Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse announced

3DO has announced Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a new horror-themed action game that features a dark visual design created by established comic book artists Simon Bisley and Dave DeVries. The game, which is set in the present day, puts players in the role of Abaddon, who must find three mortals, the "chosen," who have powers that can keep the world from being destroyed. Naturally, this quest won't be easy, and Abaddon will face zealots and demons, plus the four horsemen--pestilence, war, famine, and death.

"We're adding a modern, sinister spin on a classic theme, and creating a powerful main character that players will identify with," said Michael Mendheim, vice president and creative director of 3DO. "We're also going all out with mature content mixed with action and violence of biblical proportions. This is not your father's video game--it's more like The Matrix meets Hellraiser."

Four Horsemen's combat features hand-to-hand fighting, swords, and projectile weapons, in addition to special abilities like a Matrix-like slow-motion effect. The engine promises lots of gory effects, including dismemberment, dynamic exit wounds, and motion-captured finishing moves. The game will have more than 18 levels, ranging from the postapocalyptic world created by World War III to the depths of hell.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC in fall 2003. We'll have more details as they become available.