Joint Ops: Escalation storms factory

NovaLogic today announced that the expansion to its large-scale first-person shooter Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising has gone gold and is on schedule to ship to retail stores on November 17. Joint Ops: Escalation may boast a shorter name, but it adds a new storyline and 25 maps set in seven new backdrops.

The latest tour of duty for Joint Ops sees the military action in Indonesia spreading further into Asia, evolving into all-out war. Both playable sides, the global Joint Ops forces and the rebels, will receive a new tank and assault helicopter. Dirt bikes, parachute drops, and anti-vehicle weapons also enter the fray in a game that can host up to 150 online players simultaneously. (PC FPS addicts may recall the dispute between NovaLogic and SOE, creators of PlanetSide, after NovaLogic claimed to own the world record for simultaneous players in an online FPS.)

Joint Ops: Escalation is rated "T" for Teen and will retail for $29.99. For more information, check out GameSpot's hands-on preview.