Publisher Codemasters and developer Blue Omega Entertainment are hoping to evolve the shooter genre with the original IP, Damnation.
Said to be a “unique and exhilarating combination of fluid action and combat,” based on the press release and screens I couldn’t tell you if this game is a first- or third-person shooter. What I do know is that the game will feature huge environments (“miles of distance and thousands of vertical feet”) in which you’ll perform all sorts of acrobatics and vehicle stunts. Most interestingly, each game level is said to feature three hours of gameplay, so make sure you pack a lunch.
On top of the single-player experience, Damnation also features multiplayer options that take place in the game’s expansive environments. I just hope it doesn’t take three hours to travel between spawn points, because as annoying cool as that sounds, I’ve got things to do.
Damnation will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this Winter.
Tuesday, 6th March 2008 – 2pm UK – Codemasters®, a leading video game publisher, and US creative studio Blue Omega Entertainment today announced Damnation™, a new videogame franchise set to come leaping onto the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows® this winter.
Evolving the shooter genre with its unique and exhilarating combination of fluid action and combat, Damnation will feature huge, open environments, frenetic combat, daredevil acrobatics and high-octane vehicle-based stunts. Presenting players with an intense test of reflexes, quick thinking and rapid-fire conflict, Damnation will feature vast, breathtaking landscapes, each covering miles of distance and thousands of vertical feet.
Billed as a ‘shooter gone vertical’ and visually inspired by iconic elements of American history, these massive streaming landscapes will form the battlegrounds for a post-industrial conflict between humanity and an unstoppable arms dealer hell-bent on total world domination.
Players will be able to choose their own paths and navigate the world by performing daredevil feats on the edge of human ability. However players aren’t the only ones with mind-blowing acrobatic skills; intelligent enemies will give chase and engage players in frantic gun fights and attacks that can come from any direction – in Damnation’s world there’s no safe place to hide.
With up to three hours of actual gameplay stretching out in front of them per level, players will need more than just muscle power to get across each level safely. Damnation will offer players a selection of awe-inspiring vehicles, from motorbikes capable of launching across seemingly infinite chasms, to huge, armour-piercing marvels that will induce mayhem with every huge shell.
The high action will be supported with an epic and in-depth story which, while focusing on the exploits of the hero character Rourke, is truly an ensemble piece. Players will meet and become involved in intricate story plots that reveal much more than the obvious.
In addition to the single player experience, Damnation comes complete with a unique set of multiplayer options that take full advantage of the game’s expansive levels. Currently in development at Blue Omega’s facilities in Annapolis, USA, Damnation will be available for Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows in late 2008. For more information and to catch a glimpse of what the future of gaming has in store, visit www.codemasters.com\playdamnation.
