Ghost Screens and Video

VGS received a Japanese demo copy of TH*Q's PlayStation action title, Ghost in the Shell, a game due out in later this fall. Based on the Japanese animated film and comic book (published in the US by Dark Horse), Ghost in the Shell presents an interesting twist on the 3-D shooting game. Freely mixing cinematic cutscenes (some created only for the game), free exploration, and rail shooter action, this is one game to watch - literally.

At its heart, Ghost in the Shell is a mission-based action shooter. Though the comic's main character herself is never seen, she hops into a Fukochima, a one-person spider-like tank controlled by your "cybernetic consciousness," and battles evil hi-tech forces. The player pilots the vehicle (in either three-quarter, though sometimes over-the-top, perspective), which has the ability to cling to any surface, as he engages in brutal search and destroy action. This spider effect allows for a full vertical and horizontal rotation. It's weird at first, but after a few minutes one will wonder why this hasn't been done before in a 3-D shooter (though it will be again in Fox Interactive's upcoming Aliens Vs. Predator).

And then there's the all-important cutscenes. TH*Q says that how gamers play a given mission (receiving no damage, killing all opponents, and so on), will determine which cutscene they see. And collectors of the comic and fans movie should thrill to know the game contains ten full minutes of theater-quality animation, produced by the same team responsible for the movie.

Be sure to check out the following screenshots and movie (which ran earlier on our site) of the game. Expect a full preview and new video footage on VGS soon.