Vultures E3 2003 Preshow Report

Vultures, a third-person 3D beat-'em-up game, will be exhibited by CDV Software at E3 2003. The story behind Vultures is an alternate history of the interaction between the Europeans and Native Americans. In the world of Vultures, all the attempts by the Europeans to settle the Americas failed, and a huge plague wiped out almost all of the European continent. Those who fled to America ended up enslaved by the Native Americans and were forced to fight in gladiatorial combat for the amusement of their masters.

Vultures' gameplay is reminiscent of the fighting in games like Dynasty Warriors or The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. You'll use medieval melee weapons such as swords, war hammers, halberds, maces, and axes to dispatch your enemies and become the master of each of the game's 25 different arenas. Each arena includes interactive elements such as traps, and destructible features like bridges, which you can collapse to send enemies tumbling to their death. You'll even be able to find and equip weapons strewn about the arena or pick them up from fallen foes. A few ranged weapons, like pistols, slings, and crossbows, will be included, although the gameplay is fast enough that it is unlikely you'll be able to safely reload for a second shot.

You'll be able to choose from 16 different gladiators, each of whom has his own fighting style and strengths and weaknesses as far as speed, strength, and stamina are concerned. The game's combat system divides bodies into specific hit zones, allowing for targeted attacks. Multiplayer action is supported in the form of two-player adversarial or cooperative modes, which allow you and a friend to fight through the arenas together.

Vultures is currently slated to ship for the Xbox in the second half of 2003. We'll have more information on the game as it becomes available.