed or allow him to see in different spectrums, they cause a neural overload. This overload is indicated by a bar at the bottom of the screen, and when the overload reaches 100 percent, all the implants will shut down. In addition, some implants will have drawbacks, such as the reduced accuracy caused by using the speed implant.

The game is built on a proprietary 3D engine that includes a custom-built physics system. Zawodny showed off the physics by shooting enemies, which would collapse to the ground, after which he would continue to shoot the body. The force of the additional bullets caused the body to move slightly across the ground. After that, Zawodny hopped into a buggy vehicle and drove off, during which the game automatically switched to a third-person perspective. The buggy's soft four-wheel independent suspension was reminiscent of the vehicles in Bungie's Halo, although Chrome's vehicle doesn't flip over as easily. The game will feature a total of eight types of vehicles including trucks, off-road vehicles, armored transporters, and shuttles.

Chrome will include several multiplayer modes in addition to its single-player storyline. The developer plans to include deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, and king of the hill. For more information, take a look at our in-depth interview with the developers. We'll post more about the game in the coming months. No official North American release date has been announced.

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