First look: Drake

Although it hasn't yet officially announced the game, Majesco recently gave us an early look at Drake, a cel-shaded third-person game in development at Sweden-based Idol FX. The game is tied into upcoming comic of the same name, and its overall style was described as "John Woo meets the animated Batman series." The supernatural story line is set in Hong Kong following the decimation of the 99 Dragons Clan. A member of the clan, Drake, has been brought back from the dead to get back a stolen artifact that can trap the souls of the living or resurrect the dead.

The gameplay is a mix of fast-paced combat and item collection. Souls are scattered around the maps, and players will need grab them to restore their health and keep them away from their opponents. Drake will have an arsenal of firearms and swords to choose from, plus martial-arts skills, special moves, and a slow-motion ability. He'll often pack two weapons at once, and we saw him in action in the PC version, running around a level with two pistols blazing. Despite the recent popularity of cel shading in games, Drake has a very distinct look. Idol FX specifically refers to the game's lighting technique as "rim-light shading," as it combines both cel shading and environmental mapping.

Drake is scheduled for release at the end of 2003. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.