WinBack on the Front Burner

Koei's WinBack is on its way. Gamers will play the role of Jean-Luc, a member of a team deployed to stop terrorists who've stolen a top-secret weapons satellite. Turns out the terrorists want their homeland freed, and they're going to blow up everything if they don't get it. So you and your fellow S.C.A.T. (Strategic Covert Actions Team) members take off.

A third-person shooter, WinBack has three difficulty levels and deathmatch, quick draw, and lethal-tag modes in addition to single-player. (Up to two people can play at once.) While you can't crawl (which is unfortunate because there are 18-wheelers it would be great to slide under so you could shoot at the feet and legs of an enemy), the action generally seems pretty good. A quick shot to an enemy's head will put him down faster than the two or so shots to the chest it might take to kill him. You also have the option of automatic targeting, you can blow things up with explosives, and stealth definitely plays a role in winning your mission. At the moment, the backgrounds seem a bit drab, but play itself is fairly smooth.

Watch for WinBack this March.