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About Rainier

PC gamer, WorthPlaying EIC, globe-trotting couch potato, patriot, '80s headbanger, movie watcher, music lover, foodie and man in black -- squirrel!

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'Duality' (Xbox) - Facts & Screens

by Rainier on May 28, 2002 @ 12:47 p.m. PDT

An Action RPG title developed by the former core development team from Pyro Studios. Serious message and deep storyline will be delivered through easy control, fast game play, and stimulating graphics. There are two sides to the reality, namely the real space and the cyber space, and the player will experience the same time-line through the eyes of three different characters, thus seeing various sides of the reality and understand the story as a whole at the end. Njoy the screens

An Action RPG title developed by the former core development team from Pyro Studios. Serious message and deep storyline will be delivered through easy control, fast game play, and stimulating graphics. There are two sides to the reality, namely the real space and the cyber space, and the player will experience the same time-line through the eyes of three different characters, thus seeing various sides of the reality and understand the story as a whole at the end. The players are given a freedom to enjoy the game full of plethora of actions and puzzles in any style they like. Targeted for a wide audience, not necessarily for a hard core gamer or a cyberpunk fan.

Storyline

Travis (the mercenary) is in charge of security for Company A. His boss informs him that Company B is trying to steal a product Company A has recently developed, and orders to tighten the security. That night, the research lab is raided by unknown enemies. Travis is knocked out by someone. When he regained consciousness, the product has already been stolen and no one knows how the raiders bypassed the security system. Travis is reordered to take it back and get rid of those who are related to this incident. Through a research, he finds out that a scientist named Sam and a hacker named Cube are related, and it seems like he succeeds in killing them, but the hacker's last words keep ringing in his ears.

"You are being manipulated by Cain, Travis…"

Graphic

  • Console-like fast and eye-popping graphic achieved on PC
  • Full polygon environment is enhanced with cutting-edge special effects. (Real-time mash smooth, bump mapping, inverse kinematics, dynamic shadowing, localized damage, etc.) 2,000 polygons per character, but enhanced to look like it has 8000.
  • There are real-time cut scenes with more detailed character models, (eyeball movement, facial expression, separate teeth and lips…)
  • AI controlled camera automatically focuses on the important events and characters.
  • The style and design captures the essence of cyberpunk genre, the dark and grim view of the near future.
  • Displays 4-5 large sized enemies on one screen, and more small sized ones. They assess the situation and act as a team, not a group of individuals. The enemy types are; machines, humanoids, virtual entities, transformers, etc.

What is "Cyberpunk?"

A sci-fi genre depicting fast advances in network hacking, bio-technology, and cybernetics that are used to serve the greed and selfishness of individuals. Human lives become expendable items, money rules, global corporations take place of the government, and the boundary between man and machine become ambiguous.

System

  • The number of control keys are kept at the minimum level. (easier control, easier conversion to consoles) All the necessary information will be displayed without having to turn on separate windows.
  • Play 3 characters who look and act in their own ways. Each character is played for the appropriate chapter of the game in the order of Mercenary, Hacker, and Virtual Being. Mercenary is the starting character, because he is played in the most conventional way. (like Metal Gear, Tenchu) Players will get used to the rules and controls of the game with him, then move on to the next characters who require more complicated style of gameplay. Each character's skills and abilities improve as he/she levels up and various equipments, weapons, programs are acquired.
  • Each quest has the length of 20-40 minutes. Other than the quests involving the main plot, there are many other quests available just to enjoy the game and/or earn money and experience.
  • A quests never has a pre-set way to complete. Quests are designed to be played freely according to the user's play-style and the chracter's ability, and they all will be entertaining. (If mercenary is played by an action-mania, then he will destroy all the enemies and obstacles getting in his way. If the player wants more brain-stimulating gameplay, he will be sneaking around, avoiding battles, and trapping opponents.)
  • A futuristic city (New York, maybe?) serves as the backdrop, and it is not just a group of tall buildings. Structures and inhabitants are created as close to reality as possible. In-door spaces (quests) and out-door spaces (travel) are integrated without loading time. There are elements of time and weather.
  • Even when a stage is visitd twice by different characters, it is played and experienced through a different route (depending on the style and ability) each time.
  • Multiplay deathmatch is available. Well-balanced player characters will duke it with their own unique selection of equipments and skills. There are plans to make the omnipotent Virtual Being a gamemaster, as in board games.

Characters

  • 1. MERCENARY

Goal : To earn money by carrying out quests for any client, (he doesn't care about the clients' moral standard or position) buy better weapons and implants, and upgrade himself.

Equipment : Firearm, sensors, jammers, optic camouflage, armors, implants for assault and infiltration.

Thanks to the automated targeting system in his guns, he doesn't have to aim at the enemy, but just select his target. Computer decides what part of the target will be hit with how much efficiency for what damage.

Playstyle is comparable to Metal Gear Solid, but with more possibilities and freedom.

  • 2. HACKER

Goal : To hack into more difficult net-system and boost her self-esteem and name value

Equipment : Firearm (manual targeting as in Resident Evil), sensors (better than those of the mercenary), traps, program bible.

Forced to infiltrate and move around with more stealth since she is not a good fighter in the real world, but once a computer terminal within the enemy facility is reached she becomes the mistress of her domain. Usually the deeper a terminal is located the more powerful it is, but there is more physical danger. She becomes vulnerable to an ambush when connected to a net-system, so she needs to place traps and sensors around her. Her combat abilities in the real world include firearms and hacking, but not as efficient as those of the mercenary.

Hacker can combine function modules from the Program Bible to use special abilities in the cyberspace. (Think of magic spells in the fantasy RPG) For example, Fire + Movement = Fireball. There is no limitation to the number of programs she can use, (No Magic Point) but each program takes a while to be executed. As she levels up, complex combinations, stronger function modules, and shorter execution time are available. There is infinite possibilities of combination, and it can be tested and selected at her headquarter.

The hacking process is represented in forms of puzzles, and the environment, play mechanics, and character shapes can vary from a net-system to another. Hacker can cross the real world and the cyber space with ease and alter the cyber space at her will.

  • 3. VIRTUAL BEING

Goal : To seek for his own identity as a formless cyber entity, and also find out who's relentlessly attacking him.

Equipment : He's a conscious program without any physical form who is omnipotent in the cyberspace and capable of influencing the real world. (Think of Neo at the end of Matrix)

He was originally a scientist whose soul is transferred to the cyber space by accident, and mistakes himself for an average Avatar (the cyber incarnation of a net-system user). His powers are awakened as he levels up and eventually he becomes one with the cyberspace itself to possess the god-like powers. Realizes that there is another evil Virtual Being and that he can't fight the evil one as an Avatar. At the end of the story, there is a battle between two fully awakened Virtual Beings.

  • 4. The other Virtual Being

The ultimate villain who's been controlling all the characters. The ruler of the cyberspace who tries to extend his power to the real world. Originally a program entity who accidentally gained consciousness.

Employs the mercenary to kill the scientist, and this causes the birth of the Virtual Being. Also employs Hacker to face the mercenary. Unaware of the presence of another like himself, mistakes the Virtual Being for an ordinary Avatar.

One reality can be seen through the eyes of different chatacters, to become a multi-faced reality. When two characters interact with each other and the player plays both of the characters, this contrast can reach its climax. (Ex: a battle between the mercenary and the hacker. The mercenary is frustrated at the agility and cunnings of the hacker, but the hacker is simply terrified by the firepower and endurance of the mercenary)


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