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Eidos Shows 'Deus Ex2' / 'Lara Croft' & 'Virtual Resort' At E3 (PC/XB) - Screens

by Rainier on May 21, 2002 @ 12:30 p.m. PDT

Eidos Interactive, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced that DX2: Invisible War is currently in development for the Xbox. This follow-up release to Deus Ex is being developed by Ion Storm, creators of the original game, and is slated to arrive in stores in 2003. We also scored some Lara Croft screens (and some game info for the PC/PS2 versions) and Virtual Resort: Spring Break for the PC. Enjoy the screens!

Deus Ex 2 : Invisible War

"Deus Ex is widely regarded as one of the greatest games ever," said Mike McGarvey, CEO of Eidos. "We are supremely confident that Warren and his team at Ion Storm will yet again set the standard by which other games are judged."

Like its predecessor, DX2 allows players to participate in the telling of a powerful story, rich in mystery, lies and intrigue. In addition to a host of new conspiratorial friends and foes, players can expect encounters with a variety of characters from the original Deus Ex game. And, once again, players visit a variety of real world locations made more exotic by the passage of time.

"The goal of a game like DX2 is to offer players free-form gameplay experiences where they control their virtual destinies," says Warren Spector, Executive Producer of DX2. "We're going to provide the great storyline and rich, varied, player-controlled experience expected of a Deus Ex game, but this time we're pushing the bar even higher in terms of graphics, AI, physics, sound and accessibility. DX2 Project Director, Harvey Smith and his team want to take Immersive Simulations as far beyond Deus Ex as Deus Ex was beyond its predecessors. Gamers have a lot to look forward to…"

In DX2 players create a compelling alter ego through the selection of futuristic nano-tech augmentations, powerful weapons and hundreds of useful objects. As in the revolutionary Deus Ex game, character choices, weapons and object use work in combination with a richly interactive world to give players freedom to solve game problems the way they want to, rather than the way the designers want them to. Gamers can fight, sneak, talk or hack your way past any problem encountered and every situation can be dealt with in a variety of ways.

That freedom to choose a play style set Deus Ex apart from other games and DX2 takes the idea further - a deeper simulation than ever before offers players even more control over the action. DX2 features a more powerful physics system, startlingly believable AI, dramatically enhanced character modeling and animation, a groundbreaking sound propagation system and state-of-the art lighting and graphics. The game systems contribute materially to gameplay, minute-to-minute, mission-to-mission, and beginning to end.

DX2 takes place approximately 20 years after the events depicted in Deus Ex, in a world only beginning to recover from a secret, conspiratorial war, technology run amok and catastrophic worldwide depression. The winner-take-all geopolitics of mid-21st century Earth have given way to a struggle over more basic concerns: food, water, reestablishing civil law and cleaning up biological and nano-tech fallout. Several religious and political factions see in the chaos the opportunity to shape a worldwide government and they know that the right moves now could determine the shape of human society for decades - even centuries - to come. The player must reveal the secrets of each faction and the identities of the true players in this struggle for world power. In the end, the player discovers that he or she may be the key to all of the factions' plans. But the greatest mystery of all - the game's true goal - is more personal, much deeper and, for maximum impact, is best revealed during play. The story is an important part of any Deus Ex-universe game but character development, simulation and gameplay are, taken together, the real heart of the matter.

The original Deus Ex received over 35 "Game of the Year" accolades from numerous industry and fan publications, including "Game of the Year" from PC Gamer Magazine, "Best PC Game of 2000" by the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA), "PC Action/Adventure Game of the Year" and "PC Innovation in Computer Gaming" from The Academy of Interactive Arts and Science and more.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

A new Lara Croft for a new generation. Eidos Interactive and Core Design announce the return of the world’s most famous video game character in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of DarknessTM. The game will be released on PlayStation 2 and PC in November 2002.

A series of grisly murders brings Lara into conflict with a sinister Alchemist from the past, and a secret alliance of powerful individuals shrouded in mystery. At the centre of this conflict are five 14th century paintings – the Obscura Paintings, which the Alchemist is desperate to repossess.

Accused of the murder of her one time mentor Von Croy, Lara becomes a fugitive on the run. Pursued by the police, she is drawn into a dark world of blood, betrayal and vengeance spanning across hundreds of years. It is up to her to defeat this unholy alliance and stop them from unleashing their incredible powers on the world.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is classic Lara, but this time as both hunter and hunted she must rely on her ingenuity, athleticism and a new edge that has arisen from her dark inner demons. The game introduces a whole host of new gameplay features including interaction with other characters and the capacity to improve Lara’s abilities depending on how you play the game. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness employs a brand new engine built to fully utilise the power of PlayStation 2 and the latest PC graphics cards. Lara is now made up of over 5,000 polygons as opposed to just 500 in previous Tomb Raider games.

Features:

  • New Lara, New attitude!
  • Character evolution –you can improve Lara’s abilities depending on how you play the game. You are rewarded for puzzle solving and exploration in the form of improvements to Lara’s jumping ability, brainpower, upper body strength etc.
  • Character interaction – for the very first time in a Tomb Raider game, Lara has the ability to talk to characters. The choices you make in conversation will affect Lara’s route through the game.
  • Strong narrative – that drives Lara through the game with sub-plots that emerge through the course of the game and detailed character histories.
  • Cutting edge graphics – brand new engine designed to fully utilise the power of PlayStation 2 and the latest PC graphics cards. Lara is now made up of over 5,000 polygons as opposed to just 500 in previous games. Spectacular graphical effects – weather, lighting & reflective maps.
  • Massively improved animation system – Lara now has more than 180 incredibly fluid animations (as opposed to 25 in previous Tomb Raider games).
  • Brand new control system – allowing much more direct control over Lara. The previous ‘grid-based’ control system has been replaced with a much more intuitive system.
  • New range of moves – including hand-to-hand combat, stealth mode, ‘last-chance’ grab etc.
  • New playable character – Kurtis Trent with his own distinctive moves and gameplay mechanics.

Virtual Resort: Spring Break

Product Description:

Think fun, sun, sand and romance and you've captured the essence of Virtual Resort: Spring Break™.

Set on a chain of exotic tropical islands, Spring Break players face the challenge of creating the most successful (and wildly fun!) vacation experience. Starting with an undeveloped island, your job is to build an all-inclusive resort featuring hotels, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, water sports, beach activities, and more. Once developed, set the prices, then kick back and watch all of your guests' hedonistic holiday fun.

Every scenario in Spring Break is based on a different island. Each of the islands feature different types of guests, unique hazards, various attractions, and more. As the Spring Break kingpin, you reap all the joys and headaches of running a typical vacation resort, from raging romances and unruly drunken guests to dreadful food poisoning and deadly shark attacks.

In addition to meeting the needs of your partying guests from sunrise to sunset, each island also has its own set of objectives, which you must achieve to produce a successful, thriving resort. For example, one island objective might require you to focus on developing water sports activities such as jet skiing or snorkeling; another may require you to build the ultimate nightclub experience with a bass-pounding DJ. If you manage to accomplish the scenario goals, you will unlock additional islands and game features.

Spring Break combines the strategic planning and management features of a tycoon-style game with the hilarious people-watching intrigue of successful sim games. Mix in plenty of sun-soaked fun and a shot of debauchery and the result is the ultimate spring break beach party.

Key Features:

  • Experience all the outrageous fun of a spring beak vacation without risking a nasty sunburn, killer hangover or agonizing jellyfish sting.
  • Build the ultimate tropical playground on 12 unique islands using over 50 different structures from bungalows, nightclubs and hot tubs to souvenir shops, casinos and water parks.
  • Live vicariously through your island vacationers enjoying such entertaining events as wet t-shirt contests, talent competitions, DJ gigs, beach volleyball and party cruises.
  • Burst out laughing at your partying guests' hilarious behavior such as dancing, flirting, kissing, drunken brawls and much more… (more than 400 MB of animations!)
  • Create the most sought-after tropical getaway by skillfully fulfilling the demands of your sun-seeking guests, each with individual needs and desires.
  • Expertly manage a full staff including resort reps, waiters, lifeguards, security personnel, cleaners, construction workers, and more.
  • Party to the cool beats of Spring Break's licensed soundtrack or create your own using the in-game MP3 player.
  • Combat adverse weather conditions and natural disasters such as savage shark attacks, horrendous swarms of mosquitoes, and treacherous tropical storms.
  • Develop your island paradises in three distinct environments: the lush, tropical Caribbean, the sweltering heat of the beautiful Mediterranean, and the arid, terracotta rocky regions of exotic South America.
  • Quench your voyeuristic thirst by tracking your islanders with the aid of a built-in camera with zoom lens. You can even take photos of your favorite vacation moments to print or email to friends.
  • A simple, straightforward interface allows you to construct your holiday haven with ease.
  • Enduring gameplay featuring two play modes. In Campaign Mode, you are presented with various island challenges, each featuring different environments, weather patterns, guest types, hazards and objectives. In Freeform Mode, you are given free-reign over any island you have previously completed in Campaign Mode.
  • Low system requirements means your Spring Break vacation is accessible from just about any PC, including your laptop!

The more fun they have, the more fun you have!

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