E3 09: Section 8 is better than Velvet Assassin

11:21 AM on 06.04.2009   |   Jim Sterling

13 comments

I was invited by Southpeak to check out their E3 booth and the latest games coming through the pipeline. While I expected a trap as retribution for our Velvet Assassin review, I bravely faced the music anyway, and was instead greeted with a demo and playthrough of Section 8. Our man Hamza had his own preview of the game a few weeks back, but E3 is a time for stepping on another editor's toes, so sod it, let's look at the game some more.

In case you missed our preview, Section 8 is a multiplayer-focused FPS in which somewhat deranged soldiers drop into combat from the sky and shoot each other up. The basic premise is that two warring factions are vying for control of a conquered planet. That's all you need to know. 

Hit the jump for more.

It's quite ironic that the one Southpeak game that really is quite fun to play also happens to be the one Southpeak game I wasn't paying attention to. Section 8 took me by surprised by being a very enjoyable experience, with a number of interesting ideas that should make it stand out.

Chief among the game's tricks is the ability to drop into battle, literally anywhere on the map. There are no fixed spawn points, with players able to get anywhere, provided there is clear sky ahead. The selected drop point is then, quite literally, a drop point. You'll start off in the sky, in FPS mode, watching the map from way overheard, gradually getting larger, before hitting the ground. You can also put on the brakes to slow down your drop, which also allows you to slightly reposition yourself. I'm also told that if you can drop on an enemy's head, it's an instant-kill. Regardless of whether or not you can Mushroom stomp some poor fool, landing from the sky and heading into battle is a very cool experience. 

Once dropped, you can get to a hot point in the battle quickly by entering overdrive move. Clicking the left stick will get your character running, and once he's charged up, you'll then dash speedily in third-person to wherever you need to go. It's a little hard to stop once you get going, but it's a very handy tool. Speaking of handy tools, you'll be able to earn points in battles for performing specific tasks, and they can be spent on turrets and vehicles, which will drop in just as you did. These weapons are essential for dealing with dropping enemies, and holding key positions. 

The gunplay is a little loose, but it has a very "nineties" feel to it that is quite nostalgic. There are a good variety of weapons, from rifles to rocket launchers, and players can also choose classes with specific skills, such as the ability to heal other players. All classes, weapons and customizations will be available to every player from the outset, a deliberate move on the part of the developers to ensure that anybody can get into the game without being overwhelmed by elite players who have unlocked everything. So, if you want rockets, you can get rockets. 

Another key part of the game is the "Limited Lock-On" feature. By hitting the left trigger, you can zoom in slightly to get a better view of the target. You will then be able to highlight targets and lock on to them for a limited amount of time, allowing all your bullets to hit home. There is available only for a limited amount of time, however, so should be used wisely. It's yet another way to help noobs, and isn't overpowering, so it should be a very handy feature indeed. 

My time spent with Section 8 was quite fun, and I was quite surprised by how much fun it was to play. It's a classic multiplayer shooter with old-school sensibilities surrounded by brand new ideas, and it's definitely, definitely better than Velvet Assassin.